How countries respond to skills shortages, our Knowledge Apéro
How Europe can better understand and respond to skills shortages and gaps will be the focus of the next Knowledge Apéro, How countries respond to skills shortages: Insights from international skills intelligence systems and employer surveys, an informal networking event hosted by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini at its Brussels office on Thursday 10 June 2026, from 18.00 to 20.00.
During the event, recent findings from the SkillsPULSE project, coordinated by FGB, will be presented. Following the presentations, participants – including representatives of employers, regional authorities and vocational education and training (VET) stakeholders – will be invited to join a discussion on how skills shortages are experienced by employers, how public institutions are responding, and where further action may be needed.
The findings draw on two complementary strands of research. The first is an employer survey, launched at the beginning of 2026 within the SkillsPULSE project, capturing organisations' direct experiences of skills shortages and skills gaps. The second is a mapping exercise of national and regional institutional responses, including policies, programmes and initiatives designed to address these challenges.
The event will address questions such as: what do employers' experiences reveal about the nature and scale of skills shortages? How are national and regional institutions responding? Which approaches appear most promising, and where do gaps remain? How can these insights help shape future policies and projects?
The Knowledge Apéro will be opened by Giancarlo Dente, Coordinator of FGB's Policy Evaluation and Human Capital Area. Presentations will follow from Anastasiia Pustovalova (University of Tartu) and Outi Ruusuvirta-Uuksulainen (University of Jyväskylä).
The debate will be moderated by Terence Hogarth, Professor at the Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick, and member of FGB’s Scientific Committee, who will also lead the discussion on the event's key takeaways.
The event is open to both invited and external guests, upon previous online registration via Eventbrite.
Please note that FGB's Brussels office (19A Avenue Marnix, Building A, 3rd floor) is located in a historic building which regrettably has some architectural barriers – namely steps at the entrance and very small lifts – and is not fully accessible to persons with reduced mobility.
