Right skills, for the right job: a new Skills Agenda for Europe

Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen: ‘Far too many people are stuck in a job that doesn’t match their talent.’

Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen

Technological progress and globalisation are changing ways of living, learning, working and doing business across the globe.

Europe’s future competitiveness and successful growth depend on the skills of people at work.

But Europe is facing a skills challenge. One in five European adults struggle with reading and writing, and even more have poor numeracy skills. Two in five are digitally illiterate. These people are at high risk of unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.

On the other hand, far too many people are stuck in a job that doesn’t match their talent. One in three graduates are in jobs which do not require a university degree.

Despite unemployment rates which in many countries remain far too high,  almost half of the employers say they can’t find workers with the right skills.

We simply cannot afford that the talent of so many people in Europe goes to waste.

That’s why we are presenting a New Skills Agenda for Europe, delivering skills for better jobs.

Actions will focus on developing basic and higher skills, making it easier to use and understand qualifications – including those learnt outside the school room, and providing better and timelier information on the skills needed by employers now and in the future.

Here are three examples of what we want to achieve.

First, improve skills levels. We should make sure that everyone has the literacy, numeracy and digital skills they need for the labour market and for life. Initial education and training systems have a big part to play, but “second chance pathways” are needed for those who fall through the net.

In this context, the Agenda will contain a Skills Guarantee for Member States to put in place flexible pathways allowing everyone to improve their basic skills levels and open the path to learning higher skills. This will be an important basis to boost the job and life chances of millions of Europeans and making sure our economy can grow and thrive.

Second, make sure that Vocational Education and Training becomes a ‘first choice’ and not a ‘second option’ for people and that it opens up smooth and effective pathways to the labour market or further education. And foster work based learning to develop high-level skills, including in cutting edge sectors that can drive innovation and growth in Europe.

Third, make sure that people’s talent can be used, ensuring that their skills are visible and understood across economic sectors and countries in Europe. To do so, we need to reinforce cooperation on comparing qualifications within the EU but also beyond our borders. This would also help the skills of migrants and asylum seekers be put to use, and attract highly qualified professionals from abroad.

Together, we can address the skills challenge and help people who want to go further, succeed, use their potential and change their lives for the better.

We owe it to the young graduate stuck in a low-skilled job, to the 50 year old engineer whose skills are being overtaken by new technologies, to the young man whose poor reading and writing stops him from moving up the jobs ladder. By working together, with Member States, regional and local communities, social partners, education partners and companies – we can make a difference.