Cedefop, Apprenticeships and the digital transition – Modernising apprenticeships to meet digital skill needs, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Digital technologies are increasingly being adopted in a variety of occupations and sectors, meaning that workers need a solid set of digital skills. Ensuring that young people and adults have opportunities to develop the right digital skills is crucial in avoiding skills shortages and fostering productivity. Apprenticeship can help develop the right skills for the digital transition and can also benefit from the introduction of digital technologies in its delivery. This publication draws from practice and research that explore how skill needs are changing due to the digital transition, how this impacts apprenticeship systems, how apprenticeships can support and promote the transition, and how they can benefit for from effective technology adoption and use in their delivery in the school-based and workplace components.

European Commission: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, Being entrepreneurial – Supporting skills development to achieve every citizen's full potential, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

In the dynamic tapestry of Europe's economic landscape, entrepreneurship stands as a pivotal force for growth and innovation. The continent, with its rich mosaic of cultures and economies, offers a fertile ground where entrepreneurial spirit can flourish. However, a paradox persists: despite this conducive environment, Europe's entrepreneurial potential is not yet fully realised. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023/2024 report, the average total early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate in Europe is lower than other regions globally, highlighting significant untapped potential.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, Blank, M., Janisch, T., Linden, N., et al. Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

An Intelligent City harnesses the power of technology and social innovation to enhance existing strengths, to solve persistent challenges, and to create new successes by leveraging opportunities. To succeed, Intelligent Cities need the right people with the right skills in the right roles to drive transformation and innovation. Yet many cities and regional governments increasingly face skills gaps - a mismatch between the supply and demand of needed skills – in both the public and private sector. Research shows that 79% of CEOs say that a lack of key skills is threatening the future growth of their organisation and 8 out of 10 EU companies find that the limited availability of adequately skilled staff impedes investment. Also the EC has identified the challenge of lack of staff for European companies, suggesting to make 2023 the European Year of Skills.

Cedefop, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Achieving the EU's digital transition objectives and policy targets is expected to create significant additional employment in key sectors such as computer programming, research and development, and telecommunications. As digital transformation requires substantial training, job opportunities will also emerge in wholesale and retail trade, and in non-market services, which includes the education and training sector. The productivity-enhancing eect of AI fosters versatility among workers and enables them to engage in more fulfilling activities. Alongside automation, AI will also replace human tasks, leading to shrinking employment, particularly in wholesale and retail trade and construction. The pace of automation and AI deployment is uncertain, as it is influenced by technological readiness, funding availability, regulatory frameworks, social partner dynamics, and other factors. What is certain is that – to navigate the digital transition successfully – substantial investment in human capital via digital skills training is needed, including on AI at all levels.

European Commission: European Education and Culture Executive Agency, Den Hertog, P., Wylie, N., Widger, L., Brande, L. et al., A European maturity model for micro-credentials in higher education – Whitepapers and guidelines for a strategy workshop, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The European Maturity Model for Micro-credentials has been developed by the European Digital Education Hub’s (EDEH) micro-credentials squad to support senior managers within European higher education institutions (HEIs) or vocational education and training (VET) organisations in their endeavours implementing the EU Council Recommendation on Micro-credentials. One of the objectives of the EDEH is to help overcome the current fragmentation of digital education policy, research, and implementation practices at the European level.

Cedefop and Pouliou, A., Exploring the emergence of microcredentials in vocational education and training (VET), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

This working paper aims to critique the emergence of microcredentials in vocational education and training. It argues that considering microcredentials as a new tool to reorient higher or academic education overlooks the potential of vocational and professional education as well as its aim to equip learners with employability skills, in line with increasing labour market demands. The paper attempts to shed light on learning outcomes of credential holders, as visualised in four distinct scenarios developed. These scenarios are intended to show abstract representations of existing types of microcredentials and could be used to enable critical discussions and a dialogue about the purposes of microcredentials. The paper also provides recommendations for policy and practice targeted to specific stakeholder groups.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Energy, Green skills toolkit – A guide to upskilling and reskilling workers for the green transition, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The Initiative for coal regions in transition has developed this toolkit as part of its knowledge products to assist practitioners in coal regions (including peat and oil shale regions) across Europe. The aim of this toolkit is to help stakeholders to address the upskilling and reskilling needs of workers in the context of the green economy. It explores what constitutes a green job and the concept of green skills, examines the types of green skills that are likely to be needed in the future, and investigates how to plan for them. It explores the kinds of strategies that could be put into place and who should be involved in planning. It also links to EU initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, B. Janta, E. Kritikos, T. Clack. Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

This analytical report presents a review of evidence regarding access to, and the process of acquiring, skills for the green economic transition across initial vocational education and training (IVET), as well as lifelong learning (LLL) opportunities for people already in the labour market. The report focuses on groups in society that may be particularly affected by the greening of the economy.

European Training Foundation, Is money the solution? – International financial institutions investing in the future of skills, European Training Foundation, 2024.

On 9 May 2023, the European Union officially launched the ‘European Year of Skills’. This iniative aimes to empower people to have the right skills for quality jobs and support companies in addressing skills shortages in Europe. The focus is on increasing investment, enhancing collaboration, improving skills matching, and attracting talent. The Year of Skills is European at heart but global in its soul. It calls on stakeholders both within the EU and internationally to address key issues such as transforming labour market systems, tackling skills shortages, adapting to demographic changes, embracing new technologies, and meeting societal needs. These efforts are essential for achieving a fair and just green and digital transition and achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, the aim is to create economies and societies that are human-centric and inclusive.

European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Reskilling 4 Employment (R4E) is an initiative launched by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) in response to Europe’s growing skills gap. The ERT is a cross-sectoral forum in the European Union that brings together CEOs and Chairs of around 60 of the largest European companies from industrial and technology sectors to strengthen European competitiveness. On the one hand, the twin transition triggers demand for new (or relatively scarce) skills, on the other hand, some skills become obsolete as technologies are evolving.

European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Cosgrove, J., Sostero, M., Bertoni, E., Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

This study maps the DigComp framework (European Digital Competence Framework for citizens) to the skills descriptors of ESCO (European Skills, Competencies, Qualifications and Occupations), the classification of skills which is used in the Skills-OVATE, the database of European online job advertisement (OJA). This experimental mapping allows to reconcile the “demand side” of digital skills sought by employers with the “supply side” of education and training for digital skills, through the lens of DigComp, which is used in many EU digital skills initiatives at international, national and regional levels.

European Commission: European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, Pact for skills – Analysing of up- and reskilling policy initiatives and identifying best practices – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Treating up- and reskilling activities as a top priority is paramount for the EU. By addressing technological advancements, driving economic growth, achieving sustainability goals, mitigating social disparities, and anticipating future challenges, the EU can position itself as a global leader in the 21st century. It is through these strategic investments in human capital that the EU can pave the way for sustainable future. Specifically, skills partnerships under the Pact for Skills bring together stakeholders to implement concrete up- and reskilling actions. The current study supports the overall ambition of the Commission to build the skills economy in Europe.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Participatory conference on labour market developments and labour shortages in the transport sector in the European Union – Conference report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Publication metadata
On 23 April 2024, the European Commission hosted a participatory conference in Brussels to address labour market developments and labour shortages in the transport sector in the European Union (EU). The event brought together stakeholders, including public authorities, employers' organisations, transport companies, trade unions, and education and training institutions, to discuss key challenges and share good practices. There is a significant demographic change taking place across transport modes, particularly an ageing workforce, necessitating long-term strategies for ensuring ongoing operations, succession planning and talent development.

Cedefop, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The skills-matching challenge we face is enormous, and at the same time highly complex. Skills shortages in critical fields such as IT, health care and the green economy are persisting and may put a break on progress. We need young people and adult workers to see the potential of working in companies and services driving the green transition, and of jobs that spearhead the digital one. Investment in digital skills is not only about mitigating fundamental digital skill gaps among adult workers in non-digital jobs at risk of being automated. It is equally relevant to workers highly exposed to technological innovation in digital jobs and to workers for whom digital upskilling could result in more interesting, rewarding and innovative jobs.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Communication, SMEs and skills shortages – Report, European Commission, 2024.

In her State of the European Union Address on 13 September 2023, President von der Leyen identified three major economic challenges for the EU's industry in the year ahead: labour and skills shortages, inflation and making business easier for EU companies. SMEs are currently facing structural difficulties in recruiting staff with the right skills due to growing labour and skills mismatches and shortages. Having a workforce with the right skills contributes to sustainable growth, leads to innovation and improves companies' competitiveness. The European Year of Skills 2023 helps companies, in particular small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), to address skills shortages. It promotes a mindset of reskilling and upskilling and helping people to get the right skills for quality jobs.