As a member of the EESC’s Civil Society Organisations’ Group and a representative of the National Youth Council of Latvia, how do you perceive the significance of the European Year of Skills in terms of equipping young people with the necessary skills to navigate the future of work, particularly in relation to emerging technologies and changing job market dynamics?
«The European Year of Skills (EYS) is an opportunity to shed light on existing and emerging challenges – such as the fast pace of technological developments and their impact on young people and the world of work.It is also a chance for the EESC to demonstrate the added value of organised civil society and of cooperation when it comes to finding solutions to our common challenges and to call for its involvement to be strengthened.
Today’s skills policies will determine the future of Europe, and young people must have a say in shaping that future. In its Resolution on the long-lasting legacy of the European Year of Youth: youth mainstreaming and empowerment[1], the EESC has called for high-quality and inclusive education and training and lifelong learning for everyone, not forgetting about the more vulnerable people in our societies. We want to empower young people with the skills and attitudes that enable them to participate fully in society, and to manage transitions in the labour market in a successful way. Skills are key to building a more just, more cohesive, more sustainable, more digital and more resilient society. Having skilled workers is also important for ensuring a competitive Europe, alongside ensuring good working conditions, career predictability and access to opportunities. In its opinion on the European Year of Skills 2023[2], the Committee has called fora “skills guarantee” to offer the right to access quality and inclusive training for all. One element of such a guarantee would be paid educational leave, to allow workers to keep up with rapidly changing skills needs, notably due to the fast pace of technological change. Trends and changes should not be suffered but governed».
How is the European Year of Skills contributing to NEETs challenges?
«Despite an overall improvement of the labour market situation in the recent years, almost 12 % of young people between 15 and 29 years old were identified as NEETs in the EU [3].,, which represents more than 8 million young people disengaged from both education and the labour market. Thus, the Committee underlines this as one of our high priorities is the inclusion of these young people into education and training or employment. In the context of this European Year, the Committee is further promoting investing in a good quality and inclusive education and training, upskilling and reskilling of young people.
Investing in the skills of young people is investing in their future, in their career prospects, self-esteem and personal growth. At the same time, that is also an investment in our societies and competitive and innovative economies.
The Committee is particularly encouraging vocational education and training (VET), high quality traineeships and apprenticeships, which are known to smooth young people’s transition into the labour market. The Committee plans to prepare an opinion on the European framework for traineeships, once the Commission will issue its proposal. On the 27 October 2023, we will also organise, together with the European Commission, an event that will showcase young people’s skills excellence. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2024, we will work with CEDEFOP on upskilling people who are low-skilled – including young people who are early school leavers and/or NEETs.
By providing policy incentives we have to ensure that all young people, even the most disheartened, have access to decent jobs and adequate education and training that are forward-looking and more able to adapt to change».
In your opinion, what role do inclusive policies play in ensuring that young people, including those from marginalised backgrounds, have equal access to skill development opportunities, and how can such policies be designed to address the specific challenges and opportunities presented by future technologies?
«First of all, we need to be aware that the pace of recovery for young people in many countries is falling behind that of the recovery for older people and notably older workers. Young people still suffer from a long-term “pandemic scar” in terms of education loss, economic loss and poor mental health. Therefore, EU’s recovery must be youth-inclusive[4]. The Committee is currently looking into the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plans (NRRPs) by EU Member States. The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) includes measures to support youth employment and make education more resilient for some EUR 49 billion, or 11% of the total RRF budget. In an event on the 8 November, we will particularly look at the youth dimension in the NRRPs.
Regarding the technological revolution,we need to ensure a socially fair and inclusive digital transition and we need efficient and comprehensive skills strategies to tackle challenges people face today, in particular the women, the young people, NEETs, people with disabilities etc.
Generally speaking, we must develop a long-term and coherent policy that meets the needs of young people, enable them to successfully integrate into the labour market and society and motivate them for lifelong learning.
The European Year of Skills should contribute towards clear plans and real engagement from all relevant actors. Policies need to be designed with the full involvement of civil society organisations and young people themselves. Their involvement would guarantee that policies respond to the actual needs of young people and would also ensure ownership of reforms, which is crucial for an effective implementation».
Artificial intelligence is driving the workforce transformation; it is capable of performing sophisticated tasks and assisting workers across all sectors of society. This is leading to an increasing need to advance skills acquisition and training. How/where do NEETs fit into this picture, including with respect to the European Year of Skills’ main goals, especially considering the rapid advance of technologies? What actions should be taken to promote digital inclusivity in skills development policies and programmes?
«Trends such as digitalisation, automation and globalisation have been driving huge shifts in how we live, learn and work. The demand for some skills has been in decline, as new jobs are being created that require different skills and mean new requests from the labour market that call for new skills.
To properly prepare for the changing world of work – shaped by globalisation, the climate crisis, demographic change and technological advancements – governments and institutions must consider the impact of each of the trends and deliver a youth-inclusive recovery, protecting young people’s social and economic rights. National policy responses have to go hand in hand with the development of social protection and labour rights, educational programmes and training initiatives.
Youth-specific, inclusive and forward-looking policy interventions are crucial to ensure that young people are not left behind. We particularly need to pay attention to NEETs and those at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The 2023 European Year of Skills is expected to support the EU’s 2030 digital targets. One of those targets is that 80% of adults should have at least basic digital skills, while currently almost half of the EU population has no or a very low level of digital skills. Also, another target is to have 20 million ICT specialists employed by 2030.
However, the development of digital skills must be done in a manner that is both focused and inclusive. New technologies must promote inclusive employment, rather than exacerbating inequalities. For example, we need to increase the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and education. Today, only 2 out of 5 scientists and engineers are women and only 18% of specialists in ICT are women[5].
In their Recovery and Resilience Plans, the Member States have allocated EUR 130 billion to measures supporting the digital transformation – 26% of the total allocation of the plans. Of this, almost EUR 23 billion is earmarked for digital education and digital skills development. Implementation is now of the utmost importance, with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders and leaving no one behind».
*Credit photos: EU
[1] EESC resolution on The long-lasting legacy of the European Year of Youth: youth mainstreaming and empowerment.
[2] EESC (SOC/749) opinion on the European Year of Skills 2023, adopted in December 2022.
[3] Eurostat, Statistics on young people neither in employment nor in education or training, 2023.
[4] Report produced by the youth organisation People Dialogue and Change and commissioned by the European Youth Forum, entitledBeyond lockdown – the “pandemic scar” on young people.
[5] European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender equality index 2020: key findings for the EU, Publications Office of the European Union, 2021.
