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Reducing labour shortages by improving skills matching

Alongside 17 cross-industry and sectoral employers’ organisations, the World Employment Confederation-Europe co-signed a statement calling policy-makers and social partners to improve skills matching across European Member States to reduce labour shortages. The coalition proposes concrete actions to reverse this worrying trend.

Published on 12th September 2019

Skills mismatches and labour force shortages are becoming a worrying trend in many EU Member States and jeopardizes future innovation and productivity in several sectors. To reverse this trend, a coalition of European cross-industry and sectoral employers’ organisations, including the World Employment Confederation-Europe, proposes concrete actions:

  • Reform education and training systems
  • Put in place a new EU Vocational Education and Training (VET) strategy for 2030
  • Strengthen cooperation between business, schools, vocational schools, professional colleges and universities
  • Foster the role of sectoral social dialogue
  • Develop concrete initiatives to close the digital skills gap, such as by fostering the attainment of STEM skills
  • Promote labour mobility across Europe and within the Member States
  • Develop a renewed EU policy framework for third-country legal migration

“Skills development and labour mobility contributing to a better matching of labour market demand, are at the centre of the private employment services industry. As the voice of the sector in Europe, we fully support the joint statement and urge EU Member States to implement reforms of the educational systems, based on social innovation”, explains Michael Freytag, Public Affairs Manager at the World Employment Confederation-Europe.

Around 13 million new jobs have been created since 2014 in the EU, but many vacancies are left unfilled and many employers are facing difficulties finding the people with the skills they need.

topics: Skills
regions: Europe
content types: News
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