Shaping tomorrow’s workforce: EU policy priorities for skills

As the European Year of Skills officially concluded on 8th May 2024, this policy brief by the Center for European Policy Studies examines the European Union's skill development priorities amidst technological transformations. It emphasises the importance of skills intelligence—systematic data collection and analysis—to support effective policymaking and foster a competitive, inclusive labour market.

Key findings highlight the need to anticipate future skill demands, promote lifelong learning, and enhance labour market integration. This involves upskilling and reskilling programmes, aligning skills training with industry needs, modernising education systems, and addressing the redistribution impacts of AI to ensure equal access to quality education and employment opportunities.

The brief calls for clarifying concepts such as jobs, skills, tasks, and occupations, creating standardised yet flexible taxonomies, and integrating various data sources. It advocates for a collaborative approach among policymakers, businesses, and workers to build a resilient, diverse workforce.

Four key recommendations are given by the policy brief:

• Anticipate future skills demands

• Promote and embrace lifelong learning

• Enhance labour market integration

• Address redistribution impacts