Although the essential part of the institutional framework for the PESs depends on the measures taken in each Member State, the persons responsible for these services decided to extend the process at European level by stepping up their cooperation, exchanging their know-how and sharing their experience, with the support of the European Commission. In the Guidelines, the Commission underlined the need to enhance the training of young people in order to make it easier for them to enter the labour market. Employers are looking for specific, highly qualified, multilingual staff who are capable of adapting to new cultures and new forms of work. Most of the PESs have begun to modernise their organisation. This has mainly meant further decentralisation and greater margin for manoeuvre of the PESs for ensuring that the resources allocated to them are focused on the local labour market.
Decentralisation is under way in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Belgium and France.
In Italy and Spain, the regionalisation of the PESs should provide an opportunity to further develop the modernisation process. Most of the Member States have abolished the monopoly of the PESs. Links have begun to be developed with private agencies. The new European employment strategy has provided the opportunity to strengthen the modernisation process. The PESs are a key instrument in the implementation of the Guidelines, and the National Action Plans clearly place them at the centre of the national delivery systems for employment services.