Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - New Skills for New Jobs - Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs {SEC(2008) 3058}
Date: 2008-12-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: economic and social cohesion, employment policy, labour market, new type of employment, professional qualifications, vocational training

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 16.12.2008 
COM(2008) 868 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

New Skills for New Jobs  
Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs 

{SEC(2008) 3058} 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

1.4. 

2. 

New skills: the key to more and better jobs ................................................................. 3 

Meeting the skills challenge ......................................................................................... 3 

Upgrading skills at all levels and promoting employability ........................................ 3 

Matching skills to labour market needs ....................................................................... 4 

Improving the Union's capacity for skills assessment, anticipation and matching ..... 5 

A first assessment of skills and labour market needs up to 2020................................. 5 

2.1. 

Long-term trends in job creation and labour supply ................................................... 6 

2.1.1.  An expanding labour market, increasingly dominated by the service sector............... 6 

2.1.2.  A risk of labour shortages and a need for higher employment rates............................ 7 

2.2. 

Trends in skills needs and occupations........................................................................ 7 

2.2.1.  Higher skills requirements across all occupations ....................................................... 7 

2.2.2.  A significant creation of high-skilled jobs, and a risk of labour market polarisation.. 8 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

3.4. 

Anticipating and matching: New Skills for New Jobs ............................................... 11 

Addressing mismatches .............................................................................................. 11 

Strengthening the Union's capacity for forecasting and anticipation ....................... 12 

Deepening international cooperation ........................................................................ 13 

Mobilising Community instruments ........................................................................... 14 

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1. 

NEW SKILLS: THE KEY TO MORE AND BETTER JOBS 

1.1.  Meeting the skills challenge  

The  severity  of  the  financial  crisis  adds  an  exceptional  degree  of  unpredictability 
about the future of the world’s economy – yet in order to put Europe on the road to 
recovery  it  is  essential  to  enhance  human  capital  and  employability  by  upgrading 
skills. But upgrading skills is not enough: ensuring a better match between the supply 
of skills and labour market demand is just as necessary. 

As part of the European Economic Recovery Plan proposed by the Commission1 to 
help Europe alleviate the effect of the immediate crisis and prepare for the economic 
upturn, the Commission launched a major European employment support initiative. 
This initiative aims to promote employment and reintegration into the labour market 
of  workers  made  redundant  through  activation,  retraining  and  skills  upgrading 
measures.  

Skills  upgrading  is  critically  important  for  Europe's  short-term  recovery  and  longer 
term  growth  and  productivity,  for  its  jobs  and  its  capacity  to  adapt  to  change,  for 
equity, gender equality and social cohesion.  

Across Europe, the shift to a low-carbon economy and the growing importance of the 
knowledge economy, in particular the diffusion of ICTs and nano-technologies offer 
great potential for the creation of sustainable jobs. Globalisation, ageing populations, 
urbanisation and the evolution of social structures also accelerate the pace of change 
in  labour  market  and  skills  requirements.  The  development  of  new  skills  and 
competencies to fully exploit the potential for recovery is a priority and a challenge 
for  the  EU  and  national  public  authorities,  for  education  and  training  providers, 
companies, workers and students.  

Situations  in  Member  States  and  regions  differ  significantly  as  concerns  the  skills 
profile  of  their  populations  or  the  sector  distribution  of  employment.  Improving 
monitoring, assessing and anticipating as well as the matching of skills is crucial to 
address both the employment impact of the crisis and the long-term job prospects of 
the EU workforce. 

1.2. 

Upgrading skills at all levels and promoting employability 

Skills upgrading is crucial for equity, since the low skilled are more vulnerable in the 
labour market and can be hit first by the crisis. Upgrading skills is not just a luxury 
for  the  highly  qualified  in  high-tech  jobs:  it  is  a  necessity  for  all.  Low-qualified 
adults  are  seven  times  less  likely  to  participate  in  lifelong  learning  than  those  with 
high educational attainment; too little is done to increase and adapt the skills of an 
ageing workforce. The education, training and employment policies of the Member 
States  must  focus  on  increasing  and  adapting  skills  and  providing  better  learning 
opportunities at all levels, to develop a workforce that is high skilled and responsive 
to the needs of the economy. Similarly, businesses have an acute interest in investing 

1 

Commission Communication COM (2008)800  

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in  human  capital  and  improving  their  human  resource  management.  Moreover, 
gender equality is a key factor to responding to new skills needs. 

Improving  the  equity  and  efficiency  of  EU  education  and  training  systems  is 
essential  to  avoid  the  waste  of  its  human  and  financial  resources,  increase 
employability  and  reduce  inequalities2.  While  upgrading  skills  implies  immediate 
costs and must be seen in a context of financial sustainability, medium and long-term 
private,  fiscal  and  social  returns  should  out-weigh  initial  costs.  A  qualified  labour 
force  not  only  contributes  to  productivity:  investment  in  well-designed  lifelong 
learning  systems  can  largely  offset  the  economic  cost  of  skills  shortages  and  gaps. 
While  the  economic  downturn  puts  increasing  pressure  on  public  and  private 
expenditure, now is not the time to reduce investment in education, skills or active 
employment measures. 

Education and training systems must generate new skills, to respond to the nature of 
the new jobs which are expected to be created, as well as to improve the adaptability 
and employability of adults already in the labour force. Providing high quality early-
childhood  and  basic  education  for  all,  improving  education  attainment  and 
preventing  early  school  leaving  are  crucial  to  equip  people  with  key  competences, 
including the basic skills and learning that are pre-requisites for further updating of 
skills3.  

1.3.  Matching skills to labour market needs  

To  confront  rising  unemployment  matching  of  skills  must  be  improved.  Skills 
mismatches  in  the  labour  market  have  been  a  growing  concern  in  most  Member 
States. Due to imperfect information and structural rigidities, workers and businesses 
are  not  provided  with  the  right  level  of  skills  in  the  right  areas,  which  damages 
competitiveness  in  particular  of  smaller  enterprises.  The  composition  of  skills 
emerging  from  EU  universities  and  training  systems  does  not  fully  support  a  truly 
innovation-driven economy. The educational and professional choices of young men 
and women continue to be influenced by traditional gender paths. Reducing gender 
imbalances  in  sectors  and  occupations  could  partly  address  future  skills  shortages, 
for example in technical and managerial occupations4.  

The removal of obstacles, including administrative barriers, to the free movement of 
workers in the EU, as well as more transparent information on labour market trends 
and  skills  requirements,  would  contribute  to  the  promotion  of  occupational,  sector 
and geographical mobility and allow a better match between peoples' skills and job 
opportunities.  Mobility  periods  during  education  and  training  (e.g.  via  the  Erasmus 
and  Leonardo  programmes)  help  make  people  more  open  to  mobility  later  in  their 
job  search  requires  enhanced 
working 

lives.  More  effective  and  efficient 

2 

3 

4 

Commission Communication “Efficiency and Equity in Education and Training Systems” - COM(2006) 
481, 8.9.2006. 
“European  Reference  Framework  on  Key  Competences  for  Lifelong  Learning”,  European  Parliament 
and Council Recommendation 2006/962/EC of 18.12.2006. 
Commission  Report  on  equality  between  men  and  women  2009,  forthcoming.  Commission 
Communication “Promoting young people’s full participation in education, employment and society” - 
COM(2007) 498, 4.9.2007.  

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coordination  between  different  policy  areas  and  labour  market  institutions,  notably 
Public Employment Services and social security systems.  

The Commission and the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum highlight that 
employment  and  geographical  mobility  of  third-country  workers  can  help  reduce 
skills mismatches, and ensure that their skills can be used at the optimal level5. The 
successful integration of migrants and their descendants is key for EU economies and 
societies.  

1.4. 

Improving the Union's capacity for skills assessment, anticipation and matching  

Improving the monitoring and anticipation of labour market and skills requirements 
is necessary to help people return to the labour market, facilitate the matching with 
existing vacancies and orientate skill development in order to improve long-term job 
prospects.  A  substantial  improvement  in  the  Member  States’  and  the  Union’s 
capacity to forecast, anticipate and match future skills and labour market needs is a 
precondition for the design of efficient employment, education and training policies 
and individual career choices. Such an improved capacity can play a key role in the 
success  of  integrated  flexicurity  policies  within  the  Growth  and  Jobs  Strategy,  as 
highlighted by the EU Mission for Flexicurity6. 

The  European  Council  stressed  in  March  2008  that  investing  in  people  and 
modernising labour markets is one of the four priority areas of the Lisbon strategy, 
and  invited  the  Commission  "to  present  a  comprehensive  assessment  of  the  future 
skills  requirements  in  Europe  up  to  2020,  taking  account  of  the  impacts  of 
technological change and ageing populations and to propose steps to anticipate future 
needs".  

In  response  to  the  European  Council  mandate,  chapter  2  of  this  Communication 
presents a first assessment of future skills requirements up to 2020. But this analysis 
cannot be a one-shot exercise. It must be followed by a sustained, strategic effort as 
new  sectors  increase  their  potential  to  spark  growth  and  job  creation,  assessments 
need to be updated regularly to integrate these new developments.  

To  this  end,  chapter  3  suggests  ways  to  gradually  improve  capacities,  and  sets  the 
assessment of skills and labour market needs in the framework of the EU Strategy for 
Growth  and  Jobs.  Alongside  this  initiative,  the  Commission  is  also  proposing  an 
updated  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training  to 
support Member States in raising skills levels through lifelong learning.  

2. 

A FIRST ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS AND LABOUR MARKET NEEDS UP TO 2020  

The unforeseen financial crisis of the second half of 2008 illustrates the limitations of 
any  forecasting  exercise.  Many  of  the  skills  and  jobs  that  will  seem  common  to 
European  citizens  in  2020  -  e.g.  as  a  consequence  of  changes  in  the  use  of  'clean' 

5 

6 

Commission  Communication  “A  Common  Immigration  Policy  for  Europe”  -  COM(2008)359, 
17.6.2008. 
Commission  Communication  “Towards  Common  Principles  of  Flexicurity”  -  COM(2007)  359, 
27.6.2007. Report of the Mission for Flexicurity to the Council, Dec. 2008. 

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technologies  -  cannot  even  be  imagined  today. But while a forecast cannot provide 
an  exact  picture  of  the  future,  it  can  provide  an  indication  of  general  trends,  and 
highlight the need for policy responses7.  

Three core conclusions stem from the Commission's assessment: first, there is in the 
medium  and  long  term  a  great  potential  for  employment  creation  in  Europe  –  both 
for  new  and  replacement  jobs.  Second,  the  skills,  competencies  and  qualification 
requirements  will  increase  significantly,  and  across  all  types  and  levels  of 
occupation. Third, there is a need to ensure a better long-term match between skills 
supply and labour market demand. 

This first assessment is largely based on an elaborate forecast of future skills needs, 
made  in  June  2008  by  the  European  Centre  for  the  Development  of  Vocational 
Training  (Cedefop)8.  Further  details,  methodology  and  a  description  of  Member 
States'  forecasts  can  be  found  in  the  Staff  Working  Document  accompanying  this 
Communication. 

2.1. 

Long-term trends in job creation and labour supply 

2.1.1.  An expanding labour market, increasingly dominated by the service sector 

The  Cedefop  analysis  suggested  that  there  could  be  approximately  100  million  job 
openings in EU 259 over the period from 2006 to 2020. In addition to the creation of 
19.6  million  additional  jobs,  another  80.4  million  replacement  jobs  could  be 
available as workers retire or leave the labour market.  

The  slow  but  steady  shift  in  the  sector  distribution  of  EU  employment,  from 
agriculture  and  traditional  manufacturing  industries  towards  services,  is  likely  to 
continue notwithstanding the recent downturn. In 2020, almost three quarters of jobs 
will be in services.  

Job creation in services is likely to be substantial up to 2020, especially in business 
services.  The  primary  sector  could  lose  2.9  million  jobs  while  construction  should 
tend to stabilise. Manufacturing would experience a net loss of 800,000 jobs despite 
an  increase  in  engineering;  however,  given  the  impact  of  a  strong  replacement 
demand,  there  would  still  be  important  job  openings  in  manufacturing,  which  will 
therefore remain a crucial sector for the EU economies.  

With a shorter-time perspective, a more detailed forecast of trends in services can be 
provided.  The  best  prospects  of  job  creation  up  to  2015  are  expected  in  business 
services  (such  as  IT,  insurance  or  consultancy),  health  care  and  social  work, 
distribution,  personal  services,  hotels  and  catering,  and  to  a  lesser  extent  education 
(Figure  1).  The  prospects  for  business  services  and  other  sectors  may  need  to  be 
adjusted in the light of the financial crisis. 

7 

8 
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On  the  constraints  and  methodology  of  forecasting,  see  the  Commission  Staff  Working  Document 
(SWD). 
Cedefop, Skill Needs in Europe. Focus on 2020. Luxembourg, 2008. 
This  preliminary  assessment  does  not  include  Bulgaria  or  Romania.  The  will  be  included  in  the  first 
update of projections.  

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The transition towards a low-carbon economy will also have an important impact on 
employment, especially in energy, water and waste treatment, construction, transport, 
industry,  agriculture  and 
International  Labour 
Organization,  the  global  market  for  ecological services and  products  should double 
and reach 2740 billion dollars in 202010. 

forestry.  According 

the 

to 

2.1.2.  A risk of labour shortages and a need for higher employment rates 

Demographic trends will have a major impact on labour supply, although for several 
years  this  will  be  partly  compensated  by  the  increase  of  activity  rates11.  Eurostat 
estimates  that  the  EU  working  age  population  (15-64  years)  will  peak  in  2012  and 
then  start  shrinking  as  the  "baby-boom"  cohorts  retire.  As  the  participation  rate  of 
women and of older workers will continue to increase, until 2020 the effective labour 
force  should  continue  to  grow  slowly;  then  the  "ageing  effect"  will  outstrip  the 
increase in participation rates, resulting in a slight but continuous decline of total EU 
labour supply; this will affect Member States in different ways.  

Migration  flows  might  compensate  for  some  of  the  decline  in  birth  rates,  but  they 
will not solve the demographic deficit - not least because in the long run immigrant 
populations  tend  to  acquire  the  demographic  patterns  of  their  country  of  residence. 
Qualitative  EU  labour  market  mismatches  are  likely  to  be  exacerbated  by 
quantitative  shortages:  the  matching  of  skills  and  labour  market  needs  will  be 
essential for an effective use of human capital. 

2.2. 

Trends in skills needs and occupations 

2.2.1.  Higher skills requirements across all occupations 

Several  correlated  factors  will  stimulate  demand  for  better  and  adapted  skills: 
globalisation  and  increased  international  trade;  the  transition  towards  a  low-carbon 
economy;  the  application  of  technologies,  especially  ICT;  and  changes  in  work 
organisation which are themselves in part a consequence of technological change and 
skills upgrading12. 

The  next  decade  will  see  an  increasing  demand  for  a  high-qualified  and  adaptable 
workforce  and  more  skills-dependent  jobs.  The  general  upward  trend  in  skills 
demand  can  be  illustrated  by  looking  at  required  levels  of  education  attainment, 
although these are a very approximated variable for skill levels.  

In  EU  25,  between  2006  and  2020,  the  proportion  of  jobs  requiring  high  levels  of 
education  attainment  should  rise  from  25.1%  to  31.3%  of  the  total;  jobs  requiring 
medium  qualifications  would  also  increase  slightly,  from  48.3%  to  50.1%.  This 
would  amount  respectively  to  38.8  and  52.4  million  high-and  medium-level  job 
openings.  At  the  same  time,  the  share  of  jobs  requiring  low  levels  of  education 
attainment  would  decline  from  26.2%  to  18.5%,  despite  10  million  job  openings 
(Figure 2).  

10 

11 
12 

ILO, Green jobs : facts and figures, 2008. 
See Commission's first Demography Report - SEC(2007) 638, 11.5.2007.  
SWD page 18. 

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Most  jobs  in  non-manual  skilled  occupations  will  require  highly  qualified  workers; 
increasingly  fill  skilled 
workers  with  medium  educational  attainment  will 
occupations. Since overall education rates increase at a faster rate than labour market 
changes, only half of elementary jobs will be held by workers with low educational 
attainment (Figure 3). 

In the service sector, there is a clear tendency towards the broadening of the required 
skills portfolio at all occupational levels, linked to "non-routine" tasks. For example, 
ICT  professionals  have  to  develop  skills  in  marketing  or  management;  services 
workers  have  to  develop  customer  orientation  skills  and  digital  literacy.  In  many 
knowledge-intensive  sectors,  both  managerial  skills  and  scientific  knowledge  are 
needed.  In  social  care  and  education,  further  skills  upgrading  is  needed  to  improve 
the quality of services. 

This reflects the growing demand from employers for transversal key competencies, 
such as problem-solving and analytical skills, self-management and communication 
skills, linguistic skills, and more generally, "non-routine skills".  

2.2.2.  A significant creation of high-skilled jobs, and a risk of labour market polarisation 

Net job creation projections show a polarised job expansion among occupations, with 
a  strong  bias  in  favour  of  high-skilled  jobs.  Up  to  2020,  in  EU25  17.7  million 
additional  jobs  could  be  created  in  high-skilled  non-manual  occupations  such  as 
administrative,  marketing,  logistics  and  sales  managers,  IT  systems  administrators, 
teaching professionals and technicians. At the same time, forecasts highlight a low or 
even  negative  job  creation  prospects  for  some  skilled  occupations,  but  also  a 
considerable  net  creation  of  elementary  jobs  (5  million),  especially  in  the  service 
sector – e.g. security staff, domestic helpers, cashiers or cleaning workers. (Figure 4). 

New  technologies  and  developments  in  work  organisation  seem  to  result  in  an 
important  job  expansion  at  the  ends  of  the  job  spectrum  (especially  at  the  higher 
level).  New  technologies  cannot  substitute  either  the  "non-routine"  tasks  typical  of 
high-skilled  occupations  (e.g.  cognitive  and  communication  tasks),  or  low  skilled 
jobs, especially in the service sector (e.g. care or truck driving). However, medium-
skilled  routine  tasks  and  repetitive  work  can  be  replaced  by  automation  and 
computerization, or outsourced.  

Such polarisation is perceptible in some Member States. However, it is not a clear-
cut phenomenon, and the polarising trend in net job creation should be largely offset 
by  a  high  replacement  demand  for  middle-skilled  workers,  though  replacement 
demand will also accentuate the upward trend in skill demand. 

in 

labour  market  demand  already  raise  concerns  about  wage 
Such  shifts 
differentiations  between  jobs.  The  trend  in  labour  income  shares  in  the  EU  since 
1980  has  been  clearly  upwards  for  the  high  skilled,  but  downwards  for  the  low 
skilled, while the wages levels of the low and middle skilled tended to converge13.  

Service  sector  "low-skilled"  jobs  increasingly  include  more  demanding  non-routine 
tasks; yet there is still little financial recognition of the new competencies and skills 

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SWD page 30. 

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necessary  for  these  jobs  in  the  wage  structure.  This  has  also  an  impact  on  gender 
inequality, since women, especially migrant women, disproportionately hold service 
sector jobs14. 

Figure 1. Trends in employment levels in the service sector up to 2015, EU-25 

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Forecast

Distribution

Other business services

Health and social work

Public admin and defence

Education

Transport &
telecommunications

Miscellaneous services

Hotels and catering

Banking & insurance

Source: Cedefop, 2008 

Figure 2. Past and future structure of jobs by education attainment level, EU-25 

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SWD page 31. 

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100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

High

Medium

Low

1996

2001

2006

2015

2020

Source: Cedefop, 2008 

Figure 3. Projected employment levels in 2020, by broad categories of occupations 
and education attainment level, EU-25 

Low level of education attainment

Medium level of education attainment

High level of education attainment

Elementary
occupations

Skilled manual
occupations

Skilled non-manual
occupations

High-skilled non-
manual occupations

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Million jobs

Source: Cedefop, 2008 

Figure 4. Job openings between 2006 and 2020 by broad categories of occupations, 
EU-25  

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Net job creation

Other job openings due to replacement demand

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Source: Cedefop (2008).  

3. 

ANTICIPATING AND MATCHING: A NEW SKILLS FOR NEW JOBS AGENDA 

To better face the challenges described, it is crucial to promote more comprehensive 
information  on  the  Union’s  future  skills  and  job  requirements  and  to  facilitate 
matching and anticipation. It places at the centre of the EU strategy for growth and 
jobs  the  need  to  upgrade  skills  of  the  EU  population  and  to  ensure  a  better  match 
with labour market needs, to address the immediate employment and social impacts 
of  the  crisis  and  contribute  to  the  Union's  competitiveness  and  equity  in  the  longer 
term.  Drawing  on  existing  budgets  and  EU  programmes,  it  is  organized  under  four 
strands. 

3.1. 

Addressing mismatches  

Public  authorities  at  national,  regional  and  local  level,  business,  social  partners, 
training  providers  and  individuals  would  benefit  from  regular  information  on  EU 
short-term  labour  market  changes,  job  vacancies  available  across  the  EU,  and 
projections  of  skills  requirements.  To  promote  professional  and  geographical 
mobility, the Commission will: 

– 

Establish  as  of  2009  a  "European  Labour  Market  Monitor"  with 
periodical, up to date information on short-term trends on the European 
labour market. The Monitor will collect, analyse and disseminate data on 
vacancies  and  registered  job  seekers  through  the  EU  network  of  Public 
Employment  Services  and,  in  time,  from  wider  sources  such  as  sectors, 
companies and recruitment agencies; 

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– 

– 

Develop as of 2009 a standard multilingual dictionary of occupations and 
skills, to enhance the quality and transparency of vacancy information to 
improve matching between job seekers and vacancies;  

Create  in  2009  Match  and  Map,  a  user-friendly,  transparent  online 
service  for  citizens,  providing  qualitative  information  on  occupations, 
skills,  learning  and  training  opportunities  across  the  EU.  As  part  of 
EURES, and linked to the PLOTEUS and EURAXESS portals15, it will 
provide  a  clear  geographic  mapping  of  the  EU  job  offers  matching  a 
user's  profile,  feedback  on  why  jobs  and  skills  do  not  match,  and 
information on learning opportunities.  

3.2. 

Strengthening the Union's capacity for forecasting and anticipation  

Most  Member  States  are  already  developing  forecasting  and  anticipation  tools16. 
However, these initiatives vary significantly in scope and methodology and need to 
be  brought  together  into  an  orchestrated  effort.  The  resources  and  expertise  of 
Cedefop and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working 
Conditions must be harnessed for this purpose. The Commission will: 

– 

– 

– 

Establish  a  regular,  systematic  assessment  of  long-term  supply  and 
demand  in  EU  labour  markets  up  to  2020,  broken  down  by  sectors, 
occupations,  levels  of  qualification  and  countries.  Updated  projections 
will  be  published  every  two  years  starting  in  2010,  along  with  ad-hoc 
early-warnings of potential labour market imbalances;  

Increase  EU  methodological,  analytical  and  mutual  learning  capacities 
for  skills  and  jobs  anticipation.  As  of  2009,  the  Commission  will 
concentrate  efforts  under  the  PROGRESS  and  Lifelong  Learning 
programmes to develop new ways of measuring competences;  

Increase EU capacity for assessing the employment effects of a transition 
to a low carbon economy.  

Businesses have a key role to play in the assessment of skills needs, and should be 
actively involved in this initiative. The Commission will:  

– 

Promote dialogue between business and education and training providers, 
for the establishment of partnerships to meet medium-term skills needs; 
and  provide  insight  on  the  expectations  of  employers  with  respect  to 
students  and  graduates,  through  qualitative  prospective  studies  such  as 
'Tuning Educational Structures in Europe'; 

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EURES,  the  European  Employment  Services  portal,  (http://eures.europa.eu)  currently  includes  1.2 
million job vacancies, over 300,000 CVs and 17,700 registered employers. It also provides information 
needed  for  professional  mobility  in  Europe.  PLOTEUS,  the  Portal  on  Learning  Opportunities 
throughout  the  European  Space,  (http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/)  receives  over  800,000  visits  per  year. 
EURAXESS, 
Portal 
(http://ec.europa.eu/euraxess/jobs)  dedicated  to  employers  and  employees  with  a  research  profile;  it 
publishes 5000 vacancies per year.  
For a comprehensive overview of national initiatives, see SWD, chapter 3. 

in  Motion  web-site, 

Researchers 

contains 

Jobs 

the 

a 

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– 

– 

Enhance  knowledge,  awareness  and  involvement  of  businesses  in 
forecasting  skills  needs,  through  an  employers'  survey  tool  and 
qualitative studies on the skills needs of business, notably SMEs; 

Support  platforms  of  companies,  training  providers  and  recruitment 
specialists  to  jointly  design  targeted  training  courses  and  organise  an 
annual  "Partnership  for  skills  and  employment"  event,  to  recognize  the 
most innovative partnerships matching skills supply and demand. 

The  sector  level  is  of  special  relevance  when  looking  at  adaptation  to  change.  The 
Commission,  in  cooperation  with  EU  institutions,  social  partners  and  EU  agencies 
Eurofound and Cedefop, has already developed a foresight cross-sector methodology 
for  the  anticipation  of  sector  skills  needs,  which  delivers  scenarios  for  the  sectors' 
evolution and the impact on occupation and employment. The Commission will  

– 

– 

Provide an analysis of the skills and labour market needs of key sectors. 
Comprehensive  results  for  16  sectors  covering  75%  of  total  EU  private 
sector  jobs  will  be  available  in  mid-2009,  providing  a  full  picture  of 
labour demand and its implications for restructuring; 

Discuss  with  stakeholders,  notably  the  existing  sector  social  dialogue 
committees, 
the  possibility  of  establishing  "sector  councils  on 
employment  and  skills"  at  EU  level,  to  collect  information  available  in 
Member  States  and  regions  and  provide  guidance  drawn  from 
stakeholders and from education and training systems. 

In  order  to  draw  on  the  expertise  of  Member  States,  business  and  social  partners, 
education  and  training  providers,  academics  and  international  institutions,  the 
Commission will establish a small group of experts in support of the New Skills for 
New  Jobs  initiative.  Over  the  course  of  one  year,  the  group  will  provide  expertise 
and advice on analysis, common methodologies and policy responses.  

3.3. 

Deepening international cooperation 

The EU and other economies are affected by global trends and challenges, which in 
turn  have  a  direct  impact  on  EU  labour  markets;  policy  dialogue  and  exchange  of 
experiences  with  our  global  partners  can  contribute  to  meeting  the  challenges  of 
today  and  tomorrow.  In  addition  to  the  ongoing  cooperation  with  the  46  member 
countries  of  the  Bologna  process  for  reform  of  higher  education,  the  Commission 
will  intensify  cooperation  with  third  countries  and  international  institutions.  In 
particular, it will: 

–  Actively participate in the OECD's new Programme for the Assessment of Adult 
Competences (PIAAC), alongside the ongoing PISA and AHELO Programmes on 
student  and  higher  education  outcomes.  The  Commission  will  also  co-operate 
with the OECD in the development of qualitative studies on the evolution of skills 
demand and indicators of mismatches;  

–  Cooperate  with  the  International  Labour  Organisation  (ILO),  particularly  with  a 
view to developing a knowledge sharing platform and to assess the global impact 
of climate change policies on skills and jobs; 

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–  Enhance  the  current  bilateral  dialogues  with  third  countries,  particularly  with 
China, India, the USA and Canada, leading to joint research and cooperation  on 
forecasting and methodology; 

–  Develop the policy dialogue with neighbourhood countries and within the Eastern 
Partnership  and  the  Union  for  the  Mediterranean  supported  by  the  European 
Training  Foundation,  notably  to  develop  the  vocational  education  and  training 
sector (VET) and national qualifications frameworks. 

3.4.  Mobilising Community instruments 

Preparing for recovery through a radical skills upgrading will only succeed through a 
concerted  effort  of  all  stakeholders  in  the  Member  States,  with  the  contribution  of 
Community policies, financial instruments and processes:  

–  The  Growth  and  Jobs  Strategy  and  the  Mutual  Learning  programmes  within  the 
Open Method of Co-ordination provide an overall policy framework for the New 
Skills for New Jobs initiative. The Commission’s Recovery Plan underlines that a 
stronger  emphasis  on  flexicurity  policies,  with  a  focus  on  activation  measures, 
retraining  and  skills  upgrading,  is  essential  to  promote  employability  and 
reintegration into the labour market;  

–  The  updated  strategic  framework  for  cooperation  in  education  and  training  can 
stimulate  innovative  partnerships  between  education  and  training  providers  and 
social  and  economic  actors,  to  promote  more  flexible  and  demand-led  systems. 
The  implementation  of  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  should  increase 
the  transparency  of  qualifications  and  facilitate  access  to  further  learning.  The 
Copenhagen  process  on  cooperation  in  VET  will  include  a  new  priority  to 
improve the links with the labour market; 

–  The "Fifth Freedom" – the freedom of movement of knowledge - called for by the 
2008 Spring European Council, will support the deployment of the New Skills for 
New  Jobs  initiative.  It  will  foster  the  mobility  of  knowledge  workers  across 
borders and sectors and thus help match demand and supply at the high skill level; 

–  The New Skills for New Jobs initiative is fully within the scope of the European 
Social Fund (ESF). Several Member States have already identified as a priority in 
their  2007-2013  ESF  programming  the  development  of  policies  and  services  to 
address skills needs and labour market mismatches, including actions aiming at a 
better gender balance and guidance on educational choices. The Commission will 
provide policy guidance for Member States on an optimal use of ESF funds; 

–  The  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  can  also  contribute  to 
developing  skills  and  anticipation,  by  promoting 
technology  forecasting, 
innovation,  research  and  development  and  communication  infrastructure  and 
through cross-border cooperation between education and training organizations; 

–  The  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  invests  in 
innovation,  new  technologies,  research  and  development,  and  supports  the  skills 
upgrading of farmers, foresters and food processors as well as of the broader rural 
population through training, information and diffusion of knowledge actions. 

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–  The  Commission's  proposal  to  amend  the  European  Globalisation  adjustment 
Fund (EGF) Regulation will allow for strengthening skills upgrading activities;  

–  The  European  Fund  for  the  integration  of  third  country  nationals  can  also 
contribute  –  complementing  the  ESF  -  in  upgrading  and  adapting  immigrants' 
skills,  in  particular  by  supporting  pre-travel  measures  (e.g.  vocational  and 
language training) in the country of origin, and language courses in the Member 
State of residence; 

European social dialogue is a key instrument for mobilising social partners to invest 
in  the  right  skills  through  education  and  lifelong  learning.  The  Commission  will 
invite  social  partners  to  develop  joint  initiatives  to  promote  skills  forecasting  and 
upgrading, and to accompany short-term restructuring. 

*** 

Skills upgrading is critically important for Europe's future; so too, especially today, 
is a better match between skills and labour  market  needs. The New Skills for  New 
Jobs initiative stresses the need for more effective education and training policies and 
modernisation of labour markets through flexicurity policies. It proposes a concerted 
effort towards a comprehensive assessment of future skills and labour market needs, 
in partnership with Member States, companies and other stakeholders. The initiative 
aims  to  contribute  to  economic  recovery  and  the  Growth  and  Jobs  strategy,  to 
attenuate  the  impact  of  the  current  crisis  in  terms  of  jobs  and  skills,  and  enhance 
long-term  competitiveness  and  equity.  In  partnership  with  the  Member  States,  the 
Commission  will  evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  the  measures  on  an  ongoing  basis, 
beginning with a first report in 2010. 

EN 

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