COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A NEW SKILLS AGENDA FOR EUROPE Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness
Date: 2016-06-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: competitiveness, continuing vocational training, cooperation in the field of education, education policy, job access, learning, level of education, professional qualifications, updating of skills, vocational education

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 10.6.2016  COM(2016) 381 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A NEW SKILLS AGENDA FOR EUROPE   Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness {SWD(2016) 195 final}  
 
 
A NEW SKILLS AGENDA FOR EUROPE 

Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness 

1.  INTRODUCTION 
Skills1  are  a  pathway  to  employability  and  prosperity.  With  the  right  skills,  people  are 
equipped for good-quality jobs and can fulfil their potential as confident, active citizens. 
In a fast-changing global economy, skills will to a great extent determine competitiveness 
and the capacity to drive innovation. They are a pull factor for investment and a catalyst 
in the virtuous circle of job creation and growth. They are key to social cohesion. 

Yet the situation in Europe calls for action. 70 million Europeans lack adequate reading 
and writing skills, and even more have poor numeracy and digital skills, putting them at 
risk  of  unemployment,  poverty  and  social  exclusion2.  More  than  half  of  the  12  million 
long-term unemployed are considered as low-skilled. Higher education institutions need 
to ensure that they equip graduates with relevant and up-to-date skills.  

Skills  gaps  and  mismatches  are  striking.  Many  people  work  in  jobs  that  do  not  match 
their  talents.  At  the  same  time,  40%  of  European  employers  have  difficulty  finding 
people  with  the  skills  they  need  to  grow  and  innovate.  Education  providers  on  the  one 
hand  and  employers  and  learners  on  the  other  have  different  perceptions  of  how  well 
prepared  graduates  are  for  the  labour  market.  Too  few  people  have  the  entrepreneurial 
mindsets and skills needed to set up their own business. 

National  and  regional  labour  markets  and  education  and  training  systems  encounter 
specific challenges, but all Member States face similar problems and opportunities: 

-  Skill  acquisition  and  development  are  essential  for  the  performance  and 
modernisation  of  labour  markets  in  order  to  provide  new  forms  of  flexibility  and 
security for job seekers, employees, and employers alike.  

-  Skills  mismatches  hinder  productivity  and  growth  and  affect  Member  States' 

resilience to economic shocks. 

-  The digital transformation of the economy is re-shaping the way people work and 
do  business.  New  ways  of  working  are  affecting  the  types  of  skills  needed, 
including  innovation  and  entrepreneurship.  Many  sectors  are  undergoing  rapid 
technological change and digital skills are needed for all jobs, from the simplest to 
the  most  complex.  High  skills  enable  people  to  adapt  to  unforeseen  changes. 
Similarly, the transition to a low carbon and circular economy means creating and 
adapting to business models and job profiles.  

-  The  EU  workforce  is  ageing  and  shrinking,  leading  to  skills  shortages  in  some 
cases. To compensate for this it is necessary to increase labour market participation 
and  productivity.  Women  represent  60%  of  new  graduates,  but  their  employment 
rate  remains  below  that  of  men  and  women  and  men  tend  to  work  in  different 
sectors.  Inclusive  labour  markets  should  draw  on  the  skills  and  talents  of  all, 
including the low-skilled and other vulnerable groups. In the global race for talent, 
we  need  to  nurture  our  skilled  workers,  reduce  brain  drain,  while  facilitating 
mobility  of  EU  citizens,  attracting  talent  from  abroad  and  making  better  use  of 
migrants' skills.  

1

 The term 'skills' is used to refer broadly to what a person knows, understands and can do.  
2 Evidence for the information presented in this Communication is provided in the accompanying Staff Working Document. 

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-  The  quality  and  relevance  of  the  education  and  training  available,  including 
teaching  standards,  vary  widely.  This  contributes  to  increasing  disparities  in  the 
economic  and  social  performance  of  Member  States,  whereas  stronger  education 
and  skills  policies  are  key  to  shape  innovation  and  could  facilitate  upward 
convergence towards the best performing countries. 

-  Perceptions  are  not  always  rooted  in  reality;  for  example,  more  awareness  of  the 
good employment outcomes of Vocational Education and training (VET) can make 
it a genuine first choice for more people. Similarly, increasing the attractiveness of 
the  teaching  profession  would  stimulate  talented  young  people  to  pursue  this 
career.  

-  People  increasingly  learn  in  settings  outside  formal  education  –  online,  at  work, 
through  professional  courses,  social  activities  or  volunteering.  These  learning 
experiences can often go unrecognised.  

Tackling the skills challenges will require significant policy efforts and systemic reforms 
in  education and  training. It will  require smart investments in  human capital from  both 
public  and  private  sources,  in  line  with  the  Stability  and  Growth  Pact.  The  need  for 
reinforced  and  updated  skills  also  features  prominently  in  the  draft  outline  of  the 
European Pillar of Social Rights presented on 8 March3. 

While  competence  for  the  content  of  teaching  and  the  organisation  of  education  and 
training  systems  lies  with  Member  States,  a  concerted  effort  is  required  to  achieve 
meaningful, sustainable results. The EU-level already makes an important contribution to 
strengthening  Europe's  skills  base,  notably  in  the  European  Semester,  the  Europe  2020 
Strategy with its two-fold education target, the Investment Plan for Europe, the strategic 
framework for cooperation in education and training "ET2020", the interventions of the 
European Structural and Investment Funds. The European Social Fund and the European 
Regional  Development  Fund  alone  will  inject  over  EUR  30  billion  to  support  skills 
development  in  the  period  2014-2020,  and  the  Erasmus+  programme  supports  skills 
development in education and training with nearly EUR 15 billion. 

The New Skills Agenda presented today is number one in the list of major initiatives in 
the  Commission  Work  Programme  2016.  It  supports  a  shared  commitment  and  works 
towards  a  common  vision  about  the  strategic  importance  of  skills  for  sustaining  jobs, 
growth  and  competitiveness.  This  Skills  Agenda  strengthens  and,  in  some  cases, 
streamlines existing initiatives to better assist Member States in their national reforms as 
well as to trigger a change of mindsets in both individuals and organisations. It seeks a 
shared  commitment  to  reform  in  a  number  of  areas  where  Union  action  brings  most 
added value. It is centred around three key work strands:  

1.  Improving the quality and relevance of skills formation  

2.  Making skills and qualifications more visible and comparable 

3.  Improving skills intelligence and information for better career choices  

EU-level action alone will not suffice. Success depends on the commitment and expertise 
of  many  players:  national  governments,  regions,  local  authorities,  businesses  and 
employers, workers and civil society, and people themselves, taking up opportunities to 
make the best of their talents. In particular, social partners will have a key role to play in 
ensuring the Agenda is successfully developed and implemented, and keeps pace with the 
fast-changing needs of our labour market and society.  

3 Launching a consultation on a European Pillar of Social Rights; COM(2016) 127 

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*** 

2.  RAISING THE BAR: PRIORITIES FOR ACTION 

2.1.  IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND RELEVANCE OF SKILLS FORMATION  

People  need  a  broad  set  of  skills  to  fulfil  their  potential  both  at  work  and  in  society.  
At  EU  level,  the  policy  focus  on  educational  attainment  has  brought  significant 
achievements. In 2014, around 10 million more people completed higher education than 
in 2010, and the number of young people dropping out of school had fallen to 4.5 million 
from 6 million in 2010. This is significant progress towards the Europe 2020 targets. 

Increasingly, however, evidence shows that policies to increase attainment alone are not 
sufficient. The quality and the relevance of what people learn are now centre-stage. Many 
young  people  leave  education  and  training  without  being  sufficiently  prepared  to  enter 
the labour market and without the skills or mindset to start their own business. 

Acquiring  skills  is  a  lifelong  process,  both  formal  and  informal,  and  starts  very  young. 
The  positive  long-term  effects  of  good  quality  early  education  are  significant  and  well 
documented, laying the foundation for future ability and motivation to learn.  

Beyond  looking  for  the  right  occupation-specific  skills,  employers  are  increasingly 
demanding transferable skills, such as the ability to work in a team, creative thinking and 
problem  solving.  This  skills  mix  is  also  essential  for  people  considering  starting  their 
own  business.  Yet  too  little  emphasis  is  usually  placed  on  such  skills  in  curricula  and 
they  are  rarely  formally  assessed  in  many  Member  States.  Interdisciplinary  profiles  – 
people with the ability to combine work across different fields - are increasingly valued 
by employers, but are in short supply on the labour market. 

Strengthening the foundation: basic skills 

Europe  faces  a  basic  skills  challenge.  People  need  a  minimum  level  of  basic  skills, 
including numeracy, literacy and basic digital skills, to access good jobs and participate 
fully  in  society.  These  are  also  the  building  blocks  for  further  learning  and  career 
development. Around a quarter of the European adult population struggles with reading 
and writing, and has poor numeracy and digital skills. More than 65 million people in the 
EU have not achieved a qualification corresponding to upper secondary level. This rate 
varies significantly across EU countries, reaching 50% or more in some.  

As  most  jobs  increasingly  require  complex  skills,  low-qualified  people  have  fewer 
employment opportunities available to them. They are also more vulnerable to precarious 
jobs  and  are  twice  as  likely  as  better  qualified  people  to  experience  long-term 
unemployment. Under-skilled individuals are also often vulnerable consumers, especially 
in increasingly complex markets. 

1.  To improve the employment opportunities of low-skilled adults in Europe, Member 
States should put in place pathways for upskilling via a Skills Guarantee established 
in  co-operation with social  partners and education and training  providers, as well 
as local, regional and national authorities. Upskilling should be open to people both 
in-work  and  out  of  work.  Low-skilled  adults  should  be  helped  to  improve  their 

4 

 
 
 
 
literacy, numeracy and digital skills and – where possible – develop a wider set of 
skills leading to an upper secondary education qualification or equivalent. 

The  Commission  proposes  that  a  Skills  Guarantee  be  established  (see  ref.  doc 
COM(2016) 382) to provide:  

  a skills assessment, enabling low-qualified adults to identify their existing skills 

and their upskilling needs; 

  a  learning  offer,  responding  to  the  specific  needs  of  individuals  and  of  local 

labour markets; 

  opportunities to have their skills validated and recognised.  

Building resilience: key competences and higher, more complex skills 

Formal education and training should equip everyone with a broad range of skills which 
opens doors to personal fulfilment and development, social inclusion, active citizenship 
and  employment.  These  include  literacy,  numeracy,  science  and  foreign  languages,  as 
well  as 
transversal  skills  and  key  competences  such  as  digital  competences, 
entrepreneurship,  critical  thinking,  problem  solving  or  learning  to  learn,  and  financial 
literacy.  

Early  acquisition  of  these  skills  is  the  foundation  for  the  development  of  higher,  more 
complex skills which are needed to drive creativity and innovation. These skills need to 
be strengthened throughout  life, and allow people to thrive in  fast-evolving workplaces 
and society, and to cope with complexity and uncertainty.  

While  some  of  these  competences  already  have  an  established  place  in  educational 
systems, this is not typically the case for key competences such as entrepreneurship and 
citizenship,  or  transversal  skills.  Where  some  Member  States  have  taken  steps  to 
incorporate them in curricula, this has not always been done consistently. To promote a 
shared  understanding  of  two  of  these  competences,  the  Commission  has  developed 
reference frameworks for digital competences4 (now taken up in 13 Member States) and 
entrepreneurship5 – newly published.  
The Commission will work further with stakeholders to develop tools for assessing and 
validating  these  competences.  These  tools  will  enable  public  authorities  and  private 
bodies to improve their guidance, training and mentoring services for young people, job 
seekers  and  individuals  in  general.  The  Commission  will  also  support  EU  countries, 
regions  and  education  and  training  institutions  to  help  young  people  acquire  the 
entrepreneurial competences which can help them to set up their own business or social 
enterprise. EU programmes such as Erasmus+, COSME, and the European Social Fund 
already provide financial support to this end. 

2.  To help more people acquire a core set of skills, the Commission intends to launch a 
revision  of  the  Key  Competences  Framework6in  2017.  The  goal  is  to  develop  a 
shared understanding of key competences and to further foster their introduction in 
education  and  training  curricula.  The  revision  will  also  provide  support  for  better 
developing  and  assessing  these  skills.  Special  attention  will  be  paid  to  promoting 

4 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/digcomp/ 
5 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/entrecomp 
6 Recommendation Key competences for lifelong learning; OJ 2006/962/EC 

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entrepreneurial  and  innovation-oriented  mindsets,  including  by  encouraging 
practical entrepreneurial experiences. 

Making VET a first choice  

Vocational  education  and  training  (VET)  is  valued  for  fostering  job-specific  and 
transversal  skills,  facilitating  the  transition  into  employment  and  maintaining  and 
updating  the  skills  of  the  workforce  according  to  sectoral,  regional  and  local  needs. 
Although  over  13  million  learners  are  engaged  in  VET  each  year,  forecasts  in  several 
Member States indicate that there will be a shortage of people with VET qualifications in 
the future.  

For many young people and their parents VET remains a second choice. Co-ordination 
between  employers  and  education  and  training  providers  is  sometimes  difficult.  VET 
needs  to  increase  its  attractiveness  through  quality  provision  and  flexible  organisation, 
allowing progression to higher vocational or academic learning, and closer links with the 
world of work. 

Higher  level  VET  provision  is  steadily  expanding  and  is  valued  by  both  learners  and 
employers for providing skills needed on the labour market. Such developments need to 
be further encouraged and be appropriately integrated into the qualification frameworks 
and systems.  

Business and social partners should be involved in designing and delivering VET at all 
levels,  as  demonstrated  in  the  “dual  system”  of  apprenticeships.  VET  should  include  a 
strong  work-based  dimension,  whenever  possible  coupled  with  an  international 
experience.  

6 

 
 
3.  The Commission, in co-operation with Member States, social partners and education 
and training providers, will support the implementation of the Riga Conclusions for 
quality and labour market relevant vocational skills and qualifications, by: 

  supporting  opportunities  for  learners  to  undertake  a  work-based  learning 

experience as part of their studies.  

 

 increasing  opportunities  for  VET  learners  to  combine  learning  experiences 
acquired  in  different  settings,  building  on  the  existing  VET  instruments  for 
quality  assurance7  and  credit8,  and 
the  revised  EQF 
Recommendation. 

line  with 

in 

  supporting the development and visibility of  higher  VET opportunities through 
partnerships  between  learning  providers,  research  and  business,  with  a 
particular focus on needs for higher level skills at sectoral level.  

 

improving data availability on labour market outcomes of VET.  

  exploring  ways  to  streamline  the  existing  EU  level  governance  of  the  VET 
sector, including a more explicit coordination role for the Advisory Committee 
on Vocational Training. 

 

launching  a  first  European  VET  Skills  Week  in  2016  and  increasing  co-
operation  with  World  Skills  Organisation  to  showcase  vocational  studies  as  a 
first class option.  

Getting connected: focus on digital skills 

The rapid digital transformation of the economy means that almost all jobs now require 
some  level  of  digital  skills,  as  does  participation  in  society  at  large.  The  collaborative 
economy  is  changing  business  models,  opening  up  opportunities  and  new  routes  into 
work,  demanding  different  skill  sets,  and  bringing  challenges  such  as  accessing 
upskilling  opportunities.  Robotisation  and  artificial  intelligence  are  replacing  routine 
jobs,  not  only  on  the  factory  floor,  but  in  the  office.  Access  to  services,  including  e-
services,  is  changing  and  requires  that  both  users,  providers  and  public  administrations 
have sufficient digital skills. E-health, for instance, is transforming the way people access 
and receive healthcare.  

The  demand  for  digital  technology  professionals  has  grown  by  4%  annually  in  the  last 
ten years. Yet digital skills are lacking in Europe at all levels. Despite continued strong 
employment growth, the number of unfilled vacancies for ICT professionals is expected 
to almost double to 756000 by 2020. Furthermore, almost half the EU population lacks 
basic  digital  skills;  with  around  20%  of  people  having  none  at  all..  Member  States, 
business  and  individuals  need  to  rise  to  the  challenge  and  invest  more  in  digital  skills 
formation (including coding / computer science) across the whole spectrum of education 
and training.  

Europe needs digitally smart people who are not only able to use but also to innovate and 
lead  in  using  these  technologies.  Without  it  Europe  will  not  succeed  in  embracing  this 
digital  transformation.  The  acquisition  of  new  skills  is  vital  to  keep  pace  with 
technological  developments  and  industry  is  already  introducing  innovative  training 

7 European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (1); OJ 2009/C/155/01 
8 European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET); OJ 2009/C 155/02 

7 

 
 
methods.  Research  and  innovation  hubs  can  also  help  develop  and  transfer  such  skills, 
acting as catalysers for investment and for business and job creation. 

4.  The  Commission  is  launching  the  Digital  Skills  and  Jobs  Coalition  to  develop  a 
large digital talent pool and ensure that individuals and the labour force in Europe 
are equipped with adequate digital skills.  

Building on the positive results of the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs and the EU 
e-skills  strategy,  and  in  coordination  with  the  work  under  Education  and  Training 
2020,  Member  States  are  invited  to  develop  comprehensive  national  digital  skills 
strategies by mid-2017 on the basis of targets set by end-2016. This includes: 

  Establishing national digital skills coalitions connecting public authorities, 

business, education, training and labour market stakeholders. 

  Developing concrete measures to bring digital skills and competences to all 
levels of education and training, supporting teachers and educators and 
promoting active involvement of business and other organisations. 

The  Commission  will  bring  together  Member  States  and  stakeholders,  including 
social partners, to pledge action and to identify and share best practices, so that they 
can  be  more  easily  replicated  and  scaled  up.  It  will  improve  the  dissemination  of 
information about available EU funds (European Structural and Investment  Funds, 
Youth Employment Initiative, Erasmus+) and explore possible funding opportunities 
for example through voucher mechanisms. 

The  Commission  will  monitor  progress  annually  through  its  Europe's  Digital 
Progress Report (EDPR).9 

2.2.  MAKING SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS VISIBLE AND COMPARABLE 

Qualifications  signal  to  employers  what  people  know  and  are  able  to  do  but  rarely 
capture  skills  acquired  outside  formal  learning  institutions,  which  therefore  risk  being 
undervalued.  Identifying  and  validating  these  skills  is  particularly  important  for  people 
with lower qualifications, the unemployed or those at risk of unemployment, for people 
who need to change career path and for migrants. It helps people better showcase and use 
their experience and talent, identify further training needs and take up opportunities for 
re-qualification. 

Differences between education and training systems in the EU, however, make it difficult 
for  employers  to  assess  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  people  with  a  qualification  from 
another country than their own. 

Mobility  across  borders  can  help  labour  markets  work  well  and  opens  up  people's  life 
chances.  But  low  understanding  and  recognition  of  their  qualifications  means  that  EU 
and non-EU workers who move abroad often face more obstacles to find a job or are paid 
less than workers with comparable qualifications gained in the host country.  

Improving transparency and comparability of qualifications 

At  EU  level,  directive  2005/36/EC  facilitates  mutual  recognition  of  professional 
qualifications  and  helps  access  to  regulated  professions  and  since  January  2016  it 

9 Europe's Digital Progress Report 2016; SWD(2016)187. 

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provides  for  the  first  EU  wide  electronic  procedure  for  the  recognition  of  professional 
qualifications  (so-called  European  Professional  Card)10  for  five  professions.  The 
European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) was also established to 
make  it  easier  to  understand  and  compare  what  people  have  actually  learned  ('learning 
outcomes') while gaining their qualification.  

The EQF encouraged actors from different national educational sectors to work together 
to  design  coherent  national  qualification  frameworks  based  on  'learning  outcomes'.  A 
new  impetus  is  required  however,for  the  EQF  to  fully  reach  individuals  and 
organisations,  and  serve  as  a  basis  for  day-to-day  decision-making  on  recruitments  or 
access to learning, including via a reflection of the different ways in which learning takes 
place.  

Several  non-European  countries  have  expressed  interest  in  the  EQF  to  enable  their 
qualifications to be compared with European ones. This would help attract highly-skilled 
researchers  and  professionals  from  outside  the  EU  to  secure  the  skills  needed  in  our 
economy and vice versa would make it easier for researchers and professionals in the EU 
to  work  outside  the  EU.  This  is  in  line  with  the  ambition  to  have  a  smarter  and  well-
managed legal migration policy11. The revision of the Blue Card Directive is particularly 
important in this respect12. A revised EQF would improve understanding of qualifications 
acquired abroad, and facilitate the integration of migrants – both new arrivals and those 
already residing in the EU – into the EU labour market.  

5.  To  make  it  easier  to  understand  qualifications  and  related  skills  and  contribute  to 
their  better  use  in  the  EU  labour  market,  the  Commission  is  putting  forward  a 
proposal  for  the  revision  of  the  European  Qualifications  Framework13  (see  ref. 
doc. COM(2016 383). The revision will: 

  support a regular update of the national qualifications systems;  

  ensure  that  qualifications  with  an  EQF  level  are  underpinned  by  common 

principles for quality assurance14; 

  ensure that common principles for credit systems are used when qualifications 

with an EQF level are built on credits; 

  encourage  the  use  of  EQF  by  social  partners,  public  employment  services, 
education  providers  and  public  authorities  to  support  transparency  and  the 
comparison of qualifications; 

  promote  the  comparability  of  qualifications  between  the  countries  covered  in 
the EQF and other countries, in particular Neighbourhood Countries and other 
countries  with  mature  qualifications  frameworks,  in  accordance  with  EU 
international agreements, 

10 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/983 of 24 June 2015 on the procedure for issuance of the European Professional 
Card and the application of the alert mechanism pursuant to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; 
OJ L 159, 25.6.2015. 

11 European Agenda on Migration; COM(2015) 240 and Towards a reform of the common European asylum system and enhancing 

legal avenues to Europe; COM(2016) 197. 

12 Proposal for a Directive on the condition of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly skilled 

employment; COM (2016) 378 

13 Recommendation European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning; OJ 2008/C 111/01 
14 Quality assurance principles at European level for general education are subject to ongoing discussions in the context of ET2020.  

9 

 
 
 
Early profiling of migrants' skills and qualifications 

Fewer  non-EU  than  EU  nationals  residing  in  the  EU  have  an  upper  (or  even  lower) 
secondary-level  qualification.  About  25%  of  the  non-EU  nationals  are  highly-skilled. 
However, within the group of highly-skilled, around two-thirds are inactive, unemployed 
or over-qualified for their jobs. In addition, some migrants already residing in the EU, as 
well  as  those  recently  arrived,  including  refugees,  may  have  limited  knowledge  of  the 
host country language.  

Understanding  the  skills,  qualifications  and  professional  experiences  of  newly  arrived 
migrants is a challenge for many EU countries. Tools developed through Europass15, the 
EQF and peer learning and exchange between Member States and competent authorities 
can support skills profiling and integration of migrants. Identifying migrants' skills early 
on can help determine the first steps needed to integrate them into their host society and 
the  labour  market.  This  may  involve  referring  them  to  appropriate  training  (including 
language  training,  business  training  or  apprenticeships  available  through  the  European 
Alliance for Apprenticeships), or to employment services.  

6.  To more rapidly integrate third country nationals, the Commission will: 

  launch a 'Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals'. The tool will assist 
services  in  receiving  and  host  countries  to  identify  and  document  skills, 
qualifications and experience of newly-arrived Third Country Nationals.  

  work  with  national  authorities  to  support  recognition  of  migrants'  skills  and 
qualifications,  including  refugees',  support  the  training  of  staff  in  reception 
facilities  to  speed  up  recognition  procedures,  and  promote  the  sharing  of 
information  and  best  practices  on  understanding  and  recognition  of  skills  and 
qualifications. 

  make available online language  learning for newly  arrived migrants, including  
refugees,  through  Erasmus  +  online  linguistic  support  (100.000  licences  for 
online language courses will be made available to refugees over three years).16 

2.3.  ADVANCING  SKILLS  INTELLIGENCE,  DOCUMENTATION  AND  INFORMED  CAREER 

CHOICES 

Policymakers  and  education  providers  need  sound  evidence  of  the  skills  which  will  be 
required  in  future  to  help  them  make  the  right  decisions  on  policies  and  reforms, 
education curricula, and investment. But the rapid pace of change on the labour market 
makes it difficult to provide reliable information. Moreover, there is no one-size-fits-all 
solution: local and regional labour markets shape skills needs along with global trends, 
resulting  in  variations  in  the  occupation-specific  skills  most  in  demand  in  different 
regions and/or economic sectors. 

Better information for better choices 

Whether  seeking  jobs  or  deciding  what  and  where  to  learn,  people  need  to  be  able  to 
access  and  make  sense  of  available  skills  intelligence.  People  also  need  appropriate 
means to (self-)assess their skills and to present their skills and qualifications effectively. 
Equally,  employers  and  other  organisations  would  benefit  from  more  efficient  and 
effective ways of identifying and recruiting people with the right skills.  

15 Single Community framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass); OJ 2241/2004/EC. 
16 The full range of action to aid integration of third-country nationals is presented in the action plan on the integration of third country 

nationals: COM(2016) 377. 

10 

 
 
The effectiveness of skills intelligence varies among EU countries. In some, partnerships 
between  social  partners,  governments  and  education  providers  are  already  effectively 
identifying skills needs and adapting curricula accordingly. In others, partnerships are not 
yet the norm. 

Cooperation  is  more  effective  when  it  builds  on  regional  and  local  strengths  and 
specialisms. Better local interaction between education and training on the one hand and 
the  labour  market  on  the  other,  supported  by  targeted  investment,  can  also  limit  brain 
drain  and  help  develop,  retain  and  attract  the  talent  needed  in  specific  regions  and 
industries.  

7.  To  help  people  make  informed  career  and  learning  choices,  the  Commission  will 
propose a revision of the Europass Framework17 to set up an intuitive and seamless 
online service platform. It will provide web-based tools for documenting and sharing 
information on skills and qualifications, and free self-assessment tools.  

Data on skills needs and trends will be improved by web crawling and the analysis 
of  big  data,  and  further  underpinned  by  evidence  from  different  sectors,  bringing 
together  accurate  and  real-time  information  in  the  service  offered  by  the  existing 
"Skills Panorama" tool as part of an integrated Europass service. 

8.   The  Commission  will  further  analyse  the  issue  of  brain  drain  and  promote  the 

sharing of best practice as regards effective ways of tackling the problem. 

Boosting skills intelligence and cooperation in economic sectors 

Current and future skills needs vary across different sectors of the economy. New sectors 
emerge  or  radically  change,  mainly  but  not  exclusively  driven  by  technological 
developments. The innovation-driven transition to a low carbon and circular economy as 
well  as  Key  Enabling  Technologies  (KETs),  such  as  nanotechnology,  artificial 
intelligence and robotics, are transforming an increasing number of sectors. The supply 
of right skills at the right time is key for enabling competitiveness and innovation. The 
availability of high-end skills is also a critical element for investment decisions. With the 
pace  of  technological  change,  a  major  challenge  for  industry,  in  particular  SMEs,  is  to 
better  anticipate  and  manage 
to  skills 
requirements.  

transformative  change  with  regard 

the 

Many sectoral - and regional - initiatives to promote skills have been launched, involving 
public and private bodies and organisations. But these projects often remain fragmented 
and  their  impact  on  the  education  and  training  system  is  limited.  This  is  why  the 
mobilisation of industry, including social partners, is indispensable for the design and the 
implementation  of  solutions.  A  strategic  approach  is,  therefore,  needed  that  addresses 
well-defined markets and sectoral skills needs. 

To  ensure  long-lasting  outcomes  with  a  real  impact,  sectoral  skills  cooperation  can 
usefully  be  linked  to  growth  strategies  for  the  sectors  concerned,  and  backed-up  by 
political commitment and stakeholder involvement at EU, national and regional levels. 

17 Single Community framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass); OJ 2241/2004/EC. 

11 

 
 
 
 
9.  To  improve  skills  intelligence  and  tackle  skills  shortages  in  economic  sectors,  the 
Commission is launching a Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills. It will help 
mobilise  and  coordinate  key  players,  encourage  private  investment  and  promote 
more strategic use of relevant EU and national funding programmes. 

Sectoral skills partnerships, in industry and services, will be set up at EU level and 
then rolled out at national (or, when relevant, regional) level to: 

  translate  sectoral  strategies  for  the  next  5-10  years  into  identification  of  skills 
needs and development of concrete solutions, such as joint development of higher 
VET opportunities and business-education-research partnerships; 

  support, where relevant, agreements on the recognition of sectoral qualifications 

and certifications. 

The  Blueprint  will  be  supported  by  existing  EU  funding18  and  initially  piloted  in  a 
demand  driven  process  in  6  sectors,  with  preparatory  work  starting  in  2016: 
automotive,  maritime  technology,  space,  defence,  textile  and  tourism.  Additional 
areas  (construction,  steel,  health,  green  technologies  and  renewable  energies)  will 
be assessed in a second wave of implementation starting as of 2017. The selection of 
sectors  includes  high-end  technologies  with  a  view  to  ensuring  long-term 
competitiveness as well as more traditional sectors facing specific short- to medium-
term challenges. 

Better understanding the performance of graduates 

Universities  and  VET  providers  prepare  young  people  for  working  life.  They  therefore 
need to understand labour market trends, be aware of how readily their alumni find jobs, 
and  adapt  their  programmes  accordingly.  Students  and  their  families  also  need  this 
information to make informed choices on what and where to study. However, adjusting 
curricula takes time and is a complex process.  

Better  information  on  the  labour  market  outcomes  or  learning  progression  of  higher 
education and higher VET graduates should be more easily available and comparable. It 
should draw on quality assurance indicators, administrative data (including tax and social 
security) and survey-based  approaches  exploiting social platforms /  social media where 
appropriate.  

Tracking mechanisms for tertiary graduates have been developed in a number of Member 
States.  Systems  for  large-scale  tracking  of  VET  graduates  are  less  well  developed  and, 
here too, there is scope for supporting Member States in improving information. 

10. To help students and education providers assess the relevance of learning offers, the 
Commission  plans  to  propose  as  a  first  step  in  2017  an  initiative  on  tertiary 
graduate  tracking  to  support  Member  States  in  improving  information  on  how 
graduates progress on the labour market.  

18 The Commission has engaged in the dialogue with specific sectors, collecting evidence of skills gaps and their potential impact on 
jobs,  growth,  innovation,  and  competitiveness.  Based  on  this  analysis  and  taking  into  account  the  strong  political  and 
stakeholder commitment at EU and national level, six sectors have been identified for a pilot phase. 

12 

 
 
 
 
3.  ONGOING WORK: STEPPING UP THE PACE  

The 10 key initiatives outlined above are part of an ambitious, long-term strategy to make 
sure people acquire the skills they need to thrive both in the labour market and in wider 
society. 

Other  work  in  progress  at  EU  and  national  level  will  also  help  advance  this  Skills 
Agenda,  increasing  people's  learning  opportunities  and  making  sure  that  education  and 
training is fit for purpose in the 21st century. A particular effort is needed to help bridge 
the gap between education and training and the labour market. We need to further invest 
in  the  modernisation  of  VET  and  higher  education,  and  fully  exploit  their  potential  as 
drivers for regional development. 

3.1.  INCREASING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES 

More work-based learning and business-education partnerships  

Work-based learning, such as apprenticeships are a proven springboard to good jobs and 
to  developing  labour  market-relevant  skills,  including  transversal  and  soft  skills,  where 
typically social partners play a key role. But more people should be able to benefit from 
this way of learning. Currently just a quarter of students in upper secondary vocational 
education  attend  work-based  programmes,  while  general  and  higher  education 
programmes rarely include any work-based experience. Business-education partnerships, 
involving all sectors and levels of education and training, can unlock this potential. 

Some  successful  initiatives  are  showing  the  way,  engaging  labour  market  actors  in 
education  and  training  and  helping  young  people  get  a  foot  on  the  jobs  ladder.  The 
European Alliance for Apprenticeships has so far mobilised 250,000 in-company training 
and  job  opportunities  for  young  people.  Through  the  European  Pact  for  Youth,  one 
million young people will be trained in digital skills, and a 'smart classroom' programme 
will reach 100,000 students. Through the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs companies and 
other organisations have offered millions of additional training opportunities.19  
At  higher  education  and  post-graduate  level,  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and 
Technology  (EIT)  is  an  example  of  how  cooperation  with  businesses  and  research 
institutes  can  foster  curriculum  development,  mobility  programmes  and  access  to 
research and industrial infrastructure for practical training in a real-life environment.  

These are positive signals but are clearly not enough. To help learners get more exposure 
to  the  word  of  work,  the  Commission  will  develop  a  set  of  support  services  to 
facilitate knowledge sharing, networking and cooperation on apprenticeships. It will 
back  structural  reforms  through  peer  counselling  and  sharing  best  practices,  including 
through social media.  

in  several  sectors, 

Social  partners 
including  commerce,  construction  and 
telecommunication,  have  reached  joint  positions  on  skills,  including  specific 
initiatives on traineeships. Several EU social partners in different economic sectors 
have also made joint pledges under the Alliance for Apprenticeship to provide more 
and better apprenticeships. This is also a priority in the European social partners' 
2015-2017  joint  work  programme.  The  Commission  will  help  social  partners  take 
forward  the  results  of  their  joint  projects,  for  example  exploring  the  cost-

19 http://www.linkedpolicies.eu/pledge. 

13 

 
 
 
effectiveness of apprenticeships and establishing a possible Quality Framework for 
Apprenticeships.  

More support for learners' mobility  

More  learners  should  be  able  to  get  the  benefit  of  a  learning  experience  abroad.  Data 
show that young people who study or train abroad find employment much more quickly 
than those without international experience.  They  adapt more quickly to new situations 
and are better problem solvers. Recently the EU adapted its legal framework for non-EU 
students  and  researchers20,  notably  to  make  it  easier  to  attract  and  retain  these  talented 
people. 

Student mobility in higher education already has a long-standing tradition. To date, over 
3 million students have taken part in the Erasmus programme. Mobility opportunities for 
initial  vocational  education  and  training  (IVET)  apprentices  and  learners  are  also 
supported  under  Erasmus+.  However,  mobility  opportunities  for  learners  are  largely 
insufficient to meet current demand. Only a few countries include mobility opportunities 
in their national education, training and youth schemes. 

Apprentices  also  benefit  from  learning  and  working  abroad.  In  order  to  improve 
conditions  for  their  mobility,  the  Commission  is  carrying  out  a  pilot  project 
commissioned by the European Parliament to assess the feasibility and benefits of longer 
mobility periods abroad (6-12 months) for apprentices.  

EU  budget  support  alone  will  never  be  sufficient.  If  Member  States  include  mobility 
support  in  their  national  programmes  this  can  assist  a  large  share  of  young  people  to 
benefit from an experience abroad.  

The quality of work or study placements is essential. Funding must go hand in hand with 
national  policies  and  measures  that  encourage  and  value  the  learning  acquired,  and 
ensure the relevance and quality of the training. In 2016, a VET Mobility Scoreboard 
will  be  launched  to  give  a  picture  of  the  support  measures  in  place  across  the  EU 
and provide a good basis for identifying areas where more needs to be done.  

More learning at the workplace 

Most of the European workforce of the next two decades are already adults today. They 
need ongoing training to update their skills and exploit new career opportunities.  

But only 1 in 10 adults currently participates in organised learning, most often those with 
higher  skills  levels  and  employees  of  large  companies.  In  2010,  about  one  third  of 
companies in the EU provided no training at all for their staff, while only about one third 
of employees engaged in some form of training. More recently, one quarter of employees 
reported that they had not developed their skills since starting their job. 

More  can  be  done  to  support  learning  environments  at  work  and  enable  SMEs  in 
particular  to  provide  training,  for  example  by  making  it  easier  to  pool  resources  and 
infrastructure  for  joint  training.  European  Structural  and  Investment  funds  are  already 
available to support the modernisation of education and training infrastructure. Together 

20 Directive (EU) 2016/801 on the conditions of entry and residence for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, 

pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing. 

14 

 
 
 
 
with  the  European  Investment  Fund  (EIF),  the  Commission  is  exploring  the 
possibilities  of  further  supporting  bank  loans  at  favourable  rates  to  SMEs  with  a 
financial instrument specific for skills.  

More opportunities to validate non-formal and informal learning 

People should be able to use the full range of their skills for their careers or for further 
learning. Increasingly they learn and develop skills in a wide variety of settings beyond 
the formal education and training system, whether through work experience, in-company 
training,  digital  resources,  or  volunteering.  These  skills  can  be  validated  –  through 
identification and documentation, assessment and certification, with options leading to a 
partial or full qualification.  

However, in many countries there is a low level of awareness of validation possibilities 
and low acceptance of the concept. In some, validation is possible only in the context of 
specific projects; in others, the administrative costs are prohibitive.  

To help policymakers and practitioners establish national validation arrangements 
by 201821, the Commission and Cedefop published guidelines on validation in early 
2016  and  will  update  them  regularly.  An  update  of  the  European  Inventory  of 
validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  which  provides  a  snapshot  of  the 
situation  in  Europe  and  gives  examples  of  good  practice,  will  be  published  at  the 
end of 2016.  

3.2.  PURSUING MODERNISATION EFFORTS 

Supporting teachers and trainers 

Learners  at  all  ages  need  excellent  educators  to  develop  the  broad  set  of  skills  and 
attitudes they need both for life and future work. Variation in learners' achievements in 
education  and  training  depends  mainly  on  individual  characteristics  and  family 
background.  However,  in  educational  institutions,  it  is  teachers  and  trainers  who  have 
most  impact  on  learners'  performance.  They  can  inspire  and  help  learners  to  acquire 
higher  and  more  relevant  skills.  They  also  play  a  key  role  in  introducing  new  teaching 
and learning methods, in stimulating creativity and innovation, in overcoming biases and 
in bringing out the best in increasingly diverse classrooms.  

The ageing of teachers is an alarming trend in many countries. As they retire, there is an 
increasing  risk  of  loss  of  experience  and  staff  shortages.  Innovative  recruitment, 
attractive  working  conditions,  and  retention  policies  are  needed  to  create  a  new 
generation  of  teaching  professionals.  Developing  the  competences  of  teaching  staff, 
including those who have been in the profession for a long time, is also an ongoing and 
increasingly urgent priority throughout the EU.  

The  Commission  will  support  the  sharing  of  best  practices  in  this  area  among 
Member  States  and  stakeholders  through  cooperation  and  mobility  opportunities. 
Particular  attention  will  be  given  to  innovation  in  pedagogy;  this  will  include 
supporting  flexible  curricula,  promoting 
interdisciplinary  and  collaborative 
approaches within institutions, and supporting professional development to enhance 

21 Validation of non-formal and informal learning; OJ 2012/C 398/01 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
innovative teaching practice, including ways of using and bringing digital tools into 
the classroom and stimulating entrepreneurial mindsets.  

Modernising higher education  

By  2025  almost  half  of  all  job  openings  in  the  EU  will  require  higher  qualifications, 
usually awarded through academic and professional programmes at tertiary level. Skills 
developed  through  these  programmes  are  generally  considered  to  be  drivers  of 
productivity  and  innovation.  Graduates  have  better  chances  of  employment  and  higher 
earnings than people with only upper-secondary qualifications.  

A  recent  public  consultation  on  the  'Agenda  for  the  modernisation  of  Europe's  higher 
education systems'22 shows that over two thirds of students and recent graduates perceive 
a mismatch between the supply of graduates and the knowledge and skills the economy 
needs. Nearly half of higher education providers share this assessment. It also highlighted 
the  need  for  higher  education  institutions  to  be  active  players  at  regional  and  national 
level,  not  only  supplying  qualified  people  to  the  labour  market,  but  also  promoting 
innovation.  

Other  important  challenges  identified  by  stakeholders  include  the  impact  of  technology 
and  globalisation  on  higher  education,  and  the  need  to  improve  graduate  learning  and 
employment  outcomes,  to  give  prospective  students  better  guidance  and  to  encourage 
more multidisciplinarity.  

The  Commission  will  work  with  stakeholders  to  support  the  modernisation  of 
higher education, building on the results of the public consultation. This will include 
in  particular  the  development  of  competence  assessment  frameworks  for  different 
higher  education  disciplines  to  allow  comparable  assessment  of  students'  and 
graduates' skills. 

4.  DELIVERING THE AGENDA 

*** 

The  New  Skills  Agenda  sets  out  a  joint  agenda  for  the  EU,  the  Member  States  and 
stakeholders  at  all  levels.  The  goal  is  to  reach  shared  vision  and  commitment  to  work 
together on improving the quality and relevance of skills formation in order to keep step 
with the rapidly changing skills requirements of the labour market, equip everyone with a 
minimum  set  of  basic  skills  and  make  qualifications  easier  to  understand,  helping 
workers and learners to move around more easily within the EU.  

Social  partners  will  have  a  central  role  to  play  in  the  successful  development  of  this 
agenda,  building  on  initiatives  at  European  and  national  level,  drawing  on  specific 
sectoral expertise and working within sectors and across industry. 

The European Semester of economic policy coordination will continue to play a key role 
in  monitoring  policy  reforms  on  education,  training  and  skills.  The  EU  will  assess 
Member  States'  reform  efforts  through  its  country  specific  analysis,  the  promotion  of 
mutual  learning  and  evidence  based  policy  making.  To  help  design  and  implement 
reforms,  the  Commission,  in  cooperation  with  OECD,  will  assist  Member  States  in 
developing  national  skills  strategies  and  action  plans  based  on  a  whole-government 
approach.  

22 Supporting growth and jobs – an agenda for the modernisation of Europe's higher education systems; COM (2011) 567 final 

16 

 
 
 
One  of  the  chief  goals  of  the  New  Skills  Agenda  is  to  raise  political  awareness  of  the 
critical importance of skills for Europe's jobs and growth prospects, and to address this 
issue at the highest political level. To sustain the political momentum, the Commission 
will examine ways to report on a regular basis on the progress made. These reports could 
inform  the  preparations  of  the  European  Semester  as  well  as  policy  debates  at  the 
European Council.  

The  Commission  will  also  engage  in  a  more  in-depth  dialogue  with  Member  States  on 
how  to  best  use  the  opportunities  offered  by  existing  funding  programmes  to  meet  the 
Agenda'  objectives.  The  main  instruments  concerned  are  the  European  Social  Fund 
(ESF),  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  the  European  Agricultural 
Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD),  the  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund 
(EMFF),  the  Asylum,  Migration  and  Integration  Fund  (AMIF),  Horizon  2020  and 
Erasmus  +.  The  potential  of  the  EIB  and  other  financial  organisations  and  products  - 
including the European Fund for Strategic Investments – should also be used to the full 
to boost private-sector investment in skills development. 

At  the  occasion  of  the  mid-term  review  of  the  multi-annual  financial  framework  2014-
2020,  the  Commission  will  examine  potential  adjustments  needed  to  achieve  the 
objectives of the Agenda. Looking further ahead and beyond 2020, the Commission will 
promote a debate on the different funding instruments to support skills. 

Simplification  of  the  current  governance  structures  would  support  more  coordinated 
implementation  of  some  of  the  initiatives  proposed  in  this Agenda.  A  first  step  will  be 
streamlining a number of expert groups at EU level dealing with skills and qualifications, 
without  prejudice  to  the  existing  governance  currently  in  place  for  the  regulated 
professions. Further steps would be taken, based on an evaluation of existing governance 
structures.  Coordination  and  coherence  will  be  ensured  with  the  ET  2020  strategic 
framework for European cooperation in education and training23 and its recently adopted 
policy  priorities24.  Similarly,  coordination  among  the  EU-supported  national  contact 
centres  for  EQF,  Europass  and  Euroguidance.  will  be  stimulated  to  encourage  a  single 
interface for several European initiatives on skills vis-à-vis national stakeholders and to 
facilitate  access  for  users.  This  simplification  will  be  pursued  in  consultation  with 
Member States.  

The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  to  endorse  this 
Agenda and to actively support its implementation, in close cooperation with all relevant 
stakeholders. The Commission is committed to promoting a continuous consultation and 
dialogue on the Skills Agenda with a wide range of stakeholders and the general public. 

23 Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020); OJ 2009/C 119/2 
24 New priorities for European cooperation in education and training; OJ 2015/C 417/04 

17 

 
 
 
ANNEX 

LIST OF ACTIONS AND INDICATIVE TIMELINE  

ACTION 

TIMELINE 

Improving the quality and relevance of skills formation 

Strengthening the 
foundations: basic 
skills 

Commission proposal for a Council 
Recommendation on establishment a Skills 
Guarantee (see ref. doc COM(2016) 382) 

Building resilience: 
key competences 
and higher, more 
complex skills 

Commission proposal to review the Key 
Competences for Lifelong Learning with a special 
focus on promoting entrepreneurial mindsets, and 
the accompanying European Reference 
Frameworks 

Making VET a first 
choice 

Commission proposals supporting VET 
modernisation, such as possible revision of the 
European Quality Assurance Reference Framework 
for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) 
and the European Credit System for Vocational 
Education and Training (ECVET) 

June 2016 

4st Quarter 2017 

2nd Quarter 2017 

Getting connected: 
focus on digital 
skills 

Launch of the "Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition" 

End 2016 

Making skills and qualifications more visible and comparable 

Improving 
transparency and 
comparability of 
qualifications 

Early profiling of 
migrants' skills and 
qualifications 

Commission proposal for the revision of the 
European Qualifications Framework (see ref. doc. 
COM(2016) 383) 

June 2016 

Launch of the " Skills Profile Tool for Third 
Country Nationals"  

June 2016 

Advancing skills intelligence, Documentation and informed career choices 

Better intelligence 
and information for 
better choices 

Commission proposal for the revision of the 
Europass Framework for the provision of better 
services for skills and qualifications  

3rd quarter 2016 

Better intelligence 
and information for 
better choices 

Boosting skills 
intelligence in 
economic sectors 

Better 
understanding the 
performance of 
graduates 

Further analysis and sharing of best practice to 
tackle brain drain. 

End 2016 

Launch of a Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on 
Skills 

June 2016 

Commission proposal for a an initiative on 
Graduate Tracking 

2nd Quarter 2017 

18