Debate: Fostering and adapting vocational training as a tool for employees' success and a building block for the EU economy in the new industry
Date: MONDAY, 10 JULY 2023
Speaker: Nicolas Schmit
Language: EN

Your report on fostering and adopting vocational training as a tool for employees’ success and a building block for the European economy in the new industry 4.0 – the Commission absolutely welcomes this report because it gives us a lot of good ideas of strong analysis, but especially also very practical proposals. We fully support your call for well-functioning and modern continuing vocational education and training systems, with companies investing more in upskilling and reskilling and governments creating favourable conditions for such investments. I can say that I am personally a fan of EuroSkills. I visited, in my previous function, different EuroSkills and I must say, when you look at the enthusiasm of these young people, you can only support this initiative, which leads to better and broader vocational training systems. I will personally be in Gdańsk for the next EuroSkills in September. Now there will be no Green Deal industrial plan, there will be no Green Deal without investing in people’s – and especially also in young people’s – skills. We really have to encourage young people to choose vocational training. And my experience shows me also that particularly in many areas very much linked to the green economy, but also to the digital economy, the right way is vocational training. We are already, we have a major lack of professionals in many areas which are very much linked to the greening of our economy to implement the Green Deal, but also in the area of digital skills. And there are a lot of ways how we can really help young people or people who have to change their professional orientation through vocational training or something which is very close to vocational training, not going back to school, the classical schoolrooms, but especially learning by doing, learning independently, learning by in a team. And you referred very much to the soft skills which are very important also in this major transformation we are going through. Member States agreed to modernise vocational education and training to make it more attractive. And I think this is a big issue. How can we make vocational training more attractive? How can we bring more young people back to vocational training? I know that in many countries there is a lack of young people choosing vocational training, choosing the different professions you can learn by vocational training. In 2020, it was the German Presidency, the Council recommendation on that was adapted and improved, as well as the famous Osnabrück declaration was adapted, which includes also the request to more mobility for young people in those programmes. These are all instrumental for greater convergence between national systems, and I think we have to encourage Member States to work and to exchange good practices in the area of vocational training. We are happy to acknowledge the progress on objectives to be reached by 25. The target on work—based learning is already achieved, and with nearly 80% in 2022, we are on track to reach our employment target for vocational graduates of 82% by 25. This is crucial since many jobs linked to the green and digital transitions will be technical and will require vocational education and training, they will also require up— and reskilling of the working age population. However, analysis shows that the EU is not on a par with other parts of the world in new technologies. Some 8% of adult workers in the EU work with robots and 9% of adult workers work with 3D printers as part of their main job. In your report, you have pointed out critical challenges. Some 77% of businesses cannot find the talent they need, and in our fast—paced environment, technology changes quickly, triggering new needs. And we all talk now about artificial intelligence: every day there is a new evolution in artificial intelligence, new applications in many areas, in many professions, so we have to make sure that people learn how to handle artificial intelligence. It’s not a question of how many jobs will disappear, it’s a question of how many jobs will be transformed by artificial intelligence and how we are able to give people the skills to handle artificial intelligence. We need to create a culture where the norm is to continuously upskill or reskill. That is why we have set an ambitious EU target that was supported at the Porto Summit in 21, with 60% of adults following a training every year. Your report is right in that we need to pay particular attention to vulnerable groups such as disadvantaged youth, NEETs and Roma people. Yes, we are all complaining about the shortage of skilled labour or labour, and we have 8 million young people who are nowhere, who are just out of the labour market, who are not in education, who are not in training. This is a challenge for Europe, this is a challenge for Member States, and we cannot just leave this challenge out. We have to do something if we want really to address the labour shortage we are facing. I agree with you also on the role of companies and the need for specific support to SMEs. The Pact for Skills is one of our key initiatives on upskilling and reskilling of adults. So far, 1 500 organisations have committed to upskill at least 10 million people. This is a good result, but it is not yet enough. We have to reskill more, because it’s millions of people, especially in industries 4.0 – and all industries become 4.0 industries, not only the automotive, all industries are in this process of transformation, so require also good vocational training. And I have seen recently in a big company how they train their young people, how they motivate also young people to choose the vocational way to learn. So thank you very much for your report. Thank you for your proposals. And we all will be in Poland for the EuroSkills.