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How skills can make your business resilient: focus on agribusiness

Technological innovation and the policy drive for the greening of economies and societies is bringing profound changes in global value chains, business models, employment patterns and occupations. This change is not linear; it is not fully predictable; and its pace is diverse from country to country and from sector to sector posing challenges for enterprises, individuals, and societies to prepare for the future.

The pandemic accelerated already existing trends as highlighted in a global survey of enterprises undertaken in 2020 as a joint endeavour by 10 international and regional development organizations including the European Training Foundation.

Adapting employees’ skills and roles to new ways of working, and new market realities, is crucial to building the resilience of enterprises, support innovation, and create inclusive economic opportunities for the future. A skilled workforce is a a prerequisite for the development and adoption of new technology.

Investigating the agribusiness sector

In 2020/2021, a study was undertaken to detect how innovative enterprises in the agribusiness sector in Georgia, Morocco, Serbia, Turkey, Uzbekistan have put in place inclusive skills strategies and practices to enhance their resilience in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and how skills have facilitated necessary changes. This study was conducted together with key stakeholders in each country and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

It was found that the private sector is meaningfully engaged in human capital development efforts relating to agribusiness in the countries studied. However, there is scope to support more systematic resilience and recovery and link efforts to policy measures attuned to the inclusive skills dimension. More information can be found in the final report.

ETF activities on building enterprise skills

The ETF works to identify skills needs and support skills development within enterprises through targeted activities and by encouraging international good practice sharing and network development. More information can be found here. It does so in partnership with national intermediary bodies, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and UNIDO, and other international and national stakeholders to inform policy choices and contribute to greener, inclusive, and innovative societies.

 

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