Industry is driving the recovery in Europe

“Let us join forces so that as many workers as possible have the skills they need to succeed in an evolving labour market” said European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, in her opening speech this morning at the EU Industry Days 2021.

President von der Leyen described how the European Industrial Strategy presented in March 2020 just before the lockdown has maintained its goals to lead the ‘twin green and digital transition’ however it is being updated to keep pace with ‘the speed and the scale’ of this transformation wrought by the health crisis. Just like the Spanish flu in the early 20^th Century which was then followed by an era of tremendous growth and technical change, a decade of enormous transformation has begun for which the European Union is doing all in its power to prepare industry and enable it to drive this change, said the Commission President.

Skills sessions

The second and third day of the event lasting from 23 to 25 February includes sessions dedicated to skills development and the Pact for Skills, one of a number of alliances and partnerships, through which the European Union offers cooperation with European industries and trade unions, chambers of commerce and employment agencies to give workers the skills they need for the changing labour market. Consult the programme EU Industry Days – The Programme.

“If we get this right, the green and the digital transitions will benefit not only young professionals in the most cutting-edge businesses, that is ok, but also workers of all ages, in all industries and all European regions” concluded President von der Leyen.

The EU Industry Days is Europe's flagship annual event on industry. It serves as the main platform to discuss industrial challenges and co-develop opportunities and policy responses in an inclusive dialogue with a wide range of partners. It also helps to ensure that policy at European, national, regional and local levels works together to enable European industry to deliver jobs, growth, and innovation in Europe.

EU in the world

The European Union is at the forefront of supporting skills development worldwide. The European Union's recovery programme, Next Generation EU, adopted in July 2020 also has an external dimension with significant resources from existing external action resources dedicated to offset the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.

The ETF plays a vital role in ensuring that EU support to partner countries contributes to sustainable reforms of education, training and labour market systems to empower all citizens through education and training and skills development, particularly the most vulnerable.