Every year, 15 July marks World Youth Skills Day that celebrates 'the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship'. This year, the focus is on Youth Skills for Peace and Development, highlighting 'the crucial role that young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts'.

Look at the programme of the various events!

Once again, our Green Skills Award competition has offered us a wealth of fantastic stories, projects and inspirational ideas. Unveiled by ETF director Pilvi Torsti, here are the winners of the year...

In this new episode of our Skills Factory podcast series, we discuss with Carl Wieman, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and professor at Stanford University, the future of education and the impact of artificial intelligence on learning.

• What are the biggest challenges our education systems face?
• Why are experiential learning and critical thinking important?
• How should teaching look in the 21st century?
• Why is it important for educators to motivate learners?

If you are curious about the evolution of education, this episode is for you! 

Listen here

Social and economic convergence – which refers to the process of reducing disparities in income, employment, education, healthcare, and overall quality of life among different regions – is a key focus in the EU's neighbouring regions and a crucial asset for supporting resilience in these countries. Acknowledging this, the EU is making significant investments in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and the Western Balkans, both within the context of enlargement and beyond. More systematic collaboration among international financial institutions (IFIs), the European Commission, and the European Training Foundation (ETF) is essential to address the global skills mismatch and promote sustainable development, especially in regions needing reconstruction. This key message emerged from a high-level event in Brussels early June, where representatives gathered to build on the European Year of Skills and to launch a new publication: Is money the solution? International financial institutions investing in the future of skills.

Participants agreed on several important themes: promoting unity and collaboration in investments for skills development, and recognising the publication as a significant step towards concrete cooperation. They also emphasised the importance of advocacy, capacity building and policy advice, while maintaining a committed, ambitious mindset, summarised by the motto: "Where there’s a will, there’s a way." The discussions also focused on identifying the right opportunities and key individuals to drive advocacy, showcase best practice, and design effective incentives.

Collaborating for a long-term impact

Representatives of the ETF, the European Commission’s Directorate-Generals for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and for International Partnerships – along with members of the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Association of Bilateral European Development Finance Institutions – came together to tackle the global skills gap and promote sustainable development.

This collaboration highlighted the power of transformative partnerships in creating long-term benefits from investments in human capital.

"Together, we can transform our investments into sustainable and meaningful change," said Pilvi Torsti, ETF Director, during her opening speech.

She stressed the importance of bringing together key players, adding that:

“The publication we are launching today demonstrates our commitment to unity for long-lasting impact.”

Addressing the skills deficit

Mathieu Bousquet, Director for Thematic Support, Coordination of Policy and Financial Instruments in DG NEAR, highlighted the significant challenge of skills mismatches, a systemic challenge underscored by the latest PISA results showing that many 15-year-olds struggle with basic literacy and numeracy. This educational shortfall directly affects key productive sectors, making it difficult to find a sufficiently skilled workforce, hindering growth and progress.

Bousquet emphasised the EU’s commitment to addressing this issue, noting that between 2021 and 2023, DG NEAR adopted 26 actions with a specific budget for education activities amounting to EUR 900 million, in addition to EUR 1 billion for Erasmus+.

"If we want to achieve sustainable development in EU partner countries, skills are essential to any investment," he stated, stressing the need for "radical collaboration" to turn these investments into tangible outcomes.

Bousquet also highlighted the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, which offers EUR 40 billion in guarantees until 2027 as well as grants that can be blended with loans, as important tools that can support the development of sustainable skills in partner countries.

Addressing the skills landscape, developing strategies

The ETF's Donatella Di Vozzo painted a picture of the current skills landscape, emphasising the urgency of investing in skills development. She pointed to alarming statistics, such as 40% of young people not having the skills for the jobs they should perform. Reflecting on the future of work, Di Vozzo noted that since 2018, the ETF has used innovative methods like text mining to study six sectors across eight countries.

“We’ve found some striking facts, such as shared skills demand within sectors, and the significance of soft skills,” she explained. "There is no room for solo performances," she concluded, stressing the need for collaborative efforts.

In a panel discussion led by the ETF’s Manuela Prina and DG NEAR’s Hoa-Binh Adjemian, representatives from all the IFIs present shared insights on integrating skills development into their investment strategies. They focused on practical steps to enhance collaboration and effectiveness.

Looking ahead: sustained commitment and advocacy

The event concluded with a call to maintain high levels of commitment and ambition in the field of skills development. DG NEAR’s Lukas Vesely pointed out the necessity of developing practical examples and designing investment projects where the skills dimension is fully integrated, and ongoing advocacy with the corresponding partners to make these projects a reality.

"We have to work together to ensure that skills development is not neglected in the EU's enlargement and neighbouring regions," he said.

The ETF’s Georgios Zisimos echoed this, highlighting the need for radical collaboration and capacity building.

"We all need to get out of our comfort zone," he urged.

In her closing remarks, Torsti emphasised two key principles for making the meeting truly impactful: recognising that collaboration isn’t always straightforward and pinpointing the right moments and individuals for action.

“Through advocacy, showcasing best practice and providing incentives, we can effectively drive change,” she concluded.

Recently, the ETF hosted a webinar about the new European Agenda for Adult Learning 2021–2030, the Advocacy Coalition Framework and the role of stakeholders in shaping educational development and policymaking.

The event featured three esteemed speakers: Marcella Milana from the University of Verona, Italy; Borut Mikulec from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Oleg Smirnov, Ukraine’s director of DVV International.

In setting the stage, Siria Taurelli, ETF Senior Human Capital Development Expert, contextualised the webinar within the ETF's GLAD (Governance, Learning, Action and Dialogue) Network. She described the network's focus on promoting collaborative governance among educational stakeholders, which is necessary to move towards lifelong learning paradigms.

“Policymaking is a complex matter.” 

This is how Prof. Milana introduced the Advocacy Coalition Framework, a theory of the policy process that examines how coalitions form around common belief systems and interact to influence public policymaking.

“Based in political science, the framework highlights the complex factors involved in policy change, focusing on belief systems, main policy ideas, and learning about policies,” he explained.

On the other hand, Associate Prof. Mikulec gave a clear example of how the Advocacy Coalition Framework can be used to study the European Agenda for Adult Learning. He showed how different people and groups had worked together and consulted each other to create the 2021 agenda. He highlighted the important role of various stakeholders, including government bodies and civil society organisations, in shaping these policies.

“Differences in power and resources affect advocacy coalitions. While certain actors wield greater influence due to their resource endowments, others leverage alliances and strategic collaborations to amplify their voices. The Advocacy Coalition framework highlights these dynamics and stresses the importance of forming partnerships to navigate policies effectively,” he said.

Offering a perspective from Ukraine, Smirnov highlighted the role of decentralisation in fostering advocacy efforts for adult learning, a vital component in developing the skills needed in the country's recovery efforts from the impact of war. 

“Decentralisation empowered local communities, enabling them to spearhead initiatives aligned with the needs of their populace,” he said, emphasising that “this shift not only encouraged citizen engagement but also made it necessary for them to learn new skills and knowledge, especially in adult learning and education.”

Smirnov also highlighted the challenges persisting at the national level, where political dynamics and entrenched interests often pose formidable obstacles to advancing adult learning policies. Furthermore, he recognised the significant contribution of international donors in supporting advocacy initiatives, emphasising the need for evidence-based advocacy. 

Overall, speakers offered global perspectives for advocacy coalitions in adult learning, whereby civil society actors can influence the policy process although they are not part of formal governance. 

“Forging alliances beyond familiar circles, underscoring the need for strategic coalition-building while preserving core values and beliefs,” was one of the key messages from Prof. Milana. 

Ass. Prof. Mikulec, meanwhile, underscored the growing visibility of adult learning on the European stage, calling for better cooperation among diverse stakeholders to amplify advocacy efforts.

Effective advocacy requires a multifaceted approach, blending local engagement with global perspectives, and bridging the gap between policy ideals and practical implementation. 

“Through concerted actions and strategic horizon, it can be used to shape adult learning policies allowing stakeholders to chart a course towards a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable educational landscape in the EU and countries in the EU’s neighbouring regions,” concluded Taurelli.