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.

The ETF’s Green Skills Award celebrates innovative initiatives that promote sustainable practices and the development of green skills globally. 

For the Green Skills Award 2024 edition, we received 316 applications from 53 countries. 

Our jury selected the 10 finalists.

Nearly 18,000 people from our audience on social media voted for their favourite stories. 

And here are the winners of the Green Skills Award 2024:

LINK TO PRESS RELEASE

Whilst diving into the biggest global conferences on climate change, where political leaders from all over the world discuss and look for solutions to benefit our planet, we’ve asked ourselves: Are we overlooking critical issues? What about green skills and green education? What’s the point of having access to technologically advanced devices – such as solar panels or electric cars – without having skilled people to install them, repair them or maintain them?

In this 39th episode of our podcast series, ETF expert Romain Boitard explores some strategies to bring green skills high on the political agenda of the COP29 conference in November in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Listen here

The All Digital Weeks 2024 campaign will run from 13 May until 31 May. Since its first edition in 2010, this campaign has contributed to raising people’s awareness ‘on digital skills for inclusion, empowerment and employment’ and helped them enhance their digital skills. More information about the campaign. 

“Nearly half of Europe’s adult population lacks even basic digital skills, while virtually all jobs require some level of digital skills.
Action is needed.”

_{Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights}

#ADWeeks2024  #AllDigitalWeeks
 

Running from 21 to 22 May, this webinar will provide examples from big data job vacancy analysis, matching and guidance tools, linking qualifications, occupations, and skills. It will also show how ESCO is used to analyse skill shortages in the EU and how it can be used to identify talent from third countries.

The event will be held in English, with French and Russian interpretation.

Interested in participating? Read the agenda & complete the registration form.

On 9 May we celebrate Europe Day. At a time when democracies seem increasingly under threat, let’s commemorate the signing of the Schuman Declaration in 1950, which paved the way for cooperation and peace in Europe.

“World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.”

#EuropeDay