Immediate action is required to solve Europe's skills deficiencies and give Europeans a better chance of labour market success in the future, was the key message of the independent expert report 'New Skills for New Jobs: Action Now' published by the European Commission on 4 February 2010.  The expert report provides concrete recommendations on how to solve Europe's skills deficiencies and is addressed to decision-makers at EU and national level, businesses, trade unions, education and training providers and employment services.

It calls for action in four main areas:

• Provide better incentives for employers and individuals to up-skill, and investment in skills must be significant, smart and not just financial;
• Open up the worlds of education and training by making education and training institutions more innovative and responsive to both learners' and employers' needs, and by developing relevant qualifications that focus on concrete learning outcomes;
• Offer a better mix of skills that is more suited to labour market needs;
• Better anticipation of future skill needs.

The view of the experts is that each of these areas is inter-linked, and therefore all actions must be addressed together. Moreover, it is not the responsibility of just one stakeholder, but a concerted effort is needed from all involved.

Background

The report is one of the major outputs of the European Commission's 'New Skills for New Jobs' initiative, which was launched at EU level in December 2008 to build stronger bridges between the world of education and the world of work.  It has been prepared by a group of experts on training, skills and employment from around the EU set up by the Commission in 2009 to provide independent advice on the further development of the initiative in the context of the EU's future economic reform strategy (Europe 2020).

What is the current situation?

• At present, one in three Europeans of working age has few or no formal qualifications, making them 40% less likely to be employed than those with medium level qualifications.
• The employment rate for those with high skill levels across the EU as a whole is 84%, for medium skill levels 70%, and for low skill levels it stands at 49%.
• Those with low qualifications are also much less likely to upgrade their skills and follow lifelong learning.
• Meanwhile, companies that train their staff are 2.5 times less likely to go out of business compared to those that do not, and
• Education systems that provide adequate skills for all could increase GDP by as much as 10% in the long term.

The expert report 'New Skills for New Jobs: Action Now' as well as further information on the Commission’s action in this field is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=697&furtherNews=yes