The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 33, with 24 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Year of Skills 2023.
The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows:
Objectives
As proposed by Members, the period from 9 May 2023 to 8 May 2024 will be declared the ‘European Year of Skills’.
The overall objective of the European Year of Skills is to continue to foster a mindset of retraining and reskilling, in line with national competences, law and practice.
The European Year of Skills aims to:
- boost the competitiveness of Union undertakings, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to contribute to the creation of quality jobs, with a view to realising the full potential of the green and digital transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner, thereby promoting equal access to skills development and reducing inequalities and segregation in education and training;
- contribute to continuous learning and career progression, empowering people to access quality jobs and to fully participate in the economy and society.
More specifically, the activities aim at:
- promoting increased, more effective and inclusive investment at all levels, inter alia by public and private employers, in particular by SMEs, into all forms of reskilling and upskilling, education and training to harness the full potential of the current and future workforce in the Union, including to support people in managing job-to-job transitions, active ageing, and benefiting from the new opportunities brought by the ongoing economic transition;
- strengthening skills relevance and provision by closely cooperating with, and promoting cooperation among, cross-sectoral and sectoral social partners, public and private employment services, undertakings, civil society entities, not-for-profit social service providers and education and training providers, and by developing joined-up approaches between them;
- matching people’s aspirations, needs and skills-set, including the skills acquired during mobility, with labour market needs, especially those offered by the green and digital transitions, emerging new sectors and core sectors in need of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that a particular focus is given to integrate more people in the labour market, in particular women and young people, especially those not in employment, education, or training (NEETs), low-skilled persons, older workers, persons with disabilities, people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds, people living in remote areas and in the outermost regions, as well as displaced people from Ukraine;
- attracting people from third countries with the skills needed in Member States, by promoting learning opportunities, including, where necessary, language education and training, skills development and mobility, and by facilitating the recognition of qualifications.
Type of measures
New types of measures were added by Members to achieve the main objectives of the initiative. These include the following measures:
- online and face-to-face conferences;
- initiatives targeting, among others, individuals, employers, in particular SMEs;
- strengthening dialogue with social partners and existing stakeholder groups and networks;
- promoting the development of national, sectoral and company-specific skills strategies and training;
- promoting the implementation of tools and instruments to increase the transparency of qualifications, including those issued outside the EU, and to validate non-formal and informal learning.
Coordination
Each Member State will designate a national coordinator or coordinating body, in line with national circumstances and practices, with competence in the field of labour policies and skills.
The Commission will:
- rely on the expertise and assistance of relevant Union agencies in implementing the European Year of Skills, in particular the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, the European Labour Authority, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the European Training Foundation and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity;
- cooperate with third countries and competent international organisations, in particular with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Unesco and the International Labour Organization, as well as with other international stakeholders, while ensuring the visibility of the Union’s participation.
Monitoring and evaluation
By 31 May 2025, the Commission will present a report on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the initiatives provided for in this Decision and implemented in the Member States and across the Union as a whole.