PURPOSE: to make the period running from 9 May 2023 to 8 May 2024 the ‘European Year of Skills’.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2023/936 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on a European Year of Skills.
CONTENT: under the terms of this Decision, the period running from 9 May 2023 to 8 May 2024 will be the ‘European Year of Skills’.
Objectives
In line with Principle Nos 1, 4 and 5 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, contributing to the objectives set out in the European Skills Agenda and the Union headline targets set by the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the overall objective of the European Year of Skills will be to further promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling in accordance 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;
- 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:
1) 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;
2) 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;
3) 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;
4) 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.
Types of measures
Activities throughout the European Year include:
- Conferences, discussion forums and other events to promote the debate on the role and contribution of skills policies;
- events to promote discussion and mutual learning on actions and approaches that can be taken by stakeholders in the public, private and third sectors;
- initiatives to promote the provision and funding of professional development and reskilling opportunities;
- communication and awareness-raising campaigns on EU initiatives to support vocational development and reskilling;
- strengthening dialogue with the social partners.
Coordination at national and EU level
The organisation of participation in the European Year of Skills at national and regional level is the responsibility of the Member States. To this end, each Member State will designate a national coordinator or coordinating body competent in the field of labour policies and skills.
Coordination at EU level will follow a transversal approach with a view to creating synergies between the various EU programmes and initiatives in the field of skills.
The Commission will draw on the expertise and assistance of the relevant EU 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 Cyber Security.
Funding
At Union level, the necessary financial allocation for the implementation of this Decision would be identified within the budget of the contributing programmes in accordance with the multiannual financial frameworks 2014-2020 and 2021-2027. Without prejudice to the powers of the European Parliament and the Council as budgetary authority, the aim should be to provide funding for the implementation of this Decision of at least EUR 9.3 million for operational expenses.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 12.5.2023.