Activities of Loucas FOURLAS related to 2022/0326(COD)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Year of Skills 2023
Amendments (14)
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) A skilled workforce isand citizens who are skilled in democratic participation and the pursuit of personal and community development are crucial to ensuring socially fair and just green and digital transitions, and to strengthening the Union’s sustainable competitiveness and resilience in the face of adverse external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the fallout of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. More and better skills, hard but also soft, open up new opportunities and empower individuals to fully participate in the labour market, society and democracysociety, democratic processes and the labour market, to harness and benefit from the opportunities of the green and digital transitions and to exercise their rights.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Across the Union, companies report difficulties to find workers with the necessary skills. In 2021, 28 occupations were classified as having shortages, including the healthcare, hospitality, construction and service sectors, in addition to shortages of IT and security specialists, in particular cybersecurity experts, and workers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics background.22 Increasingly, the biggest constraint to a successful digital and green transition is the lack of workers with the right skills. In many Member States, demographic ageing is expected to accelerate over the coming decade as “baby boom” cohorts retire, reinforcing the need to make use of the full potential of all working-age adults through continuous investments in theirpeople's skills, as well as acmotivitating more people, in particular women and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs), and people belonging to vulnerable groups, marginalised persons and those living in remote and rural areas. Strengthening personal development and learning guidance from an early age and supporting equal access to information and guidance can help people choose sustainable learning pathways leading to fair and appropriate employment opportunities. _________________ 22 European Labour Authority, Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2021 and ENISA, Cybersecurity skills development in the EU, March 2020. The ENISA studies identify that there is a gap of 291,000 professionals in cybersecurity.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Principle 3 of the European Pillar of Social Rights underlines that regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities, and this includes employment and, education and training. The European Year of Skills should be carried out in a way that is inclusive and actively promotes equality for all. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan29 points out that by increasing participation of groups which are currently under-presented in the labour market, we can achieve a more inclusive employment growth. _________________ 29 The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (europa.eu)
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Trust in and transparency of qualifications, whether acquired in Europe or beyond, is key in facilitating their recognition. EU transparency tools (European Qualifications Framework, Europass, ESCO, EU Skills Profile Tool for third country nationals, European Digital Credentials for Learning) are a starting point to help increase the transparency and comparability of skills and qualifications. For well functioning labour markets, skills must be understood and valued, whether acquired in formal, non- formal or informal settings. Skills identification and documentation, as well as guidance to make skills visible, are crucial steps in this context.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Overall public and private investments in upskilling and reskilling are insufficient. Most job-related training in the Union is employer-sponsored. However, many companies, in particular SMEs, do not provide or fund training for their staff, andin particular for low-skilled; while individuals in atypical work have less or no access to employer- sponsored training. Such inequalities undermine individuals’ welfare and health, reduce economic competitiveness, result in missed opportunities and barriers to innovation and risk leaving people behind in the transition to more sustainable economic activities. An enabling framework unlocking and incentivising employers’ financial investments in skills and giving visibility to the economic value of upskilling and reskilling is needed.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In the past, the Union witnessed significant increases in the public investments in initial education and training. However, so far, this has not been matched with corresponding increases in investments and the development of systemic approaches to support continuing skills development throughout the entire working life.49 The Council Conclusions of 8 June 202050 invite Member States to “explore possible models for public and private financing of lifelong learning and the development of skills on an individual level”, and call on the Commission to support Member States in these efforts. _________________ 49 See for instance the increase in tertiary attainment, cf. Education and Training Monitor 2021 50 Council Conclusions of 8 June 2020 on reskilling and upskilling as a basis for increasing sustainability and employability, in the context of supporting economic recovery and social cohesion
Amendment 158 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 25 a (new)
Recital 25 a (new)
(25a) Following the European Parliament's approval of the Declaration about implementing a European cardiac arrest awareness week, it is important to bring to the attention of citizens that sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in Europe with nearly 350,000 fatalities every year. Immediate intervention by citizens performing the skills of simple chest compressions and if possible, also rescue breathing (CPR – CardioPulmonary Resuscitation), including delivery of defibrillation with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), can triple survival, as demonstrated in a nationwide initiative. To increase the number of survivors after sudden cardiac arrest by 100,000 every year in Europe, more citizens need to apply these skills to bridge the time until professional Emergency Medical Services arrive. The most efficient and sustainable measure to increase the citizen’s CPR rate is to educate schoolchildren in resuscitation as an essential skill from primary to secondary school. This is also recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2015, and it is supported by many national and international organizations and the social partners. Educating schoolchildren in CPR will also increase resilience and positive social behaviour in European citizens. The European Resuscitation Council 2021 guidelines describe the framework to implement these specific skills all over Europe.
Amendment 166 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
In line with principles 1, 4 and 5 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, contributing to the objectives set out in the 2020 European Skills Agenda and the EU headline targets set by the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the overall objective of the European Year shall be advancing continuing learning to provide relevant and sustainable lifelong learning systems. The initiative is to further promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling thereby boosting competitiveness of European companies, in particular small and medium-sized entreprises, realising the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner. More specifically, the activities of the Year will promote skills policies and investments to ensure that nobody is left behind in the twin transition and the economic recovery, and to notably address labour shortages for a better skilled workforce in the Union that is able to seize the opportunities of this process, by:
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. Promoting increased, more effective and inclusive investment by public authorities and companies into training and upskilling to harness the full potential of the European current and future workforce and to support people in managing job-to-job transitions, active ageing, and benefiting from the new opportunities brought by the ongoing economic transformation.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
2. Strengthening skills relevance of training provision by closely cooperating with social partners, public and private employment services, companies, education and training providers and developing joined-up approaches with all branches of governments.
Amendment 193 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
3. Matching people’s aspirations and skills-set with quality jobs, learning rich workplaces, and labour market opportunities especially those offered by the green and digital transitions and the core sectors in need of recovery from the pandemic. A special focus will be given to activate more people for the labour market, in particular women and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs).
Amendment 214 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) conferences, forum discussions and further events to promote debate on the role and contribution of skills policies to achieve competitive, sustainable and fair economic growth in light of the demographic change and to mobilise relevant stakeholders to ensure access to traininglearning opportunities is a reality on the ground;
Amendment 217 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) initiatives targetting inter alia individuals, companies, chambers of commerce and industry, social partners, public authorities, education and training providers to promote the provision, financing and uptake of upskilling and reskilling opportunities and reinforce skills utilisation at the workplaces;
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) Considers of outmost importance for the citizens to be able to acquire and perform the skills of immediate intervention and simple chest compressions and if possible, also rescue breathing (CPR – CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) after sudden cardiac arrest; more citizens need to apply these skills to bridge the time until professional Emergency Medical Services arrive ; acknowledges that educating school children in resuscitation as an essential skill from primary to secondary school is recommended by the World Health Organization, supported by many national and international organizations and the social partners; educating school children in CPR will also increase resilience and positive social behaviour of the European citizens.