BETA


Events

2023/05/12
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2023/05/11
   Final act published in Official Journal
Details

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.

2023/05/10
   CSL - Draft final act
Documents
2023/05/10
   CSL - Final act signed
2023/04/24
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
2023/03/30
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2023/03/30
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading
Details

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.

Documents
2023/03/21
   EP - Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2023/03/17
   EP - Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations
Documents
2023/03/17
   EP - Committee letter confirming interinstitutional agreement
Documents
2023/02/15
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations confirmed by plenary (Rule 71)
2023/02/13
   EP - Committee decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations announced in plenary (Rule 71)
2023/02/09
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading
Details

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted a report by Loucas FOURLAS (EPP, CY) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Year of Skills 2023.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Subject matter

Members proposed that the year starting from 9 May 2023 until 8 May 2024 should be designated as the ‘European Year of Skills’ (European Year).

Objectives

The overall objective of the European Year has been clarified by the committee.

The Europe Year should:

- enhance continuous learning, employability and career progression, and to provide sustainable, lifelong learning systems;

- promote access to decent wages that ensure a decent standard of living;

- promote the creation of quality jobs and retention strategies as the best way to attract and retain a skilled workforce and provide incentives for employers to invest in the development of their workers´ skills;

- promote decent working conditions at company level to attract and retain skilled workers;

- promote the increased mobility of the workers in the Union under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes for students, apprentices, teachers and trainers, while aiming for the better recognition of the skills and competences acquired during periods of mobility.

Type of measures

New types of measures have been added by Members to achieve the main objectives of the initiative. These include, inter alia :

- online and in person conferences;

- initiatives targeting inter alia individuals, employers, in particular SMEs;

- supporting social dialogue, collective bargaining and the role of the social partners in designing national, sectoral and company-specific skills strategies and training;

- promoting and further implementing tools and instruments for increased transparency of qualifications, including qualifications awarded outside the Union, including the improvement of the validation systems and the automatic mutual recognition, validation, and certification of those qualifications, and of skills acquired in non-formal or informal settings;

- developing a toolbox to support disadvantaged groups, in particular persons with disabilities, persons with a migrant background and people living in remote areas and in the outermost regions;

- enabling everyone 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;

- establishing a common legal framework to ensure remuneration for traineeships and apprenticeships and to avoid exploitative practices.

Coordination in the Member States at Union level

Effective social dialogue and collective bargaining processes are crucial to anticipating the needs of the labour market and the need for skills, as well as to defining strategies at both Union and national level. In this regard, Member States should ensure the involvement of the social partners, civil society, learning and education providers, national and regional parliaments, as well as other relevant stakeholders, including from remote areas and from the outermost regions.

Moreover, the Commission should closely engage with the social partners, civil society, learning and education providers, labour market bodies, learners, and representatives of organisations or bodies active in the field of skills, education, training and lifelong learning to assist in implementing the European Year at Union level.

Monitoring and evaluation

Members proposed that by 31 May 2025 (as opposed to 31 December 2024), the Commission should present a report on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the initiatives provided for in this Decision.

Documents
2023/02/06
   EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading
2023/02/06
   EP - Committee decision to open interinstitutional negotiations with report adopted in committee
2022/12/14
   ESC - Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report
Documents
2022/12/12
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2022/12/06
   EP - Specific opinion
Documents
2022/12/01
   EP - NEGRESCU Victor (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in CULT
2022/11/29
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/11/09
   EP - FOURLAS Loucas (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in EMPL
2022/10/20
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading
2022/10/12
   EC - Legislative proposal published
Details

PURPOSE : to make 2023 the European year of skills.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: a skilled workforce is 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. A workforce with the right skills is a precondition for the green transition too, forecasted to generate 2.5 million additional jobs in the EU by 2030.

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.

At the same time, demographic change is reducing the available workforce. Even if the average unemployment rate in the EU remained at 6% in August 2022, 77% of companies are experiencing difficulties in finding employees with the required skills since 2019. In particular, the biggest problem for a quarter of the 25 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU is finding qualified staff and experienced managers.

The already evident shortage of staff will deepen further, as the size of the European working-age population is expected to shrink from 64% in 2019 to 56% in 2070, and the old-age dependency ratio is expected to increase from 32 in 2020 to 54 in 2070. Thus, additional effort is needed to activate more people for the labour market through reskilling and upskilling , in particular women and young people not in education, employment or training. It is also important to promote the digital skills of the older population and ensure they have the capacity to fully participate in society and access vital services increasingly available only online.

The EU's domestic workforce alone is and will not be sufficient to meet current and future labour market demands. In this context, migrants already play a crucial role in the European economy and society. For the EU to become an attractive space for talent from all over the world in labour-scarce professions, third-country nationals must be able to develop their full potential and use their skills in the European labour market.

To boost competitiveness of European companies, in particular SMEs, to realise the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner, the 2023 European Year of Skills would further promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling.

CONTENT: the European Commission proposes to make 2023 the European Year of Skills .

The overall objective of the European Year is to:

- continue to foster a mindset of re-skilling and up-skilling, thereby boosting the competitiveness of European businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, and;

- boost competitiveness of European companies, in particular SMEs, to realise the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner.

The activities of the European Year will promote skills policies and investment to ensure that no one is left behind in the twin transition and recovery process, and to address labour shortages to ensure a better skilled workforce in the EU that is able to seize the opportunities offered by this process.

These activities consist of:

1. promoting increased, more effective and inclusive investment 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;

2. strengthening skills relevance 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;

3. matching people’s aspirations and skills-set with 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);

4. attracting people from third countries with the skills needed by the Union, including by strengthening learning opportunities and mobility, and by facilitating the recognition of qualifications.

The European Year of Competences 2023 is expected to have positive effects at the level of the individual, governmental and societal. The types of measures planned (events, information, communication and awareness-raising campaigns, increased dialogue, promotion and development of tools) will lead to:

- more and better focused investment in labour market relevant reskilling and upskilling opportunities, benefitting workers and employers by addressing existing labour shortages and fostering employment and social inclusion;

- increased information exchange, mutual learning, and strengthened collaboration, benefitting the work of public and private organisations, as well as social partners, at international, European, national, regional and local level.

Documents

  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2023)227
  • Final act published in Official Journal: Decision 2023/936
  • Final act published in Official Journal: OJ L 125 11.05.2023, p. 0001
  • Draft final act: 00012/2023/LEX
  • Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
  • Decision by Parliament, 1st reading: T9-0089/2023
  • Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations: PE745.259
  • Approval in committee of the text agreed at 1st reading interinstitutional negotiations: PE745.360
  • Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations: PE745.259
  • Committee letter confirming interinstitutional agreement: PE745.360
  • Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading: A9-0028/2023
  • Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES5883/2022
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE739.629
  • Specific opinion: PE739.623
  • Committee draft report: PE738.559
  • Legislative proposal published: COM(2022)0526
  • Legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
  • Committee draft report: PE738.559
  • Specific opinion: PE739.623
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE739.629
  • Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES5883/2022
  • Text agreed during interinstitutional negotiations: PE745.259
  • Committee letter confirming interinstitutional agreement: PE745.360
  • Draft final act: 00012/2023/LEX
  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2023)227

Votes

L’Année européenne des compétences en 2023 - European Year of Skills 2023 - Europäisches Jahr der Kompetenzen 2023 - A9-0028/2023 - Loucas Fourlas - Accord provisoire - Am 72 #

2023/03/30 Outcome: +: 524, -: 33, 0: 24
DE IT PL ES FR RO NL PT HU SE BE CZ IE AT HR SK EL LT DK LV SI BG FI CY LU EE MT
Total
80
63
48
47
65
26
25
19
16
19
17
18
13
17
11
13
13
9
13
7
7
6
8
5
5
7
4
icon: PPE PPE
138

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Bulgaria PPE

For (1)

1

Finland PPE

For (1)

1

Cyprus PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
126

Netherlands S&D

4

Belgium S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Greece S&D

1

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1
3

Cyprus S&D

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
88

Italy Renew

2

Poland Renew

1

Hungary Renew

2
3

Ireland Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Greece Renew

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Slovenia Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
62

Italy Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

1

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
54

Germany ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

4

Sweden ECR

For (1)

3

Belgium ECR

2

Czechia ECR

2

Croatia ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

Against (1)

1

Greece ECR

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

1
icon: The Left The Left
31

Germany The Left

For (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

1

Denmark The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: NI NI
30

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

2

France NI

3

Netherlands NI

Against (1)

1

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Slovakia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Latvia NI

1
icon: ID ID
52

Czechia ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Finland ID

Against (1)

1

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
236 2022/0326(COD)
2022/12/13 EMPL 236 amendments...
source: 739.629

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

events/12/summary
  • 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.
events/12
date
2023-05-11T00:00:00
type
Final act published in Official Journal
docs
procedure/final
title
Decision 2023/936
url
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32023D0936
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Procedure completed, awaiting publication in Official Journal
New
Procedure completed
docs/7
date
2023-05-12T00:00:00
docs
url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=59441&j=0&l=en title: SP(2023)227
type
Commission response to text adopted in plenary
body
EC
events/8
date
2023-03-30T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=59441&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
events/10
date
2023-05-10T00:00:00
type
Final act signed
body
CSL
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting signature of act
New
Procedure completed, awaiting publication in Official Journal
docs/6
date
2023-05-10T00:00:00
docs
title: 00012/2023/LEX
type
Draft final act
body
CSL
events/7/date
Old
2023-03-22T00:00:00
New
2023-03-21T00:00:00
events/7/date
Old
2023-03-21T00:00:00
New
2023-03-22T00:00:00
events/9/date
Old
2023-04-14T00:00:00
New
2023-04-24T00:00:00
events/9
date
2023-04-14T00:00:00
type
Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
body
EP/CSL
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting Council's 1st reading position
New
Awaiting signature of act
docs/6
date
2023-03-30T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0089_EN.html title: T9-0089/2023
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
events/8/summary
  • 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.
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  • The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted a report by Loucas FOURLAS (EPP, CY) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Year of Skills 2023.
  • The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:
  • Subject matter
  • Members proposed that the year starting from 9 May 2023 until 8 May 2024 should be designated as the ‘European Year of Skills’ (European Year).
  • Objectives
  • The overall objective of the European Year has been clarified by the committee.
  • The Europe Year should:
  • - enhance continuous learning, employability and career progression, and to provide sustainable, lifelong learning systems;
  • - promote access to decent wages that ensure a decent standard of living;
  • - promote the creation of quality jobs and retention strategies as the best way to attract and retain a skilled workforce and provide incentives for employers to invest in the development of their workers´ skills;
  • - promote decent working conditions at company level to attract and retain skilled workers;
  • - promote the increased mobility of the workers in the Union under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes for students, apprentices, teachers and trainers, while aiming for the better recognition of the skills and competences acquired during periods of mobility.
  • Type of measures
  • New types of measures have been added by Members to achieve the main objectives of the initiative. These include, inter alia :
  • - online and in person conferences;
  • - initiatives targeting inter alia individuals, employers, in particular SMEs;
  • - supporting social dialogue, collective bargaining and the role of the social partners in designing national, sectoral and company-specific skills strategies and training;
  • - promoting and further implementing tools and instruments for increased transparency of qualifications, including qualifications awarded outside the Union, including the improvement of the validation systems and the automatic mutual recognition, validation, and certification of those qualifications, and of skills acquired in non-formal or informal settings;
  • - developing a toolbox to support disadvantaged groups, in particular persons with disabilities, persons with a migrant background and people living in remote areas and in the outermost regions;
  • - enabling everyone 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;
  • - establishing a common legal framework to ensure remuneration for traineeships and apprenticeships and to avoid exploitative practices.
  • Coordination in the Member States at Union level
  • Effective social dialogue and collective bargaining processes are crucial to anticipating the needs of the labour market and the need for skills, as well as to defining strategies at both Union and national level. In this regard, Member States should ensure the involvement of the social partners, civil society, learning and education providers, national and regional parliaments, as well as other relevant stakeholders, including from remote areas and from the outermost regions.
  • Moreover, the Commission should closely engage with the social partners, civil society, learning and education providers, labour market bodies, learners, and representatives of organisations or bodies active in the field of skills, education, training and lifelong learning to assist in implementing the European Year at Union level.
  • Monitoring and evaluation
  • Members proposed that by 31 May 2025 (as opposed to 31 December 2024), the Commission should present a report on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the initiatives provided for in this Decision.
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RODRÍGUEZ PALOP Eugenia
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  • PURPOSE : to make 2023 the European year of skills.
  • PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
  • BACKGROUND: a skilled workforce is 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. A workforce with the right skills is a precondition for the green transition too, forecasted to generate 2.5 million additional jobs in the EU by 2030.
  • 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.
  • At the same time, demographic change is reducing the available workforce. Even if the average unemployment rate in the EU remained at 6% in August 2022, 77% of companies are experiencing difficulties in finding employees with the required skills since 2019. In particular, the biggest problem for a quarter of the 25 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU is finding qualified staff and experienced managers.
  • The already evident shortage of staff will deepen further, as the size of the European working-age population is expected to shrink from 64% in 2019 to 56% in 2070, and the old-age dependency ratio is expected to increase from 32 in 2020 to 54 in 2070. Thus, additional effort is needed to activate more people for the labour market through reskilling and upskilling , in particular women and young people not in education, employment or training. It is also important to promote the digital skills of the older population and ensure they have the capacity to fully participate in society and access vital services increasingly available only online.
  • The EU's domestic workforce alone is and will not be sufficient to meet current and future labour market demands. In this context, migrants already play a crucial role in the European economy and society. For the EU to become an attractive space for talent from all over the world in labour-scarce professions, third-country nationals must be able to develop their full potential and use their skills in the European labour market.
  • To boost competitiveness of European companies, in particular SMEs, to realise the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner, the 2023 European Year of Skills would further promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling.
  • CONTENT: the European Commission proposes to make 2023 the European Year of Skills .
  • The overall objective of the European Year is to:
  • - continue to foster a mindset of re-skilling and up-skilling, thereby boosting the competitiveness of European businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises, and;
  • - boost competitiveness of European companies, in particular SMEs, to realise the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner.
  • The activities of the European Year will promote skills policies and investment to ensure that no one is left behind in the twin transition and recovery process, and to address labour shortages to ensure a better skilled workforce in the EU that is able to seize the opportunities offered by this process.
  • These activities consist of:
  • 1. promoting increased, more effective and inclusive investment 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;
  • 2. strengthening skills relevance 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;
  • 3. matching people’s aspirations and skills-set with 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);
  • 4. attracting people from third countries with the skills needed by the Union, including by strengthening learning opportunities and mobility, and by facilitating the recognition of qualifications.
  • The European Year of Competences 2023 is expected to have positive effects at the level of the individual, governmental and societal. The types of measures planned (events, information, communication and awareness-raising campaigns, increased dialogue, promotion and development of tools) will lead to:
  • - more and better focused investment in labour market relevant reskilling and upskilling opportunities, benefitting workers and employers by addressing existing labour shortages and fostering employment and social inclusion;
  • - increased information exchange, mutual learning, and strengthened collaboration, benefitting the work of public and private organisations, as well as social partners, at international, European, national, regional and local level.
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