Strengthening the EU with high-quality education and lifelong learning.

At the beginning of March, the Union of Skills was presented as one of the key initiatives of the second von der Leyen Commission. It is intended to contribute to increasing European competitiveness by boosting innovation and knowledge transfer in the Member States. A number of targets to be achieved by 2030 have been proposed in order to equip all people in the EU with the necessary skills for the labour market.

Core elements of the Union of Skills

In order to successfully implement the core elements in the coming years, the European Commission's proposal focuses on four objectives. These include:

1. building skills for quality lives and jobs;
   
2. circulating skills across the EU;
   
3. upskilling and reskilling for the digital and green transition; and
   
4. attracting, developing and retaining talent for Europe’s future.
   

The focus is on promoting basic skills in order to strengthen the skills of all young people in reading and writing, maths and science as well as digital skills and active citizenship skills.

Furthermore, the acquisition of new skills and expertise should become an integral part of working life in order to achieve the training target of 60 per cent of employees in the EU. Less than 40 per cent of this group currently take part in education or training. In particular, initiatives are planned in relation to the expansion of micro-credentials, the strengthening of the pact for skills and the acquisition of new skills in sectors at risk of unemployment.

There should also be relief in the area of workforce mobility. The initiative for the transferability of skills is intended to further facilitate the recognition and acceptance of skills and qualifications in the EU. In addition, incentives are to be created to make the EU an attractive place for top talent from all over the world to work. The EU talent pool is intended to act as a remedy, particularly in areas where there is a shortage of labour (e.g. in the transport, care or construction sector).

Skills to improve occu­pa­tional safety

In the run-up to the publication, Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu also attributed great importance to the Union of Skills with regard to occupational health and safety. However, a closer look at the plans for the Union of Skills reveals that this area is not explicitly mentioned. Nevertheless, skills and occupational safety are closely intertwined.

Every day, the EU loses thousands of skilled workers through injury or illness. Effective occupational health and safety measures, including skills development in this area, are not only an obligation under EU law, but also help to stem these losses, thus promoting EU growth and competitiveness. Consequently, there is also a need for investment in the training of employers and employees in the area of occupational health and safety.

Role of the EU agen­cies

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is already making a contribution to this. For example, preparing people for the digital transformation of work is a core focus of the current EU-OSHA campaign "Safe and healthy work in the digital age". In addition, EU-OSHA, together with other agencies such as the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and the European Training Foundation, is also preparing for the green transition. After all, green skills are the key to a successful green transition, thus being an urgent necessity in the EU.