Exploring Solutions to Skills Shortages: Joint Research Seminar in Brussels
05/12/2024
On 04 December 2024, leading experts and policymakers gathered in Brussels for the Joint Research Seminar of Four Horizon Research and Innovation Projects focused on skills——SkillsPULSE, TRAILS, SkiLMeeT, and SKILLAB. This collaborative event addressed skills shortages and emerging needs in the European labour market, offering a platform to share insights and foster synergies among innovative Horizon Europe projects. The seminar was hosted by EARLALL, underscoring its commitment to advancing education and workforce development through regional collaboration and shared expertise.
The first session delved into the methodological and data-related challenges in defining skills shortages. Each of the four Horizon projects presented their unique approaches:
- TRAILS – Enabling Data Analytics for Actions Tackling Skills Shortages & Mismatc- project coordinator, Ioannis Pragidis (Democritus University of Thrace, Greece) presented cutting-edge technological solutions that use data analytics to address mismatches in the labour market.
- Rosaria Rossini (Eclipse Foundation Europe GmbH), on behalf of the SKILLAB project, highlighted collaborative strategies to enhance workforce upskilling and adaptability.
- Liga Baltina (Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini) and Seamus McGuinness (the Economic and Social Research Institute) showcase SkillsPULSE methodologies for assessing emerging skill needs.
- Finally, Vassil Kirov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) outlined SkiLMeeT strategies for aligning training systems with evolving labour demands.
A lively Q&A session followed each presentation, encouraging knowledge exchange and collaboration among attendees.
A lively Q&A session followed each presentation, encouraging knowledge exchange and collaboration among attendees.
In Session 2, the spotlight shifted to the policy landscape. Liga Baltina led discussions on structuring joint policy roundtables and fostering long-term collaboration among the projects. Simone Rosini, project officer from the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), congratulated the project partners for organising this Joint Research Seminar which created opportunities to address shared challenges. He emphasized the importance of research findings in shaping actionable recommendations for European policymakers, ensuring better alignment between training systems and labour market needs.
Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini Knowledge Apero: Examining Emerging Skills
The day concluded with an engaging evening event hosted by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (FGB). This networking session, titled What is an Emerging Skill and Is it in Short Supply?, centred on the launch of the book Re-Thinking Europe’s Skill Needs: Reflections Following the European Year of Skills.
Speakers from the four Horizon projects alongside representatives from DG EMPL, shared their perspectives on identifying emerging skills, their impact on the labour market, and the extent to which these skills are in short supply.
George Panos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece) introduced TRAILS’ research on emerging skills shortages across the EU. The event underscored the interconnectedness of these projects and their collective role in shaping Europe’s skills agenda.
This seminar marked an important milestone in fostering collaboration among Horizon Research and Innovation projects focused on skills, policymakers, and researchers. By addressing skills shortages and exploring innovative solutions, the event reinforced the commitment to building a resilient and adaptable European workforce.
