The annual report showcases impressive numbers and provides examples how members concretely tackle skills gaps through collaboration.
Earlier this month, the European Commission published a new report that assesses the progress achieved in upskilling and reskilling people of working age through the Pact for Skills in 2025. The initiative now gathers more than 4’000 Pact for Skills members. It was initially launched as the flagship initiative under the European Skills Agenda in 2020 (see SwissCore article). Today it remains a central action and is regarded as a strategic cornerstone in the Union of Skills (see SwissCore article). As such, it is one of the many approaches to tackle Europe’s skills gaps issues.
The Pact for Skills represents a collaborative initiative among national, regional, and local authorities, businesses, social partners, industry organisations, chambers of commerce, education and training providers, and employment services. The aim is to ensure that at least 60% of adults participate in annual training by 2030. This initiative supports in particular the promotion of a lifelong learning culture, by making it possible for members to benefit from EU-funded support hubs. These include a networking hub that helps them find partners and connect with national and regional policymakers. The guidance hub focuses on supporting regional and large-scale partnerships by offering expertise, advice on partnership commitments, and assistance in finding suitable funding opportunities. Additionally, the knowledge hub provides webinars, seminars, and peer-learning activities on important upskilling topics, along with information about EU skills policies, learning resources, and best practices.
So, how did the initiative perform in 2025? According to the annual report, 3.9 million adults benefitted from up- and reskilling activities in 2025 alone. This adds up to 10 million people since 2022. In financial terms, €1 billion have been invested in up- and reskilling activities, which means over €2 billion have been devoted to this action since its start. Moreover, in 2025, the 20 Large-Scale Skills Partnerships representing key sectors across Europe provided training to an average of 26% of their workforce. This effort helped move toward the shared goal of training 30 million adults by 2030, which equates to about 27% of employees in each sector. The respondents reported improvement in skills monitoring and quality of up- and reskilling. Meanwhile, the number of Regional Skills Partnerships grew to 20 during last year. These partnerships achieved the greatest success in aligning regional skill needs with available talent. Their work supported both the green and digital transitions while also driving economic growth within the regions.
Swiss stakeholders are not eligible to participate in the Pact for Skills. Nevertheless, Swiss stakeholders could find value in closely observing the developments revolving around skills in the EU and how it tries to confront this issue as Switzerland faces similar problems in that regard. Two examples may illustrate skills support projects of potential interest. First, there is “INNOPARES Consultores y formadores”, a pact member that addresses the issue of digital skills need, which is regarded as the second most pressured skill after technical skills, according to the respondents of the survey. INNOPARES addresses this issue through an Erasmus+ project AI-UpskillEd initiative, which empowers educators and trainers to use artificial intelligence with greater confidence. Additionally, the project seeks to enhance the competence framework that accurately reflects genuine skills requirements across various sectors. Another notable example is the implementation of EMPASS: The European Skills Pass by another pact member, the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants: This pilot project seeks to develop a new micro-credential designed to support young people in acquiring and validating essential employability skills, specifically focusing on soft skills. Both examples highlight the importance of keeping up with the projects, be it AI up- and reskilling or micro-credentials and soft skills, to discover and learn from the experiences of others when it comes to up- and reskilling.
However, despite these crucial projects and impressive numbers featured in the report, it is important to exercise caution due to notable limitations. The report is primarily based on self-reported data from pact members. The actual impact on the skills gaps remains opaque as it does not specify which individuals received upskilling or reskilling, nor does it quantify or specify the extent of their benefit. One might ask whether the promotion of lifelong learning is equitably and inclusively distributed among disadvantaged groups, and whether it aligns with the EU’s broader objective of fostering a more inclusive society. Nevertheless, by learning from ongoing initiatives and addressing the challenges within the Pact for Skills, Switzerland could make progress in bridging its skills gaps and fostering a more resilient, adaptable workforce for the future.