Alongside the European Employment and Social Rights Forum this week, the Commission presented the new strategic framework of the Union of Skills.
On the 5th of March, the Executive Vice-President (EVP) for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness of the European Commission (EC) Roxana Mînzatu unveiled one of the most awaited documents of the year for the education sector: the Union of Skills. In light of the release of the Competitiveness Compass, the strategic framework of the Union of Skills presents pathways for investment in Europe’s human capital, especially skills and competencies, to strengthen the EU’s productivity, growth, competitiveness and innovation potential, as well as to promote preparedness and security in light of the current geopolitical context. By fostering a highly skilled workforce, Europe can more effectively respond to new and emerging risks, adapt to fast-changing conditions, and ensure resilience and stability in times of uncertainty.
The Union of Skills aims to tackle Europe’s significant skills shortages and gaps, fragmented governance for skills policies, and lagging pace of transformation in strategic sectors such as digital and circular technologies, and in STEM fields in general. The goal is to strengthen the basic skill foundation, but also to encourage lifelong upskilling and reskilling for all education levels and categories. The strategy further aims to foster cooperation between all stakeholders involved in the education and training process and make qualifications more recognised and harmonised across the Union, enabling workers to move more easily. As mentioned in the Letta report, the fifth freedom is seen as a central instrument for strengthening and improving the Single Market.
The Union of Skills is built on four different pillars. The first pillar focuses on addressing the EU’s underperformance in basic skills by implementing various activities and action plans. These range from improving basic skills and promoting STEM education to providing support for teachers and enhancing Vocational Education and Training (VET). The Action Plan on Basic Skills was the first specific initiative under the umbrella of the strategy to be launched on 05 March 2025. The plan aims to enhance a set of five basic skills: literacy, mathematics, science, digital and citizenship, which proved to perform poorly in EU Member States in the last OECD PISA (2022) test results. Citizenship skills, encompassing an understanding of democratic processes, independent thinking, respect for diversity, and awareness of sustainability, are included alongside the other four basic skills due to their crucial role in fostering active participation in society. Concretely, the Commission will pilot a Basic Skills Support Scheme in 2026, alongside the establishment of European School Alliances (modelled after the Universities Alliances). Additionally, the Commission will provide guidelines to support teachers and trainers in delivering basic skills education and ask Member States to set national targets for underachievement. In parallel, the Commission will propose guidelines and best practices for developing new curricula, creating personalised learning pathways and promoting digital skills.
The second pillar of the strategy deals with upskilling and reskilling the existing workforce to ensure that the right competencies are delivered to the EU labour market. The deliverables will attempt to guarantee that the existing workers affected by the transformations are equipped to tackle the green and digital transitions and navigate within the labour market of the years to come. The third pillar aims to ameliorate the internal circulation, harmonisation and recognition of skills within the Single Market, building on the example of the Bologna Process for higher education. The Commission plans to deliver an ambitious Skills Portability Initiative to enhance comparability of skills acquired in the different Member States. The Commission also aims to pilot a European VET diploma, expected at the beginning of 2026, building on the example of the European Degree (see SwissCore article). The last pillar is proposed to position the EU as a magnet for talents from third countries by enhancing its attractiveness. The EU Talent Pool platform (recently supported by employers unions), with the goal of matching job seekers from third countries and EU employers, will be launched along with a new Visa Strategy which should lower barriers to migration of top students, researchers, and workers from third countries.
Three horizontal enablers are also put forward by the Commission. First, the need for up-to-date and precise data on skills has become a priority. In response, the Commission will establish a European Skills Intelligence Observatory, which will be tasked with providing timely reports on skills data. This will allow for early warning alerts to Member States in the event of critical skill shortages in key sectors. This initiative will support the decision-making processes of a newly established European Skills High-Level Board, responsible for coordinating initiatives across stakeholders. In parallel, the Commission will issue a recommendation to all 27 Member States on education and skills structural issues as part of the European Semester cycle.
The Union of Skills will frame the Commission’s work for the whole duration of the mandate. It marks a significant shift in EU education policy, aligning initiatives more closely with the needs of industry, with a strong focus on competitiveness and preparedness for the evolving trends and demands of the job market. The Union of Skills aims to foster a more adaptable, future-ready European workforce. However, some organisations (see ESU, the Guild, YERUN) have highlighted the importance of not overlooking the crucial role of universities and higher education in developing key skills for the workforce. The Commission calls upon all actors, including Member States, private sector, universities and schools, and social partners, to contribute to the efforts and to deliver the proposed activities.