Brussels, 25/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The skills mismatch, namely the disparity between vacant posts and skills available, is a major challenge seriously taken into account by the European Commission, which has developed an initiative to meet it - “New Skills for New Jobs”. A new publication from Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) examines the question and sets out the various options open to political decision-makers to address the problem.
Skills mismatch is a complex phenomenon that comes in various forms and which contributes to more unemployment. It can also hinder productivity and competitiveness in an economy, especially in these times of crisis when structural changes mean that the content of jobs and the skills required for those jobs change fast. This phenomenon occurs not only in the case of skill shortages or gaps, but also in situations where the qualifications, knowledge and skills of individuals exceed the requirements of their jobs. In Europe, it is estimated that “over qualification” is currently 30%, when, at the same time, a considerable part of the active population is under-educated. In times of economic crisis, it is more frequent to see highly qualified people in jobs that require a lower skills level, rather than people with little or no qualifications holding down jobs requiring greater competence. There is another phenomenon that comes hand in hand with the problem of skills mismatch - as the European population grows older, “skills obsolescence” is likely to become more significant. This can be seen mainly in high-tech sectors, and concerns the most educated workers. There is an urgent need to train personnel continually to meet the gathering pace of demand in specific qualifications and, despite everything, few companies still offer training to their employees. The most frequently stated reason for not organising vocational training is that companies see training as pointless - a pretext often used before citing time and cost in most member states. Such companies or businesses do not evaluate the need to train their personnel in a concrete and objective manner. Thus, even in businesses that do offer training, only 26% of them correctly assess their future skill needs.
Combating the skills mismatch through better information on the labour market and the setting up of effective placement services should be a priority for political decision-makers, Cedefop states. Determining future trends in the need for skills earlier and more exactly via forecasts at European and national level - something that is lacking today - could help to strike a balance between generic training intended to prepare future workers to hold down different jobs, and specific training aimed at giving them employment in specialised sectors, where there is a demand. (I.L./transl.jl)