In a debate on the launch of the European Year of Skills on Tuesday 9 May in Strasbourg, MEPs stressed the need to include all social groups in vocational training programmes, including the most vulnerable, and also to promote quality, well-paid jobs with the new skills required for the green and digital transitions.
MEPs discussed the objectives of the Year with the Swedish Minister for European Affairs, Jessika Roswall, and the EU Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment, Nicolas Schmit.
Jessika Roswall pointed out that with a completely different labour market with artificial intelligence, the skills needed will change dramatically. The European Year should therefore help launch “the process of acquiring new skills and retraining” and should focus “on the most vulnerable groups, such as women and young people”, she added.
For his part, the European Commissioner said he hopes that the Year will be a long-term process with a sustainable culture of skills acquisition and the development of “learning societies” that can offer workers a chance to retrain and improve their jobs, working conditions “and their lives” in general at any time.
However, the Commissioner noted that the EU still has work to do to reach the target of 60% of adults in training every year by 2030. The EU average is currently “40%”, with large differences between Member States.
In the Hemicycle, several MEPs insisted on offering paid training to workers “during their working hours”. Others stressed the need for better funding of education systems and vocational training courses, with some also calling for attention to be paid to Roma children. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)