Union of Skills: Improve training, recognition of qualifications & fair transitions

In a new position on an EU social partner consultation on a Union of Skills, CESI has called on the EU to issue concrete measures to improve professional training, recognition of qualifications and fair transitions for workers in the EU.

In the consultation contribution, CESI welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to develop an EU Union of Skills framework and demands specific measures to improve professional training, recognition of qualifications across Member States and socially fair transitions for workers in the EU.

On a Union of Skills, CESI emphasises in particular:

• on skills mismatches and lifelong learning, that many young people face difficulties in entering the job market and many older employees experience difficulties with adapting to rapidly changing job requirements due to automation, digitalisation, and green transitions. Many workers lack access to continuous training opportunities on the job. Employers struggle to find workers with the right skills, leading to labour shortages in key sectors, including the public sector employees. In CESI’s view, it is imperative that sufficient investments are executed in the area of education, skills and (further) training to ensure that the educational and training systems are well staffed, equipped and inclusive for all – children/pupils/students and adult lifelong learners alike. To this end, funding is centrally important, and skills development policies must be more worker-centred, with guaranteed access to lifelong learning, adapted VET schemes and publicly funded further training-on-the-job as part of yearly human resources strategies.
• on recognition of qualifications, that employees often still face barriers in having their skills and qualifications recognised across EU Member States, limiting their career progression and mobility – while many employers struggle with complex administrative procedures when hiring skilled workers from other regions. Within the EU, the recognition of professional qualifications plays a crucial role in facilitating labour mobility, and it must be further enhanced. The existing Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications aims to ensure that individuals holding qualifications from a Member State can have them recognised in another. However, the directive is in many respects outdated and incomplete and should be revisited and updated in light of the current changes on European labour markets. By further streamlining procedures for the recognition of qualifications obtained in different EU countries, barriers to labour mobility could be reduced, and professionals could more easily seek employment opportunities in other Member States.The EU already fosters cooperation among national authorities and professional organisations to maintain high standards of education and training, ensuring that recognised qualifications meet common quality criteria. In this context, the Union of Skills should further contribute to creating a more harmonised EU framework for skills certification, ensuring that qualifications are easily transferable.
• on inclusive and just green and digital transitions, that many employees in traditional industries fear job losses due to automation and climate policies while many employers need support in transitioning their workforce towards new skills, to avoid facing massive layoffs. Therefore, targeted Just Transition measures need to be implemented with strong social dialogue, based on retraining programmes and financial support for workers adversely affected by industrial changes.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “We urge the European Commission to lay out a vision that goes beyond declarative commitments and that paves the way for concrete legislative, financial, and policy measures to establish a useful Union of Skills. CESI stands ready to collaborate with EU institutions, Member States and further social partners to achieve this objective. Strengthening worker representation in decision-making processes can ensure that unions and their affiliates are involved in shaping reskilling policies, and that their right to organise is protected.”

The full contribution is available here.