WORK & EDUCATION Matching Skills to Labour Skills Market Amaka ngo

SKILLS MISMATCHES To confront rising unemployment matching of skills must be improved growing concern in most Member States workers and businesses are not provided with the right level of skills in the right areas -> damages competitiveness in particular of smaller enterprises The composition of skills emerging from EU universities and training systems does not fully support a truly innovation-driven economy.

The educational and professional choices of young men and women continue to be influenced by traditional gender paths. Reducing gender imbalances in sectors and occupations could partly address future skills shortages, for example in technical and managerial occupations. The removal of obstacles, including administrative barriers, to the free movement of workers in the EU, as well as more transparent information on labour market trends and skills requirements, would contribute to the promotion of occupational, sector and geographical mobility and allow a better match between peoples' skills and job opportunities. Mobility periods during education and training help make people more open to mobility later in their working lives. More effective and efficient job search requires enhanced.

Skills transform lives and drive economies Skills have become the global currency of 21st-century economies But this “currency” can depreciate as the requirements of labour markets evolve and individuals lose the skills they do not use. To retain their value, they must be continuously developed throughout life Large proportions of young people do not reach even the lowest level of foundation skills by the end of compulsory education Significant numbers of adults do not possess the most basic skills considered necessary to succeed in today’s societies and economies

Many of the young people cannot access the education and training that could enhance their productivity and chances of finding decent work. Particularly vulnerable are illiterate young people, school dropouts, (former) child labourers, youth in rural areas or in the informal economy and young women.

Forms of Skills Mismatch

THE OECD SKILLS STRATEGY FRAMEWORK

How can a country improve the quality and quantity of its skills How can a country improve the quality and quantity of its skills? …by encouraging people to learn GATHER AND USE EVIDENCE ABOUT THE CHANGING DEMAND FOR SKILLS Investing in skills development throughout a person’s lifetime is at the heart of skills policies. INVOLVE SOCIAL PARTNERS IN DESIGNING AND DELIVERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES Skills development is more effective if the world of learning and the world of work are linked REMOVE BARRIERS TO INVESTING IN FURTHER LEARNING Preparing young people for their entry into the labour market

ENSURE THAT EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES ARE OF HIGH QUALITY Spending time in education is one thing; learning is another. PROMOTE EQUITY BY ENSURING ACCESS TO, AND SUCCESS IN, QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL Individuals who have low levels of skills because they do not have access to good quality education, are much more likely to have poor labour market and social outcomes. ENSURE THAT THE COSTS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE SHARED Employers have to create a climate that supports learning, and invest in learning; and individuals must be willing to develop their skills throughout their working life. MAINTAIN A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE, EVEN DURING ECONOMIC CRISES In periods of depressed economic conditions and when public budgets are tight, governments tend to cut investments in human capital first. But cutting investment in skills at such times may be short-sighted, as a skilled workforce will play a crucial role in generatingfuture jobs and growth.

Skills Strategy policy approaches to help dismantle barriers to participation in continued education and training Greater transparency Information and guidance for potential learners Recognising learning outcomes Flexible delivery of relevant programmes

A global movement towards better skills, better jobs, better lives Denmark: The country established regional knowledge centres to assess the skills and qualifications of immigrants. The centres, run jointly by the Ministry of Employment and its social partners, conduct assessments in the workplace and help migrants to find employment that matches their skills. Nordic countries: Finland, Norway and Sweden have traditionally promoted change and innovation in workplace organisation with the aim of making the workplace a place for learning. Poland: To encourage return migration, financial support is provided to municipalities that invite returnees and provide them with housing. Slovak Republic: Regional schools have adopted measures to design new curricula to align vocational education and training more closely with regional labour-market requirements.