Working Together to Strengthen Human Capital, Employability and Competitiveness
The New Skills Agenda is a major initiative as part of the European Commission Work Programme 2016. It supports a shared commitment and works towards a common vision about the strategic importance of skills for sustaining jobs, growth and competitiveness. This Skills Agenda strengthens and, in some cases, streamlines existing initiatives to better assist Member States in their national reforms as well as to trigger a change of mindset in both individuals and organisations. It seeks a shared commitment to reform in a number of areas where Union action brings most added value. It is centred around three key work strands:
Key Statistics at European Level
Funding
Higher Education
By 2025 almost half of all job openings in the EU will require higher qualifications usually awarded through academic and professional programmes at tertiary level
Basic Skills
More than 65 million people in the EU have not achieved a qualification corresponding to upper secondary level. This rate varies significantly across EU countries reaching 50% or more in some areas
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Digital Skills
Migrants
Work Based Learning
The European Alliance for Apprenticeships has so far mobilised 250,000 in company training and job opportunities for young people
In the European Pact for Youth 1 million young people will be trained in digital skills and a ‘smart classroom’ programme will reach 100,000 students
1 in 10 adults currently participate in organised learning, most often those with higher skills levels and employees of large companies