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Education, training and skills

Labour market needs should be put at the centre of vocational education and training through developing stronger partnerships between education providers and employers. This is important for meeting employers’ skills needs; fostering an entrepreneurial mindset; expanding a culture of life-long learning; and facilitating the transition from education to work.

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In particular, BusinessEurope advocates the principles of work-based learning and the strengthening of dual-learning elements in member states’ existing systems. Young people’s transition from education to employment can be facilitated by expanding access to dual-learning systems, such as in the form of apprenticeships.

To ensure the quality of education and training and its relevance to the long-term needs of individuals and companies, resource efficient investment is needed. This should be done on a cost-sharing basis between those who benefit from education – the state, companies, young people and workers.

Publications

Press releases Date
Skills and Talent Mobility package: It is high time that the EU acknowledges the role of economic migration in helping to address Europe’s labour and skills needs 15/11/2023
New survey of European companies highlights critical labour and skills shortages 30/10/2023
EU youth employment and up-skilling is essential to transform Europe 01/07/2020
Better education and skills for a more competitive Europe 17/01/2018
EU employers: For better apprenticeships, better policy needed 05/10/2017
Position papers Date
Council Recommendations on “Improving the provision of digital skills in education and training” and “Key enabling factors for successful digital education and training" - a BusinessEurope position paper 14/11/2023
Second-stage consultation of social partners on a possible action further improving the quality of traineeships - BusinessEurope response 07/11/2023
First-stage consultation of social partners on a possible action further improving the quality of traineeships - BusinessEurope response 06/09/2023
An EU Talent Pool - BusinessEurope input to the European Commission's consultation 29/06/2023
Towards an EU action plan to address labour and skills shortages - a BusinessEurope statement 27/06/2023
Joint European employers’ statement on traineeships 18/04/2023
Understanding shortage occupations and the potential of third country migration in helping to address employers’ needs - a BusinessEurope analytical note 25/10/2022
The EU Skills and Talent Package - a BusinessEurope position paper 21/09/2022
Access to training for people that are inactive and unemployed - BusinessEurope recommendations 16/09/2022
Access to training for people in diverse forms of work - BusinessEurope statement 16/09/2022
Individual learning accounts - a BusinessEurope position paper 28/02/2022
BusinessEurope recommendations for an EU Talent Pool 10/11/2021
Employers’ input to an ACVT opinion on a future EU initiative aiming to improve/boost training provision across Europe 12/05/2021
Priorities for reforms to vocational education and training systems - a BusinessEurope orientation paper 27/11/2020
EU Skills and Youth package - a BusinessEurope position paper 22/09/2020
Reducing labour shortages by improving skills matching - Employers statement 12/09/2019
Future of EU vocational education and training (VET) policy 15/11/2018
The role and importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills - a BusinessEurope position paper 06/09/2018
A European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships - a BusinessEurope position paper 02/03/2018
Reports and studies Date
Analysis of labour and skills shortages: Overcoming bottlenecks to productivity and growth 30/10/2023
Skills, innovation and the provision of, and access to training - Final report on the European social partners' integrated project 30/11/2021
Greening the economy: employment and skills aspects - a BusinessEurope policy orientation note 15/10/2021
Future European Social Fund - Better supporting capacity building of social partner organisations 29/06/2018
Promoting social partnership in employee training - Final report 19/06/2018
Public letters Date
Labour and skills shortages - Letter to Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission 07/07/2023

Contact

Robert Plummer

Senior Adviser
Tel:
+32 2 237 65 75
Last updated: 5 October 2020