Two programmatic documents place lifelong learning and skills development at the heart of the next European Commission’s priorities
The European Commission published two major documents, outlining the sought-after priorities of the Candidate for the European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen: the Political guidelines for the next European Commission (dubbed “Europe’s choice”) and the report by Mario Draghi, former Italian PM and former ECB President, on EU competitiveness: Looking ahead, requested by Von der Leyen. Both documents, despite an intrinsic different nature and scope, stress the need to boost skills development and lifelong learning opportunities in Europe and call for a “Union of Skills” to boost Europe’s competitiveness.
Skills for competitiveness
Draghi’s report stems from the need to boost Europe’s competitiveness, to keep up the pace with the US and China. Nonetheless, education and skills development play an important role. In fact, “competitiveness today is less about relative labour costs and more about knowledge and skills embodied in the labour force”. From this standpoint, it is no surprise that a large part of the report suggests actions to close the skills gap, which is made apparent in many productive sectors throughout the report. As a matter of fact, skills shortages are acting as a barrier to innovation and technology adoption and could potentially hinder the green transition and decarbonisation as well. The report rightfully links the undersupply of skills to underfunding in education and training systems, although it maintains a market-driven approach by suggesting that education and training systems adapt specifically according to skills intelligence. However, in the in-depth analysis, the report recommends the funding of the Erasmus+ programme to increase five-fold for the 2028-2034 programming period - an increase much larger than what the EU institutions have been talking about so far. On top of that, it is important to note that Draghi also proposes a stronger focus on adult and lifelong learning opportunities for all. We particularly welcome his call for an increase of the Erasmus+ programme size by 5 times at least.
A Union of Skills?
All of this was anticipated by the political guidelines for the next European Commission, where Ursula von der Leyen does not shy away from determination. Stemming from the need to “change in ambition and action – for all skill levels and for all types of training and education”, her priorities include a decisive follow-up to the European Year of Skills, i.e. the creation of a Union of Skills. This is more than a symbol. In her guidelines there is a call “to unite Europe through education”. Central to this will be embedding lifelong learning into education and careers and supporting the training and the career prospects of teachers. As part of this new skills strategy, the next Commission will seek to revolutionise skills funding through the EU budget - a welcomed initiative with the next Multiannual Financial Framework in sight for the cycle 2028-2034. Crucially, it will also propose a new European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training, with the goal to increase the number of people with a VET degree.
As usual, programmatic documents state intentions, while reality and political compromises might affect them in the longer run. These documents, however debatable, will be steering the work of in the next legislative period of all EU Institutions. Concrete outcomes and most of all their implementation in Member States will be the true compass to assess the direction that the European Union is taking vis-à-vis skills development and lifelong learning opportunities: a true boost in investment guided by people’s needs, or a darning patch to hustle behind international competitors?
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