European Classification of Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations

In July 2020, the Commission released two minor versions of ESCO (v1.0.6 and v1.0.7). The most important changes included in these new versions are the translation of the descriptions of all ESCO concepts in 27 languages and the migration of qualifications data from ESCO to Europass.

ESCO version 1.0.5 includes the important improvement of a skills hierarchy. The total of the 13.485 ESCO skills are placed in skill groups distributed across a three-level structure. Skill groups of the hierarchy are available in the 27 ESCO languages. Users will be able to download the hierarchy in various formats, use the API for downloading the hierarchy and browse the hierarchy on the skills section of the portal.

Recently, the European Commission started the second phase of the pilot project to test how Machine Learning technologies could support the automated linking of learning outcomes of qualifications with ESCO skills. This has been tested in different EU languages to showcase the potential of ESCO in bridging the labour market and the world of education and training. The results of the first phase of the pilot are available on the portal.

ESCO plays an important role in implementing the new Europass framework. Thanks to its rich dataset, it helps Europass users to identify and describe their work experience, skills and interests. When creating a Europass e-profile, citizens will be able to select occupations and skills from ESCO to describe their career path.

The COVID-19 Skills watcher offers a unique overview of skills that occur most frequently across occupations in every sector, where sectors are grouped by the level of impact of Covid-19 on their economic output. This tool was developed linking the ESCO classification to ILO real-time data. To play with the tool and learn more about its application, click the link below.

Skilllab, an ESCO implementer, participated in the European hackathon to create solutions related to the Covid-19 crisis. Based on the ESCO data model, Skilllab generated a pathway-graph on occupations to create direct matches between the occupations at risk and those in demand. This tool aims to help European citizens and Employment Services in the shift between industries and sectors, providing solutions to fill skill gaps.

To celebrate the World Youth Skills day, ESCO demonstrates its contribution towards the achievement of a sustainable integration of the younger generations in the labour market. Click on the link below to discover more about how ESCO supports education and training institutions, companies and young jobseekers.

In April 2020, the ESCO Maintenance Committee (MAI) met virtually to discuss and share feedback on the ESCO Skills hierarchy. Following a period of testing, MAI members expressed their expectations, shared their testing methods, and suggested improvements and recommendations for ESCO’s next steps.

On 28 May 2020, ESCO participated in the “Bridging the digital gaps across Europe together” webinar organised by the Interoperability Academy of the Commission’s Directorate General for Informatics (DIGIT). Participants at the webinar had the opportunity to learn about ESCO, its functionality and some use-cases.