European Classification of Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations

To mark the launch of the new major version of ESCO, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, in collaboration with the European Training Foundation, is organising a promotion event: "ESCO 1.2: A Global Language for Skills" scheduled for 21 and 22 May 2024. The event will be held via Zoom, also showcasing several testimonials of how ESCO is used within and outside the EU. Do not miss to learn more about the new ESCO version!

The major version of ESCO v1.2 will be released in May 2024. This version includes a content update with occupations, skills and knowledge concepts that are not part of the current ESCO as well as a number of quality changes to existing concepts. Therefore, this major version includes both quality and quantity review of the classification, following the changes on the European labour market and educational policies.

As part of continuous efforts to collect feedback, promote collaboration and drive progress, ESCO Secretariat is pleased to announce a new survey targeted at organisations involved in credential issuing. The survey seeks to gather valuable insights and perspectives on the implementation of ESCO from various organisations, including Learning Experience Platform Providers, Online course providers, Training and Education institutions and more. Submit the Survey by 17th of May and provide your feedback on ESCO!

The European Commission launched in February ESCO v1.1.2, a minor update aimed at improving the ESCO Ukrainian translation. This version does not introduce new skills or occupation concepts, but focuses on updating the Ukrainian translation.

The European Commission has published the results of the evaluation of Europass and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The results of the evaluation were supported by stakeholder consultations which included, among others, public consultations, users and stakeholder surveys, qualitative observations as well as stakeholder interviews.

In March 2024, a meeting of the ESCO MSWG was held, primarily aimed at updating participants on the latest ESCO developments. The ESCO Secretariat informed the Member States on the developments regarding the next major version, presented the launch event of ESCO v1.2, provided an update on implementation of ESCO in EURES, discussed the state of play of the work on skills clustering and presented the revised framework for measuring the market uptake of ESCO.

MyEduLife is a research and development project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the period spanning from 2021 to 2024. The primary aim of MyEduLife is to enhance the landscape of further education and training by issuing Verifiable Credentials that clearly state learning outcomes in a standardized language through the use of ESCO. The integration of ESCO in MyEduLife and all related services started in 2022. Each Verifiable Credential issued in MyEduLife contains information about the learning content and learning outcomes using ESCO.

Certif-ID is a German based startup founded in 2021 which strives to enable cross border skill-based migration. With its platform for skilled workers and blue-collar talents, we enable candidates to create digital, skill-based profiles and become visible for employers internationally. Certif-ID integrated ESCO as the principal taxonomy of the platform. They map an individual's education and employment history to ESCO to create a rich skill map for each candidate. This forms the basis for their matching and ML engine that support candidates and potential employers to understand the skills and competencies of individuals and map further learning and development pathways.

The PES Network just released its annual "Trends in PES: Assessment Report on PES Capacity", offering an overview of the latest developments in PES. Drawing from extensive data collected from PES Network members, the report provides insights into the landscape of employment services across 31 PES.

Discover the results of the Year of Skills and how it has enhanced skills across the EU. Explore key achievements, events and initiatives in our journey towards greater skills development.