"European Classification of Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) newsletter" Newsletter Issues

Register for the ESCO V1.2 Launch Event (21/05/2024)

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!

Upcoming version ESCO v1.2 (07/05/2024)

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.

Survey on ESCO Implementation in Credentialing Services (07/05/2024)

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!

ESCO v1.1.2 is live! (07/05/2024)

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.

Results of the evaluations of Europass and of the European Qualifications Framework (07/05/2024)

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.

ESCO Member States Working Group - March 2024 (18/03/2024)

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.

ESCO Testimonial: MyEduLife (07/05/2024)

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.

ESCO Testimonial: Certif-ID (07/05/2024)

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.

PES Network Capacity Report (07/05/2024)

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.

Results of the European Year of Skills (07/05/2024)

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.

Upcoming ESCO v1.1.2 Minor Version Release! (31/01/2024)

The minor version of ESCO v1.1.2 will be released in February 2024, primarily focusing on updating the ESCO translation into Ukrainian. The focus is on high-quality updates, enhancing data related to the Ukrainian language. No other components of the ESCO database will be impacted, and no new occupations or skills will be included. To stay updated, follow the portal's News page for notifications when the minor version is released!

ESCO Major Version v1.2 (02/02/2024)

This is a kind reminder that the major version ESCO v1.2 will be published in May 2024! As one of the contributions to the European Year of Skills, this update integrates new data, introducing new occupations and skills concepts aligned with current labour market trends and education and training sector. Following the conclusion of the consultation period in October 2023, ESCO experts are actively advancing the next steps for this major version release. Follow ESCO portal for forthcoming details regarding the release of this major version!

Explore Career Trends with Europass' Job & Skill Trends Tool (01/02/2024)

Explore career opportunities across the EU with Europass' Job and Skills Trends tool. Powered by ESCO data and the Skills OVATE project (CEDEFOP), it provides insights into online demand for occupations and relevant skill sets. Discover the ten most in-demand occupational groups in EU countries and identify the countries with the highest demand for specific skill sets. This collaboration between ESCO and Europass enriches the tools, helping jobseekers understand market trends and effectively document skills.

ESCO Member States Working Group - November 2023 (01/02/2024)

In November 2023, a meeting of the ESCO MSWG was held, primarily aimed at updating participants on the latest ESCO developments. The ESCO Secretariat shared key outcomes from the consultation period on the new ESCO Major Version v1.2. Additionally, for the first time, ESCO introduced the MSWG to exploratory work on ontology relations within ESCO and highlighted the latest data science activities and developments. The meeting concluded with insightful best practice presentations from Denmark and Luxembourg, showcasing the use of ESCO and AI.

ESCO and EURES Training Workshops for Member States (01/02/2024)

In collaboration with the European Labour Authority (ELA), the Commission hosted the fourth online training session, 'Enhancing Job Mobility Through a Common Language,' on November 30 and December 1, 2023. This session, focusing on both mapping and adoption, provided valuable insights into ESCO's role in job mobility. The training recordings are now accessible to explore and enhance your understanding of ESCO.

ESCO at CreativeFlip Conference (15/11/2023)

The ESCO team participated in the CreativeFLIP conference in Brussels, and contributed to a panel discussion on the categorisation of cultural and creative industries (CCIS) occupations. The conference discussed challenges of categorizing the dynamic cultural sector and the importance of keeping classification systems updated to reflect industry changes. The dialogue centered on how ESCO identifies change requirements, with the ESCO team highlighting the significance of input from stakeholders and implementers in specific sectors to identify emerging changes or updates.

ESCO at EURES Italy for Employers' Day 2023 (24/11/2023)

EURES Italy for Employers' Day 2023 aimed to address professional needs of Italian companies in various sectors, aligning with the European Year of Skills. The ESCO team introduced its governance structure, design, maintenance process, use cases, and implementers, emphasizing its role within EURES and the introduction of Green and Digital skills labeling. The discussion highlighted how ESCO follows with the emerging labour market trends, emphasizing the introduction of Green and Digital skills labeling to improve the classification system's ability to address evolving skill needs in environmental sustainability and digital transformation.

ESCO at LLLWeek 2023 Workshop: Validation of competences acquired in the civil society sector (28/11/2023)

In the context of the LLLWeek the SOLIDAR Foundation & Diesis Network organised a workshop on validation of competences acquired in the civil society sector. The discussion focused on the importance of a shared framework, ESCO's contribution to skills validation and recognition, and the significance of transversal skills for personal development. The event showcased ESCO's integral presence in diverse sectors and its active involvement in civil society discussions.

ESCO and International Council of Museums, Italy (06/12/2023)

The International Council of Museums Italy webinar focused on the role of museum educators, and the ESCO team contributed by providing an introduction to the classification, its stakeholders, use cases, and the continuous improvement process. Emphasizing the significance of feedback received from professionals specialized in specific sectors, the following discussion once again highlighted ESCO's ability to connect those diverse sectors. The event generated interest among participants, fostering a desire to learn more about ESCO and its possible advantages for the museum sector.

ESCO and Andalusian Council of Chambers of Commerce (15/12/2023)

The ESCO team participated in a workshop on opportunities in the European market for talent acquisition organised by the Andalusian Council of Chambers of Commerce. ESCO delivered a comprehensive overview of the classification, emphasizing its practical application, particularly in the context of EURES for job matching. The focused on the crucial role of skills among young individuals in establishing international careers and improving competitiveness. In this context, ESCO's significance was emphasized, pointing out that its data is freely accessible and available in 28 languages, facilitating smoother matching and career analysis services.

The Green vocation of professions: A Green Rating index based on the ESCO classification (06/02/2024)

The article discusses the development of sustainable manufacturing models and the importance of ESCO in monitoring and mapping the evolution of green jobs. It proposes a methodological approach for a rating index to quantify the green vocation of each profession, focusing on the recurrence of knowledge, skills, and associated skills using ESCO Green Skills Labelling. The 299 navigable professions are ranked according to the Green Ranking value calculated by Anpal Servizi's Direzione Studi & Ricerche. The article and dashboard create a list of 299 occupations into four groups.

Identifying the skills requirements related to industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency for the European process industry (02/02/2024)

This research article addresses the imperative shift towards sustainable production and energy efficiency in the European process industry, driven by the European Commission's emphasis on industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency to achieve circular economy goals and CO2 neutrality. The article highlights the significance of aligning identified skills with ESCO to establish a common ground with existing frameworks and studies. By incorporating ESCO, the research aims to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of skill requirements, providing a foundation for well-developed training programs to address critical skill gaps in the European process industry.

The AI4Citizen pilot: Pipelining AI-based technologies to support school-work alternation programmes (02/02/2024)

This article details the development of the AI4Citizen pilot, a software suite designed to enhance the School-Work Alternation (SWA) program, which aims to strengthen the partnership between educational institutions and the job market. ESCO acts as the basis for matching students' skills with internship requirements in this pilot. The article emphasizes the importance of overcoming the language barrier in describing skills and competences by leveraging ESCO.

ESCO v1.2: Consultation on the pre-release! (14/09/2023)

In May 2024, ESCO will release its major version v1.2, an event aligned with the European Year of Skills. This update comes after extensive consultations with ESCO stakeholders and EU Member States and following the most recent ESCO Member States Working Group held on the opening day of the consultation during which all MSWG representatives were briefed on the next steps and necessary actions. ESCO v1.2 includes new occupations, skills, and knowledge concepts, alongside modifications to existing ones. The European Commission calls for feedback and comments on these proposed changes by October 20, 2023. Have your say!

ESCO Member States Working Group - Focus meeting June 2023 (06/06/2023)

In June 2023, ESCO MSWG - Focus meeting took place, with a primary focus on skills contextualisation. During this session, the ESCO Secretariat engaged in discussions about assessing existing and potential approaches using artificial intelligence. Moreover, the meeting featured two best practices presentations. These discussions and presentations further enriched ESCO's efforts in enhancing skills understanding and integration, reflecting its commitment to advancing skill development and recognition.

ESCO Portal Enhancements for an Improved User Experience (21/09/2023)

We are thrilled to introduce updates to the ESCO Portal, aimed at enhancing your user experience. In the download section, you can now download multiple packages, simplifying access to ESCO data and allowing users to download multiple language packs at the same time. In addition, we have added practical filters to the Publications and News sections, making it easier to find the information or documents you need. These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to provide a user-friendly and efficient ESCO portal experience. Explore these new features and stay tuned for more updates.

Share your experience of using ESCO: Join Our ESCO Testimonial Campaign! (21/09/2023)

Be part of our ESCO Testimonial campaign and share your success story! Whether you represent a private or a public organisation, if you've integrated ESCO into your services, we want to hear from you! Our campaign covers a wide spectrum of topics, from green initiatives to digital skills, matching, data analysis and other, showcasing the versatility of ESCO in different contexts. By participating, you not only present your organisation but also help others by sharing practical insights and recommendations. If you're using ESCO in your services, we encourage you to get in touch with us, and together, we can create a testimonial that showcases and explains how ESCO has benefited you, addresses any obstacles you've encountered, and provides recommendations for other stakeholders.

European Employment & Social Rights Forum 2023: How is Artificial Intelligence shaping work? (14/09/2023)

Get ready for the European Employment & Social Rights Forum 2023, happening on November 16 and 17, 2023, both online and in Brussels (the Egg). This event will bring together EU institution representatives, national policymakers, business leaders, social partners, academia, and civil society to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the world of work.

ESCO at EU Green Week: Developing Skills for a Sustainable and Resilient Education and Industry (05/06/2023)

ESCO was involved in the "Developing Skills for a Sustainable and Resilient Education and Industry" online event, which took place as part of EU Green Week 2023 - Partner Events. Organized in collaboration with ERASMUS project partners, and hosted by EWF. The event's central theme revolved around the promotion of green skills within the context of facilitating the manufacturing industry's transition towards sustainability. ESCO, in particular, took center stage during the event by presenting Green Skills labelling, contributing to the broader conversation on sustainable education and industry practices.

ESCO presented in the Empower webinar week: QA and AI for the future of Microcredentials (06/07/2023)

ESCO participated in the Empower webinar week, an event hosted by the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU). The engaging webinar, titled "QA and AI for the Future of Microcredentials," provided ESCO with a valuable platform to showcase its innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the project and its tools. ESCO highlighted its analytical approach, leveraging statistical analysis, data science, and machine learning to enhance classification maintenance, expand ESCO and make it more accessible to a wide range of users.

ESCO presented in the D-Reskill@U Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (13/09/2023)

In the context of the D-Reskill@U Erasmus + Project, and their learning, teaching and training event, ESCO took part in European Year of Skills Masterclass. The aim was to understand the role of ESCO, semantic standards for learning, and a standardised expression of verifiable knowledge and skills in developing innovative products and services. ESCO therefore presented its latest work on exploring artificial intelligence innovations.

Jobs for the Green Transition: Definitions, classifications and emerging trends (21/09/2023)

This report discusses the growing interest in green jobs and their importance in the context of the EU's green transition. It emphasizes the need to reskill and upskill workers for a socially just transition. The concept of green jobs is not new, but various definitions and classifications have been proposed over the years, leading to analytical differences that hinder comparability. This report therefore gives an overview of ESCO Green skills labeling.

PES Network Opinion paper: A contribution to the European Year of Skills (15/09/2023)

The European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) has released an opinion paper in support of the European Year of Skills 2023. This paper, adopted in June 2023, highlights successful approaches, challenges, and recommendations related to the Year of Skills' objectives. PES Network stresses the need for closer alignment between education and employment sectors, better data exchanges, and agile skills profiling. They emphasize the role of the European Classification of Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations (ESCO) as a reference framework for refining and validating classification systems in support of green and digital transitions.

The demand for language skills in the European labour market (23/07/2023)

This paper explores the demand for language skills in European job vacancies in 2021. English proficiency offers distinct advantages in certain occupations, with 22% of vacancies explicitly requiring English across EU countries and the UK. The analysis draws from job vacancy data, focusing on skills demanded, geographical location, and occupation type. ESCO is instrumental in identifying language requirements within the job postings.

Skills in transition: The way to 2035 (15/09/2023)

This report is one of Cedefop’s key contributions to the 2023 European Year of Skills. It broadens understanding of what has changed in EU labour markets in the past decade and uses Cedefop’s 2023 skills forecast, sectoral foresight and big data-powered analysis to track ongoing and future trends. The report blends different types of evidence to foster better understanding of the labour market and skills impacts of the twin transition and current and future labour markets tensions.

Commission welcomes political agreement on the European Year of Skills (07/03/2023)

The Commission welcomes the political agreement by the European Parliament and Member States on the European Year of Skills.

ESCO Testimonial: use case of Emilia-Romagna region & ANPAL Servizi (11/04/2023)

ESCO Testimonials are interviews with ESCO implementers conducted by the Commission to gain a better understanding of ESCO's strengths and challenges. In this case, learn more about how ESCO is used for regional development and how it fosters synergies and interoperability among various stakeholders.

ESCO Implementer, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, organises: Dynamic Ontology Matching Challenge (12/04/2023)

Skills-based approaches need a common and up-to-date skills language to achieve their full potential. Skills ontologies, like ESCO and O*NET, allow for applicability in different contexts, but require mappings between them to relate, reuse and transfer knowledge. This challenge invites participants to implement novel ideas on how to keep mappings between ontologies up-to-date in a dynamic context. The challenge will use a hybrid method with human annotation, using different versions of the ESCO and mapping to O*NET.

Have your say: public consultation on EU Agencies EUROFOUND, CEDEFOP, ETF and EU OSHA (11/04/2023)

The European Commission has launched public consultation to evaluate the performance and impact of four agencies working under the remit of the DG EMPL. The public consultation will assess how agencies have performed in relation to their objectives and mandates and identify areas for improvement. The public consultation is available in all official languages and is open until 25 May 2023.

Be part of the European Year of Skills Festival on Europe Day! (11/04/2023)

Do not miss out the chance to join the 2023 European Year of Skills Festival! Organised by the Pact for Skills, the Festival aims to inspire stakeholders and the public to invest in skills. The main event will take place in Cité des Métiers in Brussels, but the hybrid format will allow participants from across Europe to join. Deadline to post your content is 20 April 2023.

ESCO Member States Working Group held in person! (15/03/2023)

After two years of online meetings, the ESCO Member States Working Group met in person on March 15, 2023 in Brussels. The ESCO team discussed the role of data science in the continuous maintenance of ESCO, the recent developments in EURES mapping, and plans for the next major version ESCO update, which will follow policy developments of the European Year of Skills and thus be published in Q1 of 2024.

ESCO presented at the Final Conference of the INCREASE project (Innovations and Creative Solutions for Cultural Heritage) (22/03/2023)

One of the tasks of the INCREAS project was to describe occupations and related skills in the Cultural Heritage Sector, while analyzing sector needs. The ESCO team attended the final conference to discuss this feedback and presented the most recent developments and upcoming updates that may be beneficial to the Cultural Heritage sector, as well as to encourage collaboration to continue.

ESCO at the PES Network 2023 Stakeholder Conference (30/03/2023)

This year's PES Network conference "Empowering the Workforce, Bridging the Skills Gap" focused on the rapidly changing skills requirements of the European labour market. The ESCO team participated to exchange ideas and views on how to identify and understand the skills needs of the future labour market, develop skills for digital and green transitions, support those impacted by automation and digitalisation, and move towards more frequent re- and upskilling.

Artificial intelligence and labour market matching (06/04/2023)

AI is increasingly being used in labour market matching, but there are still barriers to adoption such as organisation and people readiness, robustness, bias, privacy, transparency and explainability. This paper reviews the literature and recent policy developments in this field and interviews with key stakeholders.

Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2022 (13/04/2023)

The EURES report identifies the most common and severe labour shortages and surpluses in Europe and explores the main causes. The study identified 29 countries with labour shortages and 24 with surpluses, with most shortages in software, health care, construction and engineering. The largest surpluses are in office occupations and in occupations related to the humanities and arts. Along with the report, you can access the dashboard and work with the data yourself.

Measures to tackle labour shortages: Lessons for future policy (06/04/2023)

This report looks at measures implemented at national level to tackle labour shortages in the health, care, and IT sectors, as well as those arising from the twin green and digital transition. It also looks at the impact of the war on energy and commodity prices.

Microcredentials for labour market education and training (07/04/2023)

This study examines the emerging relationship between microcredentials and qualification systems. Information gathered through an online survey among European VET providers, national authorities, employee and employer organisations was complemented by in-depth country case studies and interviews with Cedefop’s ReferNet network.

Intra-EU Labour Mobility 2022 (13/04/2023)

The European Commission published the report on Intra-EU Labour Mobility 2022 that identifies trends in free movement of workers and their family members, based on the latest available data (2021/2020). This edition also includes findings on cross-border mobility (i.e. those residing in one Member State and commuting for work to another Member State) and the mobility in different occupations.

Skills shortages and structural changes in the labour market during COVID 19 and in the digital and green transitions (17/02/2023)

A new report analyses recent data and expert knowledge on skills shortages and relevant policy responses across the EU Member States, during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the digital and green transitions.

Digital Capability for Workforce Skills - Final Report 2022 (06/04/2023)

The Australian Industry and Skills Committee established the Digital Transformation Expert Panel in late 2019 to consider how Australia's vocational education and training system can respond to digital change. The Digital Capability for Workforce Skills Final Report details the development and potential application of this framework: the Australian Digital Capability Framework (ADCF).

Have your say in the Europass evaluation! (02/01/2023)

The Commission kindly invites relevant stakeholders to contribute to the public consultation on Europass, whose goal is to assess its uptake and wider impact of Europass in the labour market and skills and lifelong learning policies. You can share your views until 28th February 2023.

ESF+ Call for proposals to support vulnerable young people (16/12/2022)

The call for proposals to help EU countries integrate the ALMA (Aim, Learn, Master, Achieve) initiative, which helps young people finding their way to the job market, in their ESF+ programmes is out! The deadline for submissions is 15 March 2023.

Public Employment Services asked about their Member States’ support to persons displaced from Ukraine (20/12/2022)

The European Network of Public Employment Services is collecting national feedback on helping displaced people from Ukraine integrate into the EU labour market.

Webinar organised by an ESCO implementer: Artificial Intelligence for mapping the skills of the future (11/01/2023)

The webinar will highlight the adopted data-driven approach developed in the frame of the ENCORE project, which combines artificial intelligence and human expertise, to identify Green, Digital, and Entrepreneurial skills. Learn more about how ESCO is useful in this process by signing up below.

ESCO data science blog: machine learning assisted mapping of multilingual occupational data (Part 2) (04/01/2023)

In this news article, the ESCO data science team looks at a different use-case and focuses on mapping content such as job titles, work history descriptions or job advertisement descriptions to ESCO occupations.

Labour Market Information Driven, Personalized, OER Recommendation System for Lifelong Learners (05/01/2023)

The paper suggests a novel method to aid lifelong learners to access relevant open education resources (OER) based learning content to master skills demanded on the labour market.

ESCO presented in the regional conference of public employment services in Latin America and Carribean (04/01/2023)

ESCO was presented in the Regional Policy Dialogue "Digital Transformation of Public Employment Services," organised by the Inter-American development Bank and the SEALC network. Lear more about current ESCO implementers in Latin America.

Work-based learning and the green transition (05/01/2023)

The paper reflects on the role of work-based learning in tackling the green transition, and on the enabling conditions to unlock its potential.

ESCO continues its longstanding cooperation with the European Training Foundation (ETF) through webinars (04/01/2023)

At the invitation of ETF, the ESCO team presented the recent developments on the use of artificial intelligence for the maintenance of ESCO in ETF's online capacity building programme on big data for labour market analysis organised online on the 15th of November 2022.

ESCO presented in the Learning by Leaving 2022 conference in Spain (04/01/2023)

The conference highlighted ESCO, EURES and Europass as free tools in promoting labour mobility across Europe and supporting public employment services and career guidance professionals in the provision of their services.

ESCO v1.1.1 updated matrix tables (04/01/2023)

The updated files of the skills-occupation matrix tables for v1.1.1 are now available, including for knowledge concepts.

ESCO introduces labelling of Digital Skills and Knowledge Concepts (04/01/2023)

In line with the Commission’s effort in tackling digital skills gap, ESCO introduced the digital label, which distinguishes the digital skills and knowledge competences that are part of the ESCO classification. The process combined machine learning algorithms with human labelling and validation.

How to work in the green economy? Guide for young people, job seekers and those who support them (05/01/2023)

The objective of this guide is to provide young people, job seekers and those who support them with useful information to build their professional goals plan, either as an employee of the green economy, or by creating their own job in a sustainable entrepreneurship approach.

The Commission publishes an official ESCO-O*NET crosswalk! (05/10/2022)

The Commission has published a crosswalk between ESCO and O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (US DOL). The purpose of this crosswalk is to support interoperability between the two labor market standards used by numerous public and private stakeholders that provide services like job matching, upskilling and reskilling and statistical analysis of the labour market. Modern technologies like machine learning and natural language processing greatly reduce the amount of effort needed to map one classification to another and the ESCO team reveals its methodology to do this analysis and shares the results free of charge, as always!

EURES Countries Mapping Tables are now available in the ESCO portal! (04/10/2022)

According to Article 19 of the Regulation (EU) 2016/589 and for the purpose of automated matching through the EURES platform, European Commission called its Member States to map their national, regional and sectoral occupational classifications (NOCs) and skills classifications (NSCs) to and from the European classification of Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO). Currently, 21 countries have mapped their national taxonomy to ESCO and 4 have directly adopted ESCO in their system (Greece, Iceland, Finland, Ireland).

A new minor version of ESCO (ESCO v1.1.1) is live! (04/10/2022)

ESCO v1.1.1 is the result of a data-driven quality review of the database and of the feedback provided by Member States, and is focused on two main goals: the maintenance of the ESCO skills hierarchy and the quality review of translations of occupations and skills concepts.

ESCO API to be updated with v1.1 as of January 2023 (05/10/2022)

The ESCO API will change from the current version (v1.0.9) to the most updated major version (v1.1.0) starting from 1st of January 2023. The ESCO team advises all stakeholders that use the API to make the necessary changes in their IT systems by that time. ESCO v1.09 and v1.1.1 (the latest minor version) are also available in the API by configuring correctly the parameters for the call: i.e. selectedVersion.

Call for observers to the ESCO Member States Working Group (25/05/2022)

The Commission is calling for applications in order to appoint a number of observers who will participate in the works of the ESCO Member States Working Group. This call is addressed to organisations, candidate countries, EEA countries, or public entities other than Member States’ authorities. Each observer shall nominate one expert as a representative to the group.

Open consultation on a European Statistical System – making it fit for the future (07/10/2022)

The consultation aims to align the legal framework on EU statistics with the European data strategy and modernise how statistics are produced. More specifically, it will tap the potential of new data sources, make the statistical system more responsive, specify new roles in emerging data ecosystems, and update the tasks of statistical authorities. The consultation is open until 25th of October 2022.

The Icelandic public employment service uses ESCO to improve their digital services (04/10/2022)

A new testimonial from an ESCO implementer: the Icelandic Public employment service adopts ESCO at national level in their effort to modernise the digital services offered to their customers.

ESCO data science blog post: machine learning assisted mapping of multilingual occupational data (07/10/2022)

The data science team explains in a new blog post the challenges to mapping multilingual occupational classifications to ESCO, drawing on representation learning techniques to support the maintenance of the classification. Based on synergies with EURES and Europass, the ESCO team uses an unified approach for mapping multilingual occupational classifications.

ESCO, EURES and Europass will be presented in the Learning by Leaving conference in Mallorca (26/10/2022)

The Spanish networks of Euroguidance, Europass, EURES and Eurodesk organise the Learning by leaving 2022 “Digital nomads in the XXI century” conference in Spain, Palma (Majorca) on 26, 27 and 28 October 2022. The event is aimed at sharing the programs, strategies and resources that the different networks are developing for the acquisition of digital competence in citizens and its impact on labour mobility. ESCO and Europass will be presented in the plenary as well as in various workshops.

ESCO will soon be available in Ukrainian! (25/05/2022)

Thanks to the collaboration with the European Training Foundation, ESCO will soon be available in Ukrainian, for free! Keep an eye on our portal as of 16th of June to get the Ukrainian translation.

Are you an ESCO implementer? Our data science team is looking for collaborations! (25/05/2022)

ESCO implementers are crucial for keeping ESCO aligned with labour market trends. Our data science team is proposing 3 collaboration scenarios, read more below and join forces for a more integrated labour market!

ESCO forum will not be available as of 16th June (07/06/2022)

The ESCO forum will not be accessible as of 16th of June due to IT security reasons. Please accept our apologies and if needed, you can always contact the ESCO team via EMPL-ESCO-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu

Join the webinar for the release of ESCO in Ukrainian! (16/06/2022)

The Commission is organising a webinar for the release of ESCO translations into Ukrainian, in partnership with the European Training Foundation. The event will take place on the 16th of June from 9:30 to 12:30 and will include testimonials from ESCO implementers. More details about the agenda below.

QQI Ireland hosted an ESCO webinar for national stakeholders (14/03/2022)

On March 14th, QQI hosted a briefing webinar on ESCO (the European Skills/Competencies, Qualifications and Occupations Initiative). The aim of the webinar was to promote awareness of ESCO and learn more about its current and potential applications in the world of education and the world of work. Over forty invited practitioners and policymakers attended.

New EU skills profile tool translated into Ukrainian (26/04/2022)

To help Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion, the European Commission has published a Ukrainian version of the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals. The Tool helps them map their skills and find jobs and other opportunities. It also contributes to making skills and qualifications from Ukrainians more easily recognised across the EU.

Explore your digital skills in Europass with the new assessment tool! (25/05/2022)

In the current job market, most jobs need some level of digital skills. In Europass, you can now test your digital skills through a set of questions based on the Digital Competence framework. When you complete the test you will get a detailed report with a description of your average level. You will also find a learning roadmap at the end of the test that will help you identify and take courses that will help you achieve specific learning goals.

Intra-EU labour mobility annual report 2021 (25/05/2022)

The report identifies trends in free movement of workers, based on the latest available data (2020/2019). This edition also includes findings on the impact of COVID-19 on mobility and on return mobility. In 2020 13.5 million Europeans lived in another EU country, out of which about 10 million of working age. The main EU country of destination for EU movers is Germany followed by Spain, Italy and France. Romania, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Croatia and Bulgaria were the most important countries of origin of mobile workers in general and active mobile workers in particular.

Apprenticeships for greener economies and societies (30/05/2022)

Chapter 3 in this publication discusses the labour market impacts of the green transition, where the authors make the case for a more granular understanding of the impact of the green transition on labour demand and supply at the level of industries, occupations and skills to inform the evidence-based design and targeting of green apprenticeships. Find out more about how ESCO is useful in this analysis.

Global report: Technology adoption in public employment services (30/05/2022)

This report provides a global overview on how public employment services are approaching technology to improve service delivery, prior to the pandemic and when the COVID-19 crisis was in full swing. From better use of data to more effective service design and accessibility, the report explores the advantages offered by the utilization of long-tested as well as newly introduced technologies. It also analyses the barriers to the effective use of technology in service delivery.

ESCO will soon be available in Ukrainian! (25/05/2022)

Thanks to the collaboration with the European Training Foundation, ESCO will soon be available in Ukrainian, for free! Keep an eye on our portal as of 16th of June to get the Ukrainian translation.

Are you an ESCO implementer? Our data science team is looking for collaborations! (25/05/2022)

ESCO implementers are crucial for keeping ESCO aligned with labour market trends. Our data science team is proposing 3 collaboration scenarios, read more below and join forces for a more integrated labour market!

ESCO forum will not be available as of 16th June (07/06/2022)

The ESCO forum will not be accessible as of 16th of June due to IT security reasons. Please accept our apologies and if needed, you can always contact the ESCO team via EMPL-ESCO-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu

Join the webinar for the release of ESCO in Ukrainian! (16/06/2022)

The Commission is organising a webinar for the release of ESCO translations into Ukrainian, in partnership with the European Training Foundation. The event will take place on the 16th of June from 9:30 to 12:30 and will include testimonials from ESCO implementers. More details about the agenda below.

QQI Ireland hosted an ESCO webinar for national stakeholders (14/03/2022)

On March 14th, QQI hosted a briefing webinar on ESCO (the European Skills/Competencies, Qualifications and Occupations Initiative). The aim of the webinar was to promote awareness of ESCO and learn more about its current and potential applications in the world of education and the world of work. Over forty invited practitioners and policymakers attended.

New EU skills profile tool translated into Ukrainian (26/04/2022)

To help Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion, the European Commission has published a Ukrainian version of the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals. The Tool helps them map their skills and find jobs and other opportunities. It also contributes to making skills and qualifications from Ukrainians more easily recognised across the EU.

Explore your digital skills in Europass with the new assessment tool! (25/05/2022)

In the current job market, most jobs need some level of digital skills. In Europass, you can now test your digital skills through a set of questions based on the Digital Competence framework. When you complete the test you will get a detailed report with a description of your average level. You will also find a learning roadmap at the end of the test that will help you identify and take courses that will help you achieve specific learning goals.

Intra-EU labour mobility annual report 2021 (25/05/2022)

The report identifies trends in free movement of workers, based on the latest available data (2020/2019). This edition also includes findings on the impact of COVID-19 on mobility and on return mobility. In 2020 13.5 million Europeans lived in another EU country, out of which about 10 million of working age. The main EU country of destination for EU movers is Germany followed by Spain, Italy and France. Romania, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Croatia and Bulgaria were the most important countries of origin of mobile workers in general and active mobile workers in particular.

Apprenticeships for greener economies and societies (30/05/2022)

Chapter 3 in this publication discusses the labour market impacts of the green transition, where the authors make the case for a more granular understanding of the impact of the green transition on labour demand and supply at the level of industries, occupations and skills to inform the evidence-based design and targeting of green apprenticeships. Find out more about how ESCO is useful in this analysis.

Global report: Technology adoption in public employment services (30/05/2022)

This report provides a global overview on how public employment services are approaching technology to improve service delivery, prior to the pandemic and when the COVID-19 crisis was in full swing. From better use of data to more effective service design and accessibility, the report explores the advantages offered by the utilization of long-tested as well as newly introduced technologies. It also analyses the barriers to the effective use of technology in service delivery.

Launch of a revamped ESCO portal (15/03/2022)

The ESCO portal gets a new look & feel, with improved functionalities to download the classification and increased visibility for ESCO implementers! See what has changed and let us know your feedback! As with all things new, there are still a few disruptions to the functionalities available, but please rest assured we are fixing them. We apologize in advance and we thank you for your patience!

Calling on all ESCO implementers: fill in ESCO fiche to showcase your work! (23/03/2022)

Are you an ESCO implementer and want to showcase your services or projects based on ESCO? Please fill in the attached ESCO implementers' fiche with information about your organisation, how you use ESCO and how it contributes to the goals of your organisation! We will publish it in the ESCO portal to inspire ESCO newcomers and to facilitate networking among the ESCO community of stakeholders. P.S: make sure to acknowledge ESCO in your application, study or project!

ESCO v1.1 is live! (14/02/2022)

The Commission has published a new major version of ESCO which includes: new occupations and skills, a new transversal skills hierarchy, labels for green, digital, and research skills and quality improvements. Visit the ESCO portal to consult or download the new version and let us know what you think!

EU support to Ukrainian refugees (28/03/2022)

The EU is taking further steps to help Member States ensure Ukrainian refugees can effectively access their right to education, healthcare, accommodation and jobs, according to the Temporary Protection Directive. Among them, the ESCO taxonomy will be translated into Ukrainian to allow relevant stakeholders (HR software providers, Public employment services, career counsellors, etc) to support the integration of refugees into the labour market and their access to education. Read more about the different actions below.

ESCO v1.1 launch webinar (10/02/2022)

The Commission presented the newly published ESCO version (v1.1) in a live webinar with 350 stakeholders from across Europe. ESCO stakeholders got an insight into ESCO v1.1, learned about our artificial intelligence approach and asked questions about the usage of ESCO.

AI in ESCO: the role of contextual information in connecting data to the Occupations Pillar (30/03/2022)

Connecting a job title with an ESCO occupation is often not a trivial task. In this article, the ESCO team discusses the role of contextual information, such as tasks, knowledge, and skills to connect data to ESCO occupations. First, we complement a job title with a single piece of additional information. We then examine the outcomes of entirely discarding the job title from the input, only leaving the context with a limited set of skills and tasks. Finally, we experiment with more raw input extracted from a job vacancy. Read our blog below to find out more.

Join the PES network stakeholder conference (07/04/2022)

Register now to join the conversation about how PES and their partners can work together to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Europe’s labour market. High-level speakers include the European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, the PES Network Chair Johannes Kopf and representatives of organisations such as, Eurofound, ETUC, Business Europe, ILO, World Employment Confederation (WEC), SME United, European Labour Authority (ELA), and OECD.

The Greek public employment service adopts ESCO (10/02/2022)

The Greek public employment service has recently adopted ESCO in their job-matching system. Find out more about their decision, how this impacts the services provided to job-seekers and the advantages of using ESCO nationally.

ESCO enhances career guidance for seafarer professions (14/02/2022)

ESCO is used in an Erasmus+ project to create a SkillsPath Tool that matches formal and informal skills of seafarers with onshore professions in an effort to provide alternative career pathways. Find out more below.

Australia's national research agency uses ESCO to upskill and reskill workers (23/03/2022)

Within CSIRO’s Data61, the digital research arm of Australia’s national science agency, researchers are using ESCO to support the rapid upskilling and reskilling that is needed for Australian businesses and workers to engage with the economic opportunities created by emerging technologies. The ESCO skills taxonomy is a central point in several projects they run, contributing to their machine learning activity that identifies skills trends from job vacancies and evaluating the currency of vocational education and training courses. Find out more about their work below.

ESCO used in research on talent partnerships and future skills needs between the EU and Southern Mediterranean countries (18/03/2022)

This study looks at possible areas on which Talent Partnerships can be developed within a mutually-beneficial framework with Southern Mediterranean countries, with a focus on future skills needs (green & digital skills) and international skills-based matching. As a standard taxonomy, ESCO plays a key role in analysing skills trends from job vacancies and contributes to facilitate such talent partnerships by addressing common skills needs.

A new major ESCO version will be launched soon! (17/11/2021)

The Commission is preparing to launch a new major ESCO version at the end of 2021. The new ESCO version 1.1 will include new occupations and skills and a revised transversal skills hierarchy, reflecting emerging labour market changes due to the digital and green transition. To celebrate the launch of ESCO v1.1., the Commission is organising an online live webinar at the beginning of February 2022. More information is available below.

Share your insights about your ESCO end user experience! (08/11/2021)

Did you run a project in which ESCO occupations or skills were used for e.g. describing job vacancies or for drafting drafting VET curricula? Did you identify usability problems for end users of ESCO? The EU co-funded project, FLIP, investigates expectations and preferred search strategies of ESCO users in the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) and would like to learn from similar experiences.

The ESCO annual report 2020 is available! (17/11/2021)

The ESCO Annual Report 2020 covers the latest ESCO developments that took place during 2020. Highlights include the work done by the Commission to ensure the continuous improvement of the classification towards a new major version (v1.1) as well as to support ESCO's uptake in the labour market and education and training by a wide community of stakeholders.

ESCO and the skills of the future: a conversation with Bruegel (15/09/2021)

ESCO participated in Bruegel’s podcast episode "The skills of the future. What challenges and opportunities does technology bring to the labour market?" In this episode, the speakers discussed about the role of technological innovation in shaping the labour market. The podcast is available at the link below.

A survey-based study by the Inter-American Development Bank using ESCO skills (15/09/2021)

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) recently published a study on digital learning in the region. The work is based on two virtual surveys: the first focuses on the need for learning digital and soft skills, while the second investigates the individual interest in learning about a specific topic. The surveys use the ESCO classification as the nomenclature for digital skills. The study is available in Spanish at the link below.

Presentation of ESCO by the Spanish PES in Latin America (15/09/2021)

The 22nd of July 2022, the Spanish Public Employment Services (PES) representative presented the role of ESCO as a tool in building a regional qualifications framework during a videoconference organised by ILO/Cinterfor in Latin America. More than 200 participants had the opportunity to learn about how the recognition of qualifications can support the integration of national systems of education and the comparison of qualifications. The conference follows the successful conclusion of the bi-directional mapping of occupations - from the national classification (CO-SISPE) to ESCO, and vice versa.

ESCO showcases in the Skillshub Euregio pilot (15/09/2021)

On 28 May 2021, the ESCO team participated in a working group of the Skillshub Euregio pilot, a project aimed to design solutions for a skills-based education and labour market approach in the Euregio Rijn-Waal. The collaboration highlighted two showcases by ESCO implementers working on this topic in the region: SkillLab and Milch und Zucker. They shared their experience with using ESCO in their respective labour market applications, which served as an inspiration and learning opportunity for the members of the hub.

Online workshop on ESCO for Egyptian stakeholders (17/11/2021)

The ESCO team presented the classification to Egyptian stakeholders within the project "Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa (THAMM)" in a webinar on the 15th of November 2021. Representatives from the International Organisation of Migration and Egyptian stakeholders were particularly interested in learning more about ESCO and other existing mechanisms for the assessment, certification, validation and recognition of migrants' skills and qualifications. More information is available below.

Help us evaluate the impact of ESCO! (17/11/2021)

Are you an ESCO implementer? Do you use ESCO for job-matching, career guidance, labour market intelligence or other use case? We want to hear from you! Our evaluation survey is open until 31st of December 2021. More information is available below.

Call for expression of interest for the 3rd phase of the ESCO linking learning outcomes pilot (17/11/2021)

The Commission invites EU Member States and other interested parties to engage in the third phase of the pilot linking ESCO skills with qualifications learning outcomes. Stakeholders can express their interest in participating in the pilot project until 5th December 2021. For more information on the conditions and methodology, see below.