The Harnessing Talent Platform (HTP) is a newly formed knowledge-building and experience-exchange platform, which seeks to support regions in addressing the consequences of the demographic change and in mitigating the challenges associated with the decline of tertiary educated populations across the EU. It ensures that impacted regions receive the guidance, information and knowledge they need to elaborate, consolidate, develop and implement tailored and comprehensive strategies to train, attract and retain talents.
Via this platform, the European Commission shares relevant information and promotes events, best practices as well as access to technical assistance and advice to regions in need, including a dedicated helpdesk. It can therefore be considered as a catalyst for collaboration, enabling the exchange of ideas, knowledge and resources among stakeholders.
Europe's got talent. But talent needs to be nurtured, especially as the EU is going through important demographic transition, as highlighted by the 2023 Report on the Impact of Demographic Change.
The Commission has published a Communication on Harnessing Talent in Europe's Regions and is launching the Talent Booster Mechanism, which aims to bring a fresh impetus for reskilling and upskilling as the first key initiative in 2023 to contribute to the European Year of Skills.
This Mechanism will support EU regions affected by the accelerated decline of their working age population to train, retain and attract the people, the skills and the competences needed to address the impact of the demographic transition.
It proposes place based and multi-dimensional solutions, including the use of existing EU funds and initiatives to support regions most affected by the ongoing demographic transition and its side-effects and prevent the emergence of new and increased territorial disparities in the EU
The Talent Booster Mechanism and Harnessing Talent Platform are part of the
Demography Toolbox
published in October 2023, which sets out a comprehensive approach to demographic change in the EU.
EU Member States are facing a sharp decline of their working age population. The
population has decreased by 3.5 million people between 2015 and 2020 and is expected
to
decline by an additional 35 million people by 2050.
82 regions in 16 member states (accounting for almost 30%
of
the Eu population) are severely affected by this decline in the working-age population,
where regions have a low degree of university and higher education graduates and a
negative
mobility of their population aged 15-39. The communication identified 46 regions (in red), which
are
currently in a talent development trap. These regions face an
accelerating
decline of their working age population and a low and stagnant number of people with
tertiary education between 2015 and 2020. This group of regions accounts for 16% of the
EUs
population. Most of these regions also show a lower GDP, with a GDP/capita of 64% of the
EU
average and have a higher population living in rural areas 31% compared to 21% on
average in
the EU. A second group of 36 regions (in yellow) have been
identified
as being at risk of falling into a talent development trap in the
future,
since they are sharply affected by the departure of their population aged 15-39. This
group
accounts for 13% of the EU’s population. Being in a talent development trap is a multidimensional
challenge and poses a significant risk to the long-term prosperity of identified
regions.
These regions face specific structural challenges as inefficiencies in the labour
market,
education, training, and adult learning systems, as well as low performance in the areas
of
innovation, public governance, or business development. Ensuring that these regions become more resilient and
attractive is therefore a crucial element of the EU’s commitment to leave no one and no
place behind. Other regions (NUTS 3 or below) may experience similar structural demographic trends. While their situation is more favourable than the 82 identified regions, they could still have sub regional issues of working age population decline. In this regard, several Pillars of the Talent Booster Mechanism are targeting all EU regions.
Target Regions
82 regions in 16 Member States (almost 30%
of
the EU population)
have been identified as facing a
sharp
decline of their working age population
46 regions in red (16% of the EU’s population)
have been identified as being in a talent development trap, affected by the decline of the working-age population, as well as fewer people with a third-level education
36 regions in yellow (13% of the EU’s population)
have been identified as being at risk of falling into a talent development trap in the future, affected by out net migration of people aged 15 -39
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