Labour and skills shortages: a persistent challenge for the EU 

Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, opened the event by taking stock of the just concluded Year of Skills. He highlighted that skills policy will continue to be a priority for the European Agenda and stressed the need to push forward efforts to tackle labour and skills shortages: 

‘Apprenticeships are an excellent strategic solution to bridge the skills gap and ensure a sustainable workforce for the future. Vocational education and training in general can not only boost competitiveness and innovation, but statistics show that VET graduates find a job easily after their education. 81% of the recent VET graduates and 85% of the apprentices find a job very quickly. With technical expertise and skills ever more in demand in today’s labour market, apprenticeships are a smart option.’ 

During the event, Commissioner Schmit welcomed 17 new members of the European Alliance for apprenticeships. The list of new members and renewals of pledges can found in the presentation from 17 June via the event's website. 

Day 1: How apprenticeships can fill labour gaps and offer young people quality opportunities 

During the first panel, the EU social partners – ETUC, SME United, SGI Europe, BusinessEuope – came together to discuss how apprenticeships can be employed to address labour shortages. The animated panel touched upon several key aspects linked to apprenticeships, such as the importance of ensuring good working conditions for apprentices, the different needs of SMEs, and the need to strengthen adult participation in apprenticeship programmes. The different views expressed during the panel converged towards one key message: quality apprenticeships can help address existing and future skill mismatches.  

The second panel looked at apprenticeships as a quality offer under the reinforced Youth Guarantee, which aims at reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs). Among the speakers, Albert Janssens, board member at the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), highlighted mental health issues as one of the reasons why young people decide to quit a job. Noting that ‘no young person decides to be part of the NEET group’, Albert emphasised the need to better support NEETs and examine the root causes of the issue.  

The first day of the event finished with a presentation of the 'Show Your Job' contest winners. The video competition, organised by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the French Association of Apprentices (ANAF), aims to increase participation in work-study programmes amongst young people in France. The winners were Gonzalo Bueno Estrella (Mechanical Manufacturing apprentice, 3rd place), Pedro Lonzano González (Aeronautical Systems apprentice, 2nd place) and Gladys Adom (Communication management apprentice, 1st place). More information on the competition and how to enter can be found via the Show Your Job website.  

Day 2: Guidance for apprenticeships and unlocking opportunities for adults 

The third panel focused on the importance of guidance to inform young people and adults on the career and learning opportunities VET and apprenticeships lead to. The panel was an opportunity to showcase some good practices implemented by EAfA members. For instance, Alberto Guerra, Director of the Family Business Foundation of Castilla y León, showcased the organisation’s ‘Hello Future’ project which aims to promote family businesses and have a positive social impact. Alberto also showcased the NeoIkigai platform, which allows users to find out about the career or profession that best suits their profile and aspirations. 

The final panel centred around unlocking opportunities for adults through apprenticeships, seen as a means for enhanced career advancement and personal growth as well as enhanced social mobility, among other benefits. Aware of the specific challenges adults face, the panellist called for increased flexibility in the training offer and catering for the diverse needs of different adult profiles, and, in particular, of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Social inclusion was a key focus of this panel and Alessandro Mele, President of the Cometa Network, presented the GIVE project; a European Platform of Centre of Excellence devoted to combining excellence and inclusion in the VET sector. The project works with individuals from disadvantaged groups, for example those with a history of dropping out or those who struggle with mental issues. 

Reimagining apprenticeships and vocational education in Europe 

Closing the event, Chiara Riondino noted that ‘EAfA is a community which brings individuals and organisations together. We need to look at the expectations of individuals and understand how we can match these with the labour market. Apprenticeships and VET can support people to get the most out of what they like'.  

As the event came to an end, attendees from across Europe had exchanged insights on addressing labour and skills shortages through apprenticeships, and left the event with renewed inspiration to strengthen the supply, quality, image of apprenticeships and the learning mobility of apprentices. 

Interested in becoming an EAfA member, or would like to subscribe to our newsletter? Complete our pledge application and newsletter sign up form to show your commitment to the EAfA objectives. Alternatively, join our LinkedIn group to stay up to date with the latest EAfA news. 

If you are already a member and would like to take part in our Champions initiative, we would like to hear from you! EAfA Champions are advocates of apprenticeships, sharing best practices with the community, attending our events and contributing to boosting the overall image of apprenticeships. Get in touch via eafamembers@ecorys.com  to know more about becoming a Champion. A list of the current EAfA Champions can be found in our event's presentation. 

All event materials can be found on the event website.