Mutual assistance projects (MAPs) are an essential part of the benchlearning process, and a unique opportunity for PES to learn from each other’s experience. This year, two mutual assistance projects will take place, in Spain and the Czech Republic. In April, a first workshop from the Spanish MAP took place in Zaragoza on labour market analysis.

On 4-5 April 2019, Zaragoza, Spain, was the stage of the first workshop held in the framework of the Spanish mutual assistance project. This first workshop was already no mean feat, as it succeeded in bringing together PES representatives from all 17 Spanish autonomous communities, along with the Spanish State Public Employment Service (SEPE), the European Commission, and experts from the German and French PES.

The event focused mainly on labour market analysis in the service of active employment policies, though its wider aim was to share knowledge and good practices in the field of labour market analysis and active labour market policies design.

The workshop was structured to provide detailed information, through expert presentations in plenary sessions, and the opportunity for deeper dialogue and exchange through smaller working group sessions dedicated to more specific questions.

During the plenary sessions, Spanish PES representatives and external experts provided invaluable input and insight into several topics:

• the evolution of the labour market in the mid to long term, 
• the Spanish labour market observatories, both at national level and that of the autonomous communities, as implemented in Aragon and the Canary Islands, 
• the initiatives carried out by the National Reference Centres (CNR - training centres) to adapt people to the labour market in the ICT and renewable energies sector, and
• the state of play of the national reference centres (short/mid-term evolution).

External experts also gave highly detailed presentations on topics such as ‘Short-term forecast of skill supply and demand in the labour market’ and ‘Building a skills society to fight long-term unemployment – How to change needs into training actions?’

The round-table discussions focused on two topics: labour market analysis for the detection of training needs, and tools and successful practices in labour market analysis.

The Spanish mutual assistance project will continue with a second workshop in October in Sevilla – Andalusia, while the mutual assistance project in the Czech Republic is also scheduled to kick off in June. We look forward to seeing the results.