On April 30, the European Year of Skills ends. Looking back, what struck me the most was the collective ambition inspired this year across Europe. From policymakers to businesses, from educational institutions to individuals, there has been a shared drive to upskill a future-ready workforce.
Looking ahead, the challenge and opportunity will lie in maintaining the momentum generated by the European Year of Skills. The past year should be seen as a launching pad for greater efforts in skills development, a key step towards what must now become a “decade of skills”. We are on the threshold of a new era where workforce agility will determine the competitiveness of economies. It’s an era that demands not only an investment in skills, but also a reimagining of how we think about and manage career development, talent acquisition and professional growth.
We are on the threshold of a new era where workforce agility will determine the competitiveness of economies.
The digital and green transitions demonstrate how skills will have a concrete impact on the real and urgent transformations facing Europe’s workforce – and we are now starting to see the impact of stakeholders’ upskilling and reskilling efforts of the EU. Leveraging our unique, real-time labor market data via the LinkedIn Economic Graph, we see a 91% increase in the number of professionals with green skills in the EU over the last five years, compared to growth 70% globally.
The EU is well placed for the digital transition, with a 126% increase in the number of professionals with AI skills in the EU over the last five years, compared to 119% growth globally. AI talent is growing across the EU, with Denmark, Austria, Germany and Ireland showing the fastest relative growth in AI talent.
More generally, we see a growing demand for digital skills and essential people skills. We look forward to continuing to support the EU’s collective approach to addressing skills gaps and preparing for tomorrow’s workforce demands. In particular, I warmly welcome the European Commission’s new action plan to tackle labor and skills shortages, launched on 20 March, and the focus on supporting the activation of people underrepresented in the labor market and support for skills development, training and education.
We see 126% growth in the number of professionals with AI skills in the EU over the past five years, compared to 119% growth globally.
The skills-based approach promoted through the Year of Skills is crucial in this context. It’s about moving beyond traditional indicators of talent, such as degrees and job titles, to recognize the inherent value of skills, whether acquired through formal education, professional experience or personal initiatives. Our report “Skills First: Reimagining the Labor Market and Removing Barriers” shows that talent pipelines are increased nearly 10 times when using a skills-based hiring approach. Such an approach also increases globally, on average, the proportion of women in the talent pool is 24% more than that of men in jobs where women are underrepresented. It also benefits workers without a bachelor’s degree in a proportion 9 percent higher than that of workers with degrees.
As we move from the Year of Skills to a longer-term view, I’m excited about the role LinkedIn will play in this evolution. Our mission at LinkedIn has always been about more than just connecting people. It is about understanding and responding to the evolving dynamics of the global labor market, with a rich ecosystem for learning, growth and opportunity. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, whatever their starting point, has access to the skills and opportunities that will enable them to thrive in a changing world of work.
To support this vision, LinkedIn has developed recommendations to accelerate the transition to skills-based recruiting, aiming to empower policymakers, business leaders and workers to adopt forward-thinking recruiting strategies. The proposals include revising requirements for government job postings and third-party contracts to accommodate candidates without traditional degrees, thereby promoting a skills-based approach to government roles.
Additionally, it is crucial to develop national and local skills-based recruitment strategies, starting with identifying sectors experiencing staffing shortages that would benefit from a broader candidate pool. Recognizing companies that prioritize skills over degrees and publicly celebrating their contributions can promote this recruiting model.
Let’s view this moment not just as an end, but a beginning: the beginning of a decade of skills that will shape the future of work for generations to come.
Efforts should also be made to fund public initiatives that provide workers with in-demand skills and place them in growing labor markets. This includes increased support for training programs for existing employees, particularly those at risk due to changing skills requirements, enabling flexible reskilling and upskilling opportunities. We look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders across the EU, including the European Commission, to deliver the vision of the Year of Skills to create a labor market that is inclusive, dynamic and equipped to meet the challenges and seize the world’s opportunities. digital and green transitions.
Let’s view this moment not just as an end, but a beginning: the beginning of a decade of skills that will shape the future of work for generations to come.
Politico
