Skills demands analysis

In a rapidly changing world, skills development and lifelong learning are critical to build resilience. Adapting to new labour market conditions is essential for both individuals and companies. The new publication of 2024 jointly done by OECD, ETF, UNESCO, Cedefop, European Commission and ILO call for a proactive approach to skills policies, focusing on anticipation and adaptability to future shocks. Strengthening skills intelligence and investing in sustainable, digital competencies are key. Foundation skills, adaptability, and learning to learn have been lifelines during recent crises and can support building resilient labour markets in the future. Investing in people's skills is investing in our collective future. Curious to find out more? Check the publication here Skills_Policies_for_Resilience.pdf (oecd.org)

Through its Skills Lab initiative launched in 2020, the ETF analyses how skills demands are evolving across EU neighbouring countries, thus fostering a culture of skills anticipation. Acting as an observatory for skills demands, the ETF uses the knowledge generated through innovative pilot activities and the collaborative efforts of its network of experts as a foundation for dialogue and policy advice. 

The Skills Lab Network of Experts, created in October 2021, is a global knowledge community of labour market experts and researchers working on emerging skills needs. Through regular webinars, peer learning activities and live events, the network aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience among its members (some 400 in 2024), and contribute to more evidence-based policy making and relevant and effective education, training and employment policies. It also supports six collaborative research projects of network members selected by the ETF in 2023.

The network is open to all interested experts from public, private or non-profit research institutions and universities, as well as international organisations and networks. To join the network, please fill in this form. Learn more on Open Space and follow us on LinkedIn.

Exploring the changes in skills demands from two perspectives

• At economic level: exploring the changing skills demands of enterprises to better understand new, changing and obsolete occupations for economic competitiveness and skills development policies. 
• At individual level: monitoring the developments in skills supply, considering demographic trends, the educational attainment of the population and population groups, to support policies for individuals' employability, adaptation and social inclusion.  

Research areas

• Future skills needs – Investigating how new technologies are changing jobs and skills needs in specific economic sectors, and how education and training is adapting to these changes. See our country case studies agri-food sector in Morocco, agri-tech sector in Israel, automotive sector in Türkiye, construction sector in Armenia, healthcare sector in Ukraine (unpublished), and energy sector in Tunisia, Albania and Egypt; and our cross-country report summarising the main findings. Learn more about the project and its innovative methodology.
• New forms of work and platform economy – Analysing evolving trends, opportunities and challenges in the digital economy, future work, and skills requirements in the Eastern Partnership region, the Western Balkans, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia (forthcoming). 
• Online job vacancy analytics – Based on Cedefop's Skills-OVATE (Online Vacancy Analysis Tool for Europe), collecting and analysing online job vacancies (OJVs) from Ukraine, Tunisia, Morocco, Georgia, Egypt and Kenya. The OJV data dashboards show the skills, education levels and occupations demanded by sector and region.
• Skills mismatch – In close cooperation with national statistical offices, measuring the incidence of skills mismatch in most of our partner countries. See our report. 
• Skills for the green transition – Based on a mapping and analysis of skills for the green transition in our partner countries, raising awareness across countries and in international fora, and supporting the reform of education, training and employment policies. See our report Skills for the green transition, our collection of articles Green Skills, Red Alert!, and our policy briefing Skilling for the green transition.
• European skills and jobs survey (ESJS) – Based on Cedefop's household survey of adult workers, implementing the ESJS in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Israel. The survey provides data on digitalisation trends at workplaces, the emerging skills needs of workers, working conditions as well as upskilling and reskilling trends. A cross-country report is forthcoming.
• Digitalised labour market analysis – This new initiative includes two activities to modernise labour market and skills intelligence analyses: Developing an ‘integrated online platform’ using big data and AI to produce automated outputs; and Developing an AI virtual assistant to collect and analyse information and data from literature review, and testing the tool to understand the impact of AI on skills demands. The results of both activities will be available in 2025.

Who can benefit from the findings?

• EU neighbouring countries, in particular education and training, and employment institutions, agencies, social partners, and research institutions, to support the reform of national education and labour market systems.
• EU institutions, to inform policy dialogue with partner countries and enhance the evidence base for EU projects and programmes. 
• EU Member States and other donors, including international financing institutions, to enhance their knowledge base for support to countries.

The above-mentioned results of ETF work feed into its policy dialogue and capacity-building activities in EU neighbouring countries. In cooperation with the European Commission’s DG Employment, they are also used to support regional dialogues such as the implementation of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) monitoring framework for the sixth ministerial conference in 2025.