Knowledge sharing in early identification of skill needs

Countries around the world face unparalleled challenges of fast and unpredictably changing situation on the labour market as the result of the current economic downturn. After a decade of continuous economic growth and expected continuation of the growth trend in Europe, including growth in skills demand, unemployment rates are now rising rapidly. Job losses across different economic sectors (e.g. finance, real estate, manufacturing, electronics, tourism, construction) and current economic stimulus packages including ‘green bailouts’ will surely alter the structure of demand for skills. Skills shortages and skill gaps damage productivity and competitiveness and eventually have a number of adverse economic effects at all levels: individual, company, regional, and national. It is essential that potential skills mismatches, both in terms of skill shortages and skill gaps, are timely identified and that relevant skills response strategies are ensured to mitigate the costs of economic restructuring. Governments and social partners are looking for efficient exit strategies from the current economic crisis. Skills response strategies must go hand in hand with other measures, both short- and long-term, to ensure the availability of skills. The shortage of green-collar professionals with cutting-edge skills in energy efficiency, green engineering and green construction has already been identified in a number of countries as a major obstacle in implementing both current green stimulus packages and longer-term national strategies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The overall objective of the proposed programme is enhanced cooperation and knowledge sharing in the field of early identification of skill needs between the EC and the ILO for mutual benefit, so that both can add value to their own activities and existing research by drawing on state-of-the-art knowledge and good practices. Through better cooperation and enhanced understanding of labour market, social, economic and environmental issues, the EC and ILO can improve the design of their policies, programmes and tools in the field of skills identification and delivery to serve their constituents more effectively. This approach will assist the EC and ILO constituents in informed policy making based on solid analytical work, labour market intelligence and robust methods. The study focuses on industrialised countries and emerging economies and intends to develop on this basis a comparative insights that can be applied to the situation in the EU and/or enhance the EU knowledge on skills' trends of its strategic partners. The programme strategy is based on the implementation steps in two mutually supportive components: The first component Comparative analysis of methods of identification of skill needs on the labour market in transition to the low carbon economy will review models and other methods and approaches in identification of occupations and skills needs on the labour market which result from the impact of transition to the low carbon economy. The technical report will conclude the analysis with a set of recommendations on the mix of quantitative modelling and qualitative methods and institutional mechanisms for the labour market assessment and signalling adjusted to different needs and levels: national (taking into account varying statistical base and stages of development), sectoral, European/supranational. The second component Study of occupational and skill needs in two green sectors will identify occupational and skill needs and related strategic human resource development responses in two green sectors: renewable energy and green building. The studies will help to shed light on the global dimension of skill needs and on the perspective of national, sectoral and company level human resource strategies in mitigation and adaptation to climate change in both sectors.

Project symbol

GLO/09/07/EEC

Admin unit

EMP/SKILLS

Start date

21/12/2010

End date

30/09/2011

Total allocation

643419

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

643419

Development Partners

European Commission, DG Employment and Social Affairs

Country/Countries

Global

Outcomes

Skills Development