On the occasion this year’s VET week, CESI Youth and its members welcome the initiative of the European Commission to address  existing challenges in labour markets for young people by improving VET systems European-wide. CESI Youth considers that it is high time to improve approaches to school-to-work transitions, including by promoting a higher value of VET as a way to create more quality jobs and inclusive labour markets.

The EU is currently faced with huge labour shortages, partially due to skills shortages and mismatches, digitalisation and the green transition – despite a general availability of labour force, as is exhibited by high unemployment rates amongst youngsters. Recent research by Eurochambers confirms that most EU companies report that their main challenge, following the pandemic, is a shortage of available skills. The European Commission Company Survey also shows that 70% of companies in Europe struggle to find candidates with the right profiles despite quite high levels of unemployment and thus a general availability of workforce. Digitalization is also changing a lot the labour spectrum, at a rate and with an intensity hard to control. The green transition is probably adding to the pressures of reforming labour markets.

CESI welcomes that, to mitigate the challenge of building better transitions from education to the world of work, the European Commission has taken a set of initiatives.

CESI Youth believes that:

1. interventions to address the skills mismatch should start earlier in life by ensuring skills intelligence, meaning the knowledge on which shortages of skills exist in order for policy makers, the business environment and educators to adapt accordingly. Education and training providers -trade unions included- need to ensure that based on the real needs of the society and economy they are ready to adjust and to adapt their curricula and trainings to the needs of the labour market.
2. more support and guidance in the form of early career counselling should be implemented by educational and training facilities and provided to all children from early school years. More public investments in career guidance in the form of one-stop-shops are needed to provide information on labour market needs together with corresponding educational pathways.
3. the aspect of mobility within the EU is key for supporting labour matches. For this reason skills and qualifications need to be more easily recognized. A focus on the real opportunities provided by VET systems is key for addressing current labour shortages.
4. empowering young persons as individuals to take up training is key for overcoming the current crisis on the labour market and establishing a culture of life-long learning. Moreover, consultation mechanisms between education institutions, authorities and companies as well as social actors, including unions and their youth representatives, should be strengthened as this can contribute in the drafting of realistic and effective education-to-work strategies.
5. Europe needs accessible and inclusive labour markets; for this reason reskilling and upskilling should be encouraged throughout one’s life. Vulnerable groups should be offered special attention and policies since they are experiencing more difficulties in adapting to transitions.
6. the EU should also encourage more effective labour matchings by organising skills (VETs included) in a more transparent way and making qualifications more easily recognised for everyone across the European Union. Further apprenticeship and job exchanges among enterprises in the EU could support ‘brain exchange’ opportunities for young people and even encourage diversity in the workplaces.
7. the question to ensuring qualitative and stable working conditions once employed should be answered also by enforced EU frameworks on minimum wages and on working conditions for platform workers as well as by legislation against precarious work contracts.

This year’s VET Week should take full advantage of the European Year of Youth and contribute, to the largest extent possible, to a social recovery for young people.