This conference is organised by Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission in the context of 2023 being the European Year of Skills.

Through the Technical Support Instrument, the Commission underpins Member States’ reforms in the area of skills to harness the opportunities of the green and digital transition, while addressing the related challenges.

The objectives of the conference are to exchange on how to best support national administrations achieve the necessary reforms in the area of skills development, and how to build synergies with EU funding instruments such as the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund+.

The Conference will feature examples of reforms undertaken by some Member States with the expertise provided by the Technical Support Instrument. It will provide a forum to discuss opportunities and challenges associated with the reform process in the area of skills.

Speakers and panellists from a wide horizon will discuss how to design and implement meaningful up- and reskilling programmes, how to establish quality assurance systems for training providers, strengthening the ability of public employment services to better match skills supply and demand, updating curricula to provide young people with transversal skills.

From a business perspective, the conference will discuss how to address existing skills shortages in key sectors like health, education, tourism or the green economy, including by attracting talent from third countries.

From a public administration perspective, the conference will debate how to ensure that public administrations are fit for the present and future challenges.

The conference will bring together high-level public officials from Member States’ ministries of labour and social affairs, public employment services, ministries of education, ministries responsible for public administration, EU institutions, European and national organisations and other stakeholders.

Panel discussions for the morning session

• Skills shortages – What types of reforms are needed to better match demand and offer in the labour market?
• Skills for the digital and green economy- How to strengthen synergies between the Technical Support Instrument and other EU funding instruments?

Panel discussions for the afternoon session

• Nurturing, attracting and retaining international talent – How talent acquired outside the EU can best contribute to filling skills shortages?
• Skills for civil servants – How to ensure that public administrations are fit for the present and future challenges?
• Supporting educational systems to deliver on the skills of the future- How to shape reforms to ensure quality and inclusive education for better market adapted skills

In the context of the 2023 Technical Support Instrument, DG REFORM presented four TSI flagship initiatives to facilitate Member States’ efforts to pursue reforms on skills:

• Youth FIRST: The flagship focuses on skills of the young people, offering support for increasing access to inclusive and quality education and training and support for up-skilling and re-skilling;
• Public Administration Cooperation Exchange (PACE): The flagship provides an opportunity for civil servants of national administrations to experience the working methods and culture of other EU public administrations;
• Digital transformation for regional and local public administrations: The flagship aims at helping EU regional and local authorities design and implement structural reforms in the field of digital public administration, including digital skills, and
• Migrant Integration and Talent Attraction: The flagship offers support to Member States to create opportunities for employers to recruit international talent to address skills gaps.