The Conference - Supporting Skills Development through Reforms
This conference is organised by the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission in the context of 2023 being the European Year of Skills. It is organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal and the Directorate-General for Employment, Social affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL).
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.
The conference discussed 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 event took place in the Theatro Municipal do Porto-Rivoli in Porto, Portugal.
Programme
The conference brought 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
Morning Session |
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9:00-9:30 GMT+1 |
Welcome coffee |
| Moderators: Mr Daniele Dotto, Deputy-Director, DG REFORM, and Raluca Painter, Head of Unit, DG REFORM | |
| Welcome address: Mr Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto | |
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Video message: Ms Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms |
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Video message: Mr Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights |
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Introductory remarks: Mr Mario Nava, Director-General, DG REFORM |
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10:15-11:15 |
Panel 1: Skills shortages – What types of reforms are needed to better match demand and offer in the labour market?Mr Federico Muñiz, Deputy Director General for Statistics and Information, Public Employment Service, Spain. Testimonial about TSI support Project “Implementing a new approach to the management of statistical and analytical information in the Spanish labour and social security administration”. Moderator: Ms Manuela Geleng, Director Jobs and Skills, DG EMPL Panellists:
Questions and Answers session |
| 11:15- 11:25 | Intervention: Mr Juan Rayón González, President of Erasmus Student Network |
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11:25- 11:35 |
Keynote address (video message): Ms Nadia Calviño, First Vice President and Minister for Economy and Digitalisation, Spain |
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11:35- 12:35 |
Panel 2: Skills for the digital and green economy – How to strengthen synergies between the Technical Support Instrument and other EU funding instruments?Ms Katre Trofimov, Head of Person-Centered eHealth, Ministry of Social Affairs. Testimonial about TSI support project “Improving digital competences of the health workforce in Spain and Estonia” Moderator: Ms Nathalie Berger, Director for Support to Member States’ Reforms, DG REFORM Panellists:
Questions and Answers session |
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12:35-14:15 |
Lunch break |
Afternoon Session |
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Moderator afternoon session: Mr Daniele Dotto, Deputy-Director, DG REFORM |
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14:15-15:15 |
Panel 3: Nurturing, attracting and retaining international talentIntroduction: Yusra Mardini, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Moderator: Mr Ioannis Hadjiyiannis, Head of Unit 01 Horizontal Policies, DG REFORM Panellists:
Questions and Answers session |
| 15:15-15:30 | Keynote address: Ms Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security of Government of Portugal |
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15:30- 16:30 |
Panel 4: Skills for civil servants – How to ensure that public administrations are fit for the present and future challenges?Mr Philip McGrath, Head of Public Service Transformation Delivery. Testimonial about TSI support project “Maximising Public Service Capability through Innovation & HR (phase 2)” Moderator: Mr Daniele Dotto, Deputy-Director, DG REFORM Panellists:
Questions and Answers session |
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16:30- 16:45 |
Coffee Break |
| 16:45- 16:55 | Introductory remarks: Mr Dragos Pîslaru, Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, European Parliament |
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16:55-17:55 |
Panel 5: 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 skillsMr Matthieu Merciecca, Chef de la Mission éducation-économie Campus, Ministère de l’éducation nationale et de la jeunesse, France. Testimonial on the project "Support to improve the quality and effectiveness of the French Centres of Vocational Excellence - “Campus des métiers et des qualifications". Moderator: Ms Raluca Painter, Head of Unit, Labour market, Education, Health and Social Services, DG REFORM Panellists:
Questions and Answers session |
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17:55- 18:10 |
Keynote address: Mr Johan Pehrson, Minister for Employment and Integration, Sweden |
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18:10- 18:20 |
Keynote address: Mr João Costa, Minister for Education, Portugal |
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18:20- 18:25 |
Closing remarks: Mr Mario Nava, Director-General, DG REFORM |
Interpretation will be available in French and Portuguese.
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms
Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
Director-General, DG REFORM
First Vice-President and Minister for Economy and Digitalisation, Spain
Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Portugal
Minister for Employment and Integration, Sweden
Minister of Education, Portugal
Vice-Minister for Education, Science and Sport, Lithuania
Director, DG REFORM
Director Jobs and Skills, DG EMPL
Director General of the EU Funds Section, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic
Director, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic
Deputy-Director, DG REFORM
Head of Unit, DG REFORM
Head of Unit, DG REFORM
Centre for Skills, OECD
Director Social Affairs, BusinessEurope
Project manager for prospective professions and qualifications, France Stratégie
Head of Talent and Digital Development, Copenhagen Capacity
Director for Statistics of the SEPE (National Employment Service, Spain)
Governor, Public Employment Service, Greece
Head of Unit, Country Analysis DG Education, DG EAC
Head of Department for Vocational Education and Training, and Skills, CEDEFOP
Professor, European University Institute (EUI)
Head of Person-Centered eHealth, Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonia
Member of the Board, Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education and Training (ANQEP)
Deputy Director, Eurofound
Deputy Director General, National Employment Agency, Bulgaria
Director, Competence Center on Ageing, University of Porto
Senior Regional Thematic Specialist on Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Member of the European Parliament, acting chair of the Employment and Social
Affairs Committee (EMPL)
Deputy Director (Acting), Public Governance Directorate, OECD
President of POCH, Portugal 2020, ESF, Portugal
Senior Economist, Economics Department, European Investment Bank
President of Erasmus Student Network
Chef de la Mission éducation-économie Campus, Ministère de l’éducation nationale et de la jeunesse, France
Head of Public Service Transformation Delivery, Ireland
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
Head of the Department for Fundamental Issues in Vocational Education and Continuing Education
Dedicated 2024 & 2023 Flagship Technical Support Projects
The proposed 2024 Flagship technical support projects have been selected on the basis that they are largely needed across Member States and are linked to top EU priorities the Member States are in the process of implementing. As such, they aim at supporting Member States in achieving resilience and growth enhancing reforms.
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Fostering skills development systems better adapted to the labour market: The flagship aims at supporting Member States ministries of education and labour to advance skills development through reforms to enable them to reach the 2030 EU headline targets of at least 60% of adults participating in training every year, and at least 78% of the working-age population being in employment;
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Public Administration Cooperation Exchange 2024 (PACE): The flagship provides an opportunity for civil servants of national administrations to experience the working methods and culture of other EU public administrations;
- AI-ready public administration: The flagship will include supporting the preparedness of computing and data infrastructure, increasing interoperability, developing IT and data governance, strengthening digital skills, and supporting regulatory mapping in the context of (forthcoming) EU digital legislation, including the AI Act.
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.