11.05.2023 – On 9 May 2023, the European Commission launched the European Year of Skills with the aim of fostering lifelong learning and developing workers’ skills with a focus on digital skills and green technologies by:
- Promoting investment in training and retraining
- Ensuring alignment between workers’ skills to labour market needs through close cooperation with social partners, businesses, employment services and key players in vocational education and training
- Facilitating the alignment between citizens’ aspirations and skills with labour market opportunities, particularly in sectors relevant to green and digital transitions and related to economic recovery
- Attracting skills and talent from non-EU countries by strengthening learning opportunities and mobility and facilitating the mutual recognition of academic qualifications
The European Parliament, the Council of the EU, the European Commission, Member States, social partners, public and private employment services, chambers of commerce and industry, schools, universities and training agencies, as well as workers and businesses, are encouraged to work together to meet the EU’s 2030 social goals.
Participation in the European Year at the national and regional levels lies with the Member States, which appoint a national coordinator with functions of liaison between all relevant stakeholders and that promotes the initiatives and its objectives.
“I fully appreciate the responsibility of the role I have been entrusted with,” said Inapp Director General Santo Darko Grillo, who was appointed National Coordinator for Italy by the Ministry of Labour, in agreement with the Ministry of Education, “and I guarantee the highest level of commitment both on my part and from the Institute to ensuring a successful European year of skills in our country. Fostering a vibrant society open to learning consent, and capable of combining economic growth and innovation in production processes with a citizen-centred approach
strengthens a social model based on cohesion, inclusion, closing of societal gaps and inequalities across our territory and among citizens and that facilitates active citizenship.”