Commission proposes new measures on skills and talent to help address critical labour shortages

The measures include a new EU Talent Pool to match employers in the EU with jobseekers in third countries as well as measures to promote the recognition of qualifications and learner's mobility.  They come as key deliverables of the European Year of Skills.

Skills shortages persist across the EU, in a range of sectors, and at various skills' levels.  The EU's drive to fill labour shortages in the EU starts at home: with relentless efforts to upskill, reskill and use the untapped potential of the EU's domestic workforce to the benefit of the single market. But to address the shortages the Member States are facing, the EU will also need to attract skills and talent from all around the world. For this approach to be successful, the EU must be able to attract talent and retain the needed talent. Developing labour migration cooperation with third country partners can also be a mutual gain, that feeds expertise and financial support back in the economy of the country of origin.

With skills at a premium worldwide, the EU’s future competitiveness will be determined by our industry’s capacity to staff its businesses. Our drive to fill labour market gaps has to start at home, with robust measures to support the domestic workforce. But labour migration can be an important complementary means of filling persistent gaps. The new EU Talent Pool will be a game-changer: the first EU-wide platform matching employers in the EU directly with jobseekers of all skills levels, all around the world.

Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life

The following initiatives will support Member States in the global race for talent:

The EU Talent Pool – Making recruitment from outside the EU easier

The Commission is proposing to establish an EU Talent Pool to facilitate the recruitment of jobseekers from non-EU countries in EU-wide shortage occupations. It is an innovative measure, the first EU platform of this type, making international recruitment easier and faster, to help employers access a wider pool of skills and talent. Participation in the EU Talent Pool will be voluntary for Member States, who will support the management of the platform. It will also provide information on recruitment and migration procedures in the Member States and includes strong safeguards to ensure fair recruitment and working conditions.

The EU Talent Pool will additionally support the implementation of Talent Partnerships. These are tailor-made partnerships with non-EU countries, providing mobility for work or training. Jobseekers who have developed their skills under a Talent Partnership will receive a Talent Partnership Pass, visible to the participating employers, that certifies their qualifications. The opportunities for legal migration can be expected to disincentivise irregular migration and must go hand in hand with strengthened cooperation on readmission cooperation.  

Easier and faster recognition of qualifications gained in third countries

Facilitating the recognition of qualifications and validation of skills gained in non-EU countries is a key enabler for employers seeking skilled workers, and for third country nationals seeking access to the EU jobs' market, as well as their integration into host societies.

The Commission is recommending a set of measures to simplify and speed up the recognition of skills and qualifications of third country nationals. These measures would modernise the EU's current recognition system and bring it closer to the system established for EU nationals that move to another Member State.

The aim is to develop the capacity of national recognition authorities to simplify and expedite procedures by improving comparability of third country qualifications and of how to assess jobseekers' skills. This will allow for recognition decisions to be taken quickly and with confidence to fill vacancies in EU shortage occupations, in particular in priority regulated professions.

Making learning mobility an opportunity for everybody

The proposed Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the move – learning mobility opportunities for everyone' aims to boost mobility in all areas of education and training. It invites Member States to make learning mobility within the EU an integral part of all education and training pathways, from school education and vocational education and training, notably apprenticeships, to higher and adult education and youth exchanges.

The Commission proposes to set new ambitious goals for 2030: increasing the share of mobility experience to at least 25% for higher education graduates, at least 20% for learners with fewer opportunities, and at least 15% for vocational learners. The proposal also promotes the attractiveness of the EU as a learning destination for talent from third countries, in line with the geopolitical dimension of the European Education Area. It builds on the concrete recommendations formulated by the dedicated European Citizens' Panel. The proposal includes a commitment by the Commission to monitor and support Member States in developing national action plans for the concrete implementation of the goals.

Next Steps

The Commission's proposal for an EU Talent Pool will now be negotiated by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission will support Member States' implementation of the Recommendation on recognition of qualifications of third country nationals, and invite them to report on national initiatives, reforms, good practices and statistics. The Recommendation ‘Europe on the Move' will be submitted to the Council for its consideration and adoption.

For More Information

Full European Commission press release

Factsheet

Questions & Answers

Communication on skills and talent mobility

Proposal for a Regulation on the establishment of an EU Talent Pool

Recommendation on recognition of third country nationals qualifications

Proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning mobility framework

Factsheet: European Citizens' Panel on learning mobility