SkillsPULSE explores new insights into Europe’s skill shortages and gaps

On 16 April, the SkillsPULSE workshop titled “Are skill shortages and gaps holding Europe back? New insights and measurement approaches” brought together leading European experts to discuss one of the most pressing challenges in today’s labour markets: the shortage and mismatch of skills.

Held online, the event opened with welcoming remarks by Liga Baltina, coordinator of the SkillsPULSE project, who set the stage for a rich exchange on how to better understand and address skills imbalances across Europe.

The workshop was structured around three thematic sessions. The first, led by Seamus McGuinness from ESRI, focused on defining and measuring skill shortages. A panel discussion followed, featuring insights from Terence Hogarth (IER), Ilias Livanos (Cedefop), and Irene Mandl (ELA).

The second session, presented by Elisa Staffa (ESRI), explored how skill gaps are mapped across Europe, and included case studies presented by Giorgos Bithymitris (EKKE), as well as Jaana Kettunen (University of Jyväskylä).

In the final session, participants examined how new data sources can be used to better understand the impacts of skill shortages. McGuinness returned for a second presentation, followed by Lukasz Arendt (University of Lodz) and Martin Daniel Hayford (University of Tartu).

Thank you to all participants!