Addressing shared challenges with other Horizon projects related to skills mismatches

SkillsPULSE has been part of a joint research seminar that took place in Brussels on December 4, gathering four Horizon projects addressing skills mismatches. This collaborative event addressed skills shortages and emerging needs in the European labour market, offering a platform to share insights and foster synergies among them.

The first session delved into the methodological and data-related challenges in defining skills shortages. Each project presented their unique approaches:

TRAILS – Enabling Data Analytics for Actions Tackling Skills Shortages & Mismatch- project coordinator, Ioannis Pragidis (Democritus University of Thrace, Greece), presented cutting-edge technological solutions that use data analytics to address mismatches in the labour market.

Rosaria Rossini (Eclipse Foundation Europe GmbH), on behalf of the SKILLAB project, highlighted collaborative strategies to enhance workforce upskilling and adaptability.

Liga Baltina, (Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini), Seamus McGuinness (Economic and Social Research Institute), and Lukasz Arendt (University of Lodz) presented SkillsPULSE and the project’s methodologies for assessing emerging skill needs.

Finally, Vassil Kirov (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) outlined SkiLMeeT strategies for aligning training systems with evolving labour demands.

In Session 2, the spotlight shifted to the policy landscape. Liga Baltina, SkillsPULSE project coordinator, led discussions on structuring joint policy roundtables and fostering long-term collaboration among the projects. Simone Rosini, from the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission, congratulated the projects partners for organising this seminar to address shared challenges. He emphasized the importance of research findings in shaping actionable recommendations for European policymakers, ensuring better alignment between training systems and labour market needs.

This joint research seminar marked an important milestone in fostering collaboration among Horizon research and innovation projects focused on skills, policymakers, and researchers.

Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini is glad to continue its role as the initiator and coordinate the further collaboration among the four projects.