National Action Plan for the European Year of Skills

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, taking into account the proposal of the European Commission, decided to declare the year 2023 as the European Year of Skills (May 9, 2023, to May 8, 2024).

The European Year of Skills puts skills at the forefront! It aims to enhance the skills and competitiveness of European workers by helping European citizens acquire the appropriate skills for quality jobs while simultaneously unlocking their talents, and by assisting businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in addressing skill shortages in the EU.

Why is there a need for upskilling and reskilling in the EU? The European Year of Skills promotes further stimulation of lifelong learning and gives a new impetus to achieving the EU’s 2030 social goals of at least 60% of adults in training each year and at least 78% in employment. The initiative will also contribute to achieving the Digital Compass goals for 2030, aiming for at least 80% of adults with basic digital skills and 20 million employed ICT specialists in the EU. Currently, more than three-quarters of companies in the EU report difficulties in finding workers with the necessary skills, while only 37% of adults train regularly. The Digital Economy and Society Index shows that 4 in 10 adults and every third person working in Europe lack basic digital skills. Women are underrepresented in technology-related professions and studies, with only 1 in 5 ICT specialists and 1 in 3 STEM graduates being women.