This thematic workshop will be focused on bridging the gap between the world of work and world of education in order to merge skills and jobs mismatch. We invite beneficiaries from KA1 Adult/ VET (including charter holders) and KA2 beneficiaries, stakeholders from the field, entrepreneurs and employers, career consultants and other representatives (chamber of commerce, employment agencies etc.) to exchange ideas, share good practices, network and develop possible solutions. By this event, we would like to bring together all relevant stakeholders from the education, training and the world of work to explore and discuss the practices, policies and try to initiate cooperation resulting in concrete projects supporting stronger connections among all relevant sectors. The skills should follow easier pathways to responding jobs.

The demand for skilled labour has been increasing. Tasks requiring high skills have become more important; jobs increasingly require high levels of education and training; high-skilled occupations have expanded most rapidly, while mid-skilled occupations have declined; and the median returns to higher education have been maintained or even increased. The drivers of skills demand are new technologies, managers’ strategies as to how these new technologies are used and associated ways of organizing work, changing industrial and consumer demand, and rising inequality. The future demand for skills is especially uncertain because of the unknown implications of highly automated new technologies (robots). This uncertainty contrasts with the much greater confidence we can have in the growing supply of tertiary educated workers for the foreseeable future. Skills mismatch takes many forms, the “skills deficit”, “skill shortages” and graduate underemployment are all important, with detrimental effects on both workers and employers. Unemployment, recruitment difficulties, skills becoming outdated and people doing jobs not using their potential are examples of skill mismatch: situations where skill supply and skill demand diverge. Policies addressing mismatch can mitigate the social and economic costs linked to the waste of skills and human potential it entails. 

Key questions:

• How do we understand skills mismatch and gaps in skills provision?
• Challenges for educational sector vs labour market needs? How do we merge?
• Cross-country differences in skill mismatch, European perspective. National context vs European.
• Who is involved?
• Training and learning barriers?
• Practice in addressing needs of employers and the skills developed by learners.
• Labour market mobility and skill mismatch dynamics
• Role of soft skills in bridging the gap

Expected results:

• Bridging the gap between labour and education
• Recommendations
• Exchange of good practice and ideas
• Networking

Profile of participants:

VET / Adult education

Beneficiaries from KA1 Adult/ VET (including charter holders); KA2 beneficiaries relevant for the skills and jobs mismatch; Stakeholders from the field; Entrepreneurs and employers; Career consultants and  Other representatives other working groups operating with the issue (chamber of commerce, employment agencies etc.)

IMPRORATNT!!!  Before you apply, please contact your Erasmus+ National Agency to check if places have been reserved for participants from your country.