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having regard to Articles 179, 180 and 181 of the Treaty on European Union,

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having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and, in particular, to Articles 6, 9, 41, 153, 162, 165, 166 and 174 thereof,

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having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular, to Articles 14, 15, 23, 25 and 26 thereof,

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having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),

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having regard to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDGs 4, 8 and 9,

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having regard to the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 28 October 2021 in case BX v Unitatea Administrativ Teritorială D. (C-909-19) (1),

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having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights and, in particular, to principles 1, 3, 4 and 5 thereof,

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having regard to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (2),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 1 July 2020 entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’ (COM(2020)0274),

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having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the Digital Europe Programme and repealing Decision (EU) 2015/2240 (3),

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having regard to its resolution of 12 February 2019 on a comprehensive European industrial policy on artificial intelligence and robotics (4),

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having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2023 on an EU strategy to boost industrial competitiveness, trade and quality jobs (5),

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having regard to the Council conclusions of 9 October 2020 on the Human Rights, Participation and Well-Being of Older Persons in the Era of Digitalisation,

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (6),

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having regard to the Osnabruck Declaration of 30 November 2020 on vocational and education and training as an enabler of recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies,

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 19 December 2016 on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults (7),

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 26 November 2018 on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (8),

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning (9),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 9 March 2021 entitled ‘2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade’ (COM(2021)0118),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 19 April 2016 entitled ‘Digitising European Industry – Reaping the full benefits of a Digital Single Market’ (COM(2016)0180),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 5 May 2021 entitled ‘Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery’ (COM(2021)0350),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 10 March 2020 entitled ‘A New Industrial Strategy for Europe’ (COM(2020)0102),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 10 March 2020 entitled ‘An SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe’ (COM(2020)0103),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 1 July 2020 entitled ‘Youth Employment Support: a Bridge to Jobs for the Next Generation’ (COM(2020)0276),

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having regard to its resolution of 17 February 2022 on empowering European youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery (10),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 13 September 2017 entitled ‘Investing in a smart, innovative and sustainable industry: A renewed EU industrial policy strategy’ (COM(2017)0479),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 26 August 2010 entitled ‘Digital Agenda for Europe’ (COM(2010)0245),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative – Innovation Union’ (COM(2010)0546),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 30 September 2020 on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 (COM(2020)0625), and to the accompanying Commission staff working document (SWD(2020)0212),

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having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2022 on establishing the European Education Area by 2025 – micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for a sustainable environment (11),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 30 September 2020 entitled ‘Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 – Resetting education and training for the digital age’ (COM(2020)0624) and to the accompanying Commission staff working document (SWD(2020)0209),

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having regard to the Commission report entitled ‘Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020: Human capital’,

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having regard to the Council conclusions of 8 June 2020 on Reskilling and upskilling as a basis for increasing sustainability and employability, in the context of supporting economic recovery and social cohesion,

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having regard to the Council conclusions of 16 June 2020 on countering the COVID-19 crisis in education and training,

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having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee opinion of 13 July 2016 entitled ‘Industry 4.0 and digital transformation: Where to go’,

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having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee opinion of 7 May 2020 entitled ‘Sustainable funding for lifelong learning and development of skills, in the context of a shortage of skilled labour’,

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having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee opinion of 15 March 2018 entitled ‘Future of work – acquiring of appropriate knowledge and skills to meet the needs of future jobs’,

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having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee opinion of 27 April 2023 entitled ‘Competence and skill development in a context of the dual green and digital transition’,

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having regard to the proposal of 21 April 2021 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union legislative acts (COM(2021)0206),

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having regard to Decision (EU) 2023/936 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on a European Year of Skills (12),

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having regard to the Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade proclaimed on 15 December 2022,

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having regard to the EU Global Gateway Strategy,

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having regard to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) study of February 2020 entitled ‘Empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways’,

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having regard to the joint Cedefop and European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) report of 30 March 2023 entitled ‘Fostering skills use for sustained business performance: Evidence from the European Company Survey’  (13),

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having regard to the Council Resolution of 29 November 2021 on a new European agenda for adult learning 2021-2030 (14),

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having regard to European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030,

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having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A9-0232/2023),

A.

whereas education, training and skills policies are a competence of the Member States; whereas the EU plays an increasingly important role in supporting, motivating, coordinating and complementing the actions of the Member States;

B.

whereas the importance of vocational education and training (VET) and, in particular, the upskilling and reskilling of workers and jobseekers, will further increase, not least as a result of the digital and green transitions; whereas decent working conditions are essential to retain and attract skilled workers; whereas training provided to workers by their employer must not negatively affect workers’ remuneration;

C.

whereas matching workers’ skills and aspirations to the evolving EU labour market’s needs is one of the main goals of the EU Year of Skills;

D.

whereas among the biggest challenges continuing vocational education and training (CVET) is currently facing is its low attractiveness compared to academic education, a lack of interest among students and a lack of skilled workers;

E.

whereas the digital and green transitions can only become a success if workers are provided with the necessary skills and competences;

F.

whereas implementing high-quality CVET might impose a significant financial burden, particularly on micro enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

G.

whereas equal access to VET, including upskilling and reskilling, as well as lifelong learning opportunities for all, are crucial;

H.

whereas in 2021, 45 % of workers reported having received training paid for by the employer over the past 12 months; whereas this share was lower among young workers, women, and workers on fixed-term and temporary agency contracts, pointing to inequalities in access to training (15);

I.

whereas in 2021, 9,7 % of 18-24 year-olds in the EU had only completed upper secondary education and were not participating in further education or training; whereas 56 % of Romani people aged 16–24 were not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET) in 2021;

J.

whereas, in 2021, the proportion of persons in the EU aged 25 to 64 in education or training was 10,8 %, and the share of people aged 25 to 64 in education and training increased by 1.7 percentage points compared with 2020, and therefore returned to 2019, or pre-COVID-19, levels (16);

K.

whereas Europe is experiencing shrinking labour markets and by 2030, 40 % of Europeans will be living in regions where the number of jobs is declining (17); whereas 77 % of EU companies have reported difficulties in finding workers with the necessary skills; whereas this skills mismatch between workers and jobs in the EU labour market entails significant costs for economies, undertakings and individuals; whereas improving working conditions and job quality factors, such as pay, employee autonomy and work-life balance, in addition to investments in skills and learning at company level, would contribute to reducing labour shortages (18);

L.

whereas one objective of the European Skills Agenda is to have a participation rate in learning of 50 % among 25-64 year-olds by 2025 (compared to 38 % in 2016); whereas the objective for participation among 16-74 year-olds with at least basic digital skills is 70 % (compared to 56 % in 2019); whereas around 42 % of Europeans lack basic digital skills, including 37 % of those in the workforce; whereas the Union wishes to increase the share of the population with at least basic digital skills to 80 % by 2030;

M.

whereas quality VET and lifelong learning are fundamental to achieving the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR); whereas one of the objectives set out in the EPSR Action Plan is to achieve a share of 60 % of adults in training every year and at least 78 % in employment by 2030;

N.

whereas the EU’s target under the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) for participation in adult learning (15 % in 2020) was not achieved in the previous cycle, particularly for people belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups and/or with fewer opportunities; whereas older persons are the age group least likely to participate in adult learning; whereas other dimensions of exclusion assessed by Eurostat are gender-related and related to the individual’s level of education and active labour market status;

O.

whereas inequalities in access to adult learning and VET for workers and job seekers continue to persist; whereas the educational attainment, occupational group, economic sector of activity and size of the establishment co-determine adult participation in VET; whereas the most frequent barriers in access to adult learning are costs, inaccessibility, the lack of care infrastructure, low literacy and low self-esteem; whereas one in three companies that do not organise training cite heavy workloads and lack of time as reasons, while 28 % point to the high cost of continuing vocational training (19); whereas both time and cost are major barriers to adult learning from an individual perspective;

P.

whereas only 45 % of workers across the Union are able to use their existing knowledge and skills in their primary employment, while for the remainder, part of their knowledge and skills are underutilised (20); whereas apart from labour shortages and skill mismatches, difficulties in recruiting skilled workers also reflect the poor quality of jobs available, a lack of people-orientated HR policy and untapped job design opportunities (21);

Q.

whereas the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which encompasses the full digitalisation of service provision and production processes, is shaping today’s labour and education markets and societies, creating both challenges and opportunities for workers and companies such as the disappearance of some tasks and occupations and the creation of others, the dynamic reallocation of job tasks, a redesign of job content; whereas further investment by companies is needed in order to develop strong VET across the Union and to promote competences for working with new technologies, such as smart production and machinery, advanced robotics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data processing and the Internet of Things; underlines the importance of accommodating upskilling and reskilling needs on the one hand and tackling the digital divide on the other;

R.

whereas the share of employees (11,8 %) and workers (11,5 %) in adult education and training is higher in comparison with the adult population at large, but has shown similar trends in recent years; whereas there are significant differences in this regard between Member States (22);

S.

whereas Eurostat figures on enterprises in the EU with 10 or more employees (excluding financial sector enterprises) show that 98 % use computers and 97 % have internet access; whereas some 60 % of all people active on the jobs market use computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets or other portable devices at work (23);

T.

whereas a reduction in the number of medium-skilled, medium-wage jobs can be observed in favour of an increase in low-paid, low-skilled jobs owing to job automation;

U.

whereas 21 % of workers in Europe indicate that their primary job functions have changed due to the introduction of new software or hardware (24);

V.

whereas the 2022 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard shows improved results in innovation over the years 2015-2022; whereas serious disparities persist between Member States (25);

W.

whereas three out of four EU companies face difficulties in finding staff with the right skills (26); whereas there is an emerging skills gap;

X.

whereas transversal skills such as people skills, multilingualism, learning skills, communication, customer handling, problem-solving, critical thinking, entrepreneurship, creativity, intercultural competences, teamwork and digital and media literacy are increasingly considered by employers as crucial for employment; whereas transversal skills have an impact beyond employment and require a shift in the mindset of all VET stakeholders;

Y.

whereas the following competences have been identified and agreed by all Member States as key to ensuring a lifelong learning approach: literacy, multilingualism, competences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), digital competences, personal, social and learning to learn competences, civic competence, intercultural skills a and entrepreneurship; whereas there is a disproportionate lack of women participating in STEM;

Z.

whereas between 2020-21 6 in 10 EU+ workers undertook at least one formal or non-formal education and training activity to learn job-related skills (27);

AA.

whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on the systematic implementation of education and training policies; whereas the related crisis has changed the way of work and reinforced the need to update the skills repertoire of the European workforce, particularly in terms of digital skills;

AB.

whereas there is a growing demand for digital skills; whereas new digital technologies were introduced in 44 % of workplaces between 2020 and 2021; whereas 4 in 10 adult employees more often used digital technologies to perform some of their work tasks and about one third (36 %) participated in more online than offline job-related learning (28); whereas the digital transition towards industry 4.0 requires enhancing basic digital skills for all workers and facilitating the acquisition of more advanced digital skills, while ensuring their proper recognition across the Member States; whereas particular attention has to be paid to the risks and therefore to the provision of skills related to cybersecurity and digital safety;

AC.

whereas tasks can be automated in many sectors and to a differing extent, resulting in significant changes in employment, labour productivity, skills requirements and the size of the workforce in the Union, with pronounced regional differences; whereas 35 % of workers fear that new digital technologies can or will perform their job in whole or in part in the future (29); whereas 45 % are also concerned about technological skills becoming obsolete and the need to acquire new knowledge and skills; whereas 49 % of the activities that people are paid to do in the global economy have the potential to be automated by adapting currently demonstrated technology (30);

AD.

whereas one in five adult EU+ workers (and 31 % of those not using digital technology) would benefit from training in the most basic digital skills, i.e. navigating the web; whereas from 70 % to 90 % could be retrained in more advanced database and computer programming skills (31);

AE.

whereas according to EU targets, 75 % of EU companies should be using cloud computing, AI and big data technologies and more than 90 % of SMEs should reach at least a basic level of digital intensity (32);

AF.

whereas aligning curricula and people’s aspirations with the competences and skills necessary to achieve both personal and professional empowerment and address labour market and societal needs is one of the main challenges for the education systems of the Member States; whereas more than half of children entering primary school will be employed in jobs that do not currently exist;

AG.

whereas it is crucial that optimal conditions and incentives are established to enable employers to have access to high-quality VET that will ensure a useful learning experience and the development of a relevant set of skills for employees;

AH.

whereas promoting a competence-based learning process could ensure the smooth adaptability of the learning process to the needs of the learners and to fast-paced societal changes;

AI.

whereas, over the years, the nature, quality, perception and societal evaluation of VET have evolved thanks, among other things, to campaigns and policies on VET, better career prospects, mobility opportunities and to digital solutions in education; whereas, despite improvements in the status and image of VET, it is still often not a first choice of young people and is seen as a second, less attractive option after general education;

AJ.

whereas demographic changes in the Member States have been accelerating and are expected to continue doing so in the coming decades, reinforcing the need to make use of the full potential of all working-age adults through continuous investment in their skills, knowledge and qualifications, as well as putting more people into active employment; whereas companies may experience problems related to the loss of knowledge with the retirement of experienced workers; whereas workplaces and working conditions have to be adapted to the needs of the ageing workforce; whereas it is crucial to foster learning between more and less experienced workers in companies and secure the transfer of knowledge, also between generations, through tutoring, coaching and mentoring programmes;

AK.

whereas decent working conditions and access to social security systems, quality social services and an attractive living environment will play a prominent role in retaining and attracting skilled workers; whereas strengthening personal development and learning guidance from an early age and supporting equal access to information can help people to choose suitable learning pathways to quality employment opportunities;

AL.

whereas demographic changes are ongoing; whereas it is estimated that Europe’s working-age population (aged between 20 and 64 years) will decline by 0,4 % every year between now and 2040; whereas the demographic decline is also causing changes in the structure of the labour market and an increasing demand for workers in some sectors, such as the healthcare or care sectors;

AM.

whereas 28 sectors were classified as having shortages of a skilled workforce, including healthcare, hospitality, construction, IT services and security; whereas there is a general shortage of workers, in particular women, with STEM backgrounds; whereas teachers are one of the top five occupations with shortages in Europe, with differences based on geographical region and subject, which impacts the capacity to provide the education and training that all learners need in order to adapt to the digital and green transitions and the Fourth Industrial Revolution;

AN.

whereas employers’ increasing demand for specific skills makes the case for a stronger engagement of companies in VET;

AO.

whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the practice of unpaid traineeships as a form of exploitation of young workers and a violation of their rights;

AP.

whereas, as part of the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, the Commission has committed to enabling persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life; whereas it is crucial to provide better opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in VET and acquire new skills, which is a prerequisite for employment and independence;