The European Commission has brought out two Communications as part of a new Industrial Strategy for a globally competitive, green and digital Europe. The New Industrial Strategy for Europe focuses on supporting the industry’s ecological and digital transition. The second Communication, An SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe, aims to support and empower European SMEs, by helping them become more sustainable, digital and scale up in the Digital Single Market.
Both documents emphasise skills
as one of the most important enablers for the green and digital transition and state
that a skilled workforce is a prerequisite for a competitive industry. In this context, particular emphasis is placed
on lifelong learning.
The documents state that there are currently 1 million vacancies in
Europe for digital technology experts. 70% of companies report that they are
postponing investments because they cannot find the workforce with the right
skills. For industry workers, digitisation, automation and advances in
artificial intelligence will mean an important shift in their skill set.
Therefore, according to the Commission, reskilling is fundamental for Europe’s
economy.
