European Year of the Skills

Providing the Skills for a Competitive European Union

The European Year of Skills 2023 will have to switch into high gear to enable the EU to reach its breathtakingly bold 2030 human resource goals: creating 15 million new jobs, qualifying five million entrepreneurs, and closing the skills gap for more than 100 million people.

The transition towards a digital, green, and inclusive economy is driven by technological innovation. To succeed, millions of Europeans must be ready and prepared for the jobs of the future. Otherwise, the gap between tax revenue and public spending will widen dramatically, curtailing the ability of the government to deliver public services. People, their talents, and labour are our economy's most significant strategic asset and deserve the same or greater attention compared to technical innovation.

The main challenge facing the European economy in accomplishing its skills goals is the need for more efficient and affordable solutions. Existing solutions are fragmented, expensive, and often not accessible to MSMEs, which generate two out of every three jobs in Europe. These enterprises typically need access to HR tech, making it difficult for them to support their employees in closing their skills gaps. However, SMMEs are a crucial engine of economic growth, vital for achieving our strategic goals.

Another challenge is creating new enterprises and jobs that will transform the economy. We must develop a true European entrepreneurial mindset capable of executing projects that fit European objectives. The human factor will be a bottleneck for economic growth and prosperity unless a large-scale, high-speed solution is implemented.

Personal and regional economic development needs to be synchronised and includes every level, spanning from regions to employers and individuals, and take all public and private education and training facilities into account.

Social architecture recognises the importance of collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders in driving economic development and seeks to create a supportive and inclusive economy that allows everyone to contribute and benefit, regardless of gender, sexual preference, or racial and religious background. This approach is based on the belief that a strong and trusted community is essential for creating economic opportunities. Technology is a way to empower all stakeholders to take action themselves and drive economic growth.

An example of a social architecture platform was developed by SMRT.bio, highlighting the journey of each job seeker and employer in the regional economy. It shows how these journeys are interconnected and how AI, powered by five tested algorithms, is used to make meaningful connections at scale. When we understand the customer journey of each stakeholder and their relationships, opportunities are automatically identified for collaboration and growth.

Through the platform, education and training tailored to every person's desires and abilities close the skills gap and identify and nurture entrepreneurs. MSMEs finally have an equal playing field in talent recruitment and retainment with multinationals. Regions improve their competitive position to mobilise all their talents and assets.

What is clear is that we need a pan-European approach to close the skills gap and create new jobs, including by offering an AI/machine learning-driven platform. By implementing a European platform on a regional basis on a large scale and at high speed, the transition towards digitisation, becoming greener, and inclusion can be pushed into a higher gear. The bold ambition for new enterprises and jobs can be realised.

This article was published in the European Economic and Social Council on January 23, 2023, by Mr. Paul Rübig, a Member of the EESC Employers' Group.

SMRT.bio Global is a European HR Tech company delivering a unique AI/ML-driven platform to close the skills gap & create new jobs in green, digitization, and inclusion at large scale and high speed. Our goal is to mobilize all talents in the Region to make a decent income (SDG-8).

To receive our white paper on 'Close Skills Gap and Create New Jobs - a Pan-European Approach by SMRT.bio', send mail to [email protected].