The twin transition (defined as the coexistence and interplay of the green and digital transitions) has enormous impacts on European labour markets. Because the green and digital transformations can feed into, facilitate, or hinder each other, it has been difficult to predict how labour markets will absorb and respond to changes and disruptions in employment conditions, skill needs and job availability and mobility. Other ongoing global challenges and macro-economic events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, also contribute to a profound reshaping of labour markets in Europe. New sectors emerge, existing sectors need to adapt and transform. New skills need to be developed or need to be transferred from other industries. Regions and sectors need to narrow labour market and skill mismatches to minimise the costs and to maximise the benefits of job destruction and job creation processes.
Different sectors and regions are affected in varying ways and intensities, either by green or digital transitions, or the combined impact of the twin transition. This inequal distribution of job creation and destruction processes may favour or leave behind places, sectors, and socio-economic groups and may threaten social cohesion and inclusion. The institutional and policy context needs to become more flexible and responsive to cope with the ongoing transformations and narrow down the labour market mismatches. Tailored and cost-effective policies and programmes for reskilling and upskilling, in particular for the most vulnerable and left-behind socio-demographic groups and places, need to be developed together with policy makers, VET providers, unions, public authorities, and other decision makers.
Funded by Horizon Europe, the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, SkillResilience4EU will introduce a novel conceptual framework to describe and understand the impacts of the twin transition on European labour markets and will investigate the complex mechanisms, dynamics, and challenges that regions and institutions undergo by exploring selected sectors (tourism, food, transport, agriculture, and energy). The project will develop a management tool for policy makers to support them in managing labour markets in transition with recommendations for policy scenarios. SkillResilience4EU will also map and evaluate educational and training programmes for upskilling and re-skilling and will deliver recommendations and practical resources to support individuals and employers with specific focus on career guidance and development.
To achieve this ambition, the SkillResilience4EU consortium unites higher educational institutions (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht University, London School of Economics, University of Warsaw, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, University of Crete, North-Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences) one vocational training institute (BFI), one private training organization (Simplon.co) and a local public authority (Municipality of Platanias). The partners cover a whole range of expertise: economic geography, innovation studies, regional development, sustainability transitions, qualitative research, institutional research, policy research, labour and behavioural economics, education, arts and design, social inclusion, VET and lifelong learning. Coordinated by Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, the project was launched on 1st January 2025 and will run for 3 years.
