Why is this conversation important?
During her State of the Union address on the 14th of September, Ursula von der Leyen, declared 2023 as the “European Year of Skills”. With increasing challenges for business in Europe, from climate change to environmental degradation, but also COVID-19, or the Russian invasion of Ukraine, anticipating and preparing Europe’s industrial competitiveness and security are of paramount importance. The green and digital transitions, which are necessary pathways to long-term sustainability, cannot fully work without a skilled and educated workforce. The owner of an SME, an employee or a worker of the future will need to simultaneously hone various skills in an increasingly digitalized, interconnected, and competitive economy. Industry needs to be able to prepare, while many companies are already experiencing difficulties in filling posts with workers that possess the necessary skills (e.g. 77% of EU companies reported such struggles in 2019, many of them SMEs). Moreover, already in 2018 according to research from the World Economic Forum, adequate training could provide similar or better work to around 96% of employees threatened by changing technologies.
A shift in mindset is necessary, with lifelong learning being the new normal, along with upskilling and reskilling. This will not only help in the digital and green transitions, but will also ensure a more resilient economy, that can bend and warp in times of, often unpredictable and fast, changes. This is also apparent with the appearance of growing economies like that of China, India, or Brazil, with which there will be increasing competition. Moreover, it is also important to provide an attractive work environment throughout Europe to draw talent from third countries and cultivate development, innovation, and R&D.
We call the private and public sectors, employers and employees, together with entrepreneurs and self-employed people, to work together and to support each other in ensuring a smooth transition for the future. This is the goal of the SME Connect Working Group on Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment meeting in Strasbourg, which will offer an opportunity to discuss in person the importance of training, support and cooperation with SMEs.
