Competence and skill development in a context of the green and digital transition

Key points

The EESC:

• calls for access to full qualification to face the challenges of the dual digital and green transition to be a real right for all, as well as rights to lifelong learning;
• recognises that transitions should not be achieved through dismissals or drastic labour market measures; urges in this regard setting up systems that favour internal rather than external transitions, whereby companies can train their workers in the necessary skills;
• points at the need for digital skills programming to be more sensitive to the training of older people and other disadvantaged groups; believes that a just transition includes ensuring everyone's access to opportunities to improve basic digital skills relating to daily tasks, and also to understand issues such as data security, personal data protection, privacy online and the dangers of disinformation; calls for training on digital skills and competences to be recognised and certified by the competent authorities;
• calls for the EU Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 to include effective strategies to improve training and adapt the skills of employed and unemployed workers in all sectors, regardless of company size, with the involvement of social partners; proposes including sustainable development in education and training policies and programmes;
• stresses the role of collective bargaining as a tool for shaping and adapting training programmes; skills training needs to be linked to paid training leave, in line with national legislation and national agreements;
• calls for efforts to promote and facilitate the adjustment of existing learning programmes to include the skills needed as part of the dual digital and green transition, and for teaching staff to be trained on these subjects;
• considers it essential to begin strategically monitoring skills needs to anticipate future training needs for labour markets and societies, in order to avoid green and digital gaps and to strengthen the EU's competitiveness.