Breaking the cycle of disadvantage

How to eradicate skills poverty among the most vulnerable? On 10 July, the Civil Society Organisations’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a thematic debate exploring this question. The debate saw the launch of a new exploratory study on this same issue, commissioned by the EESC at the request of the Group in connection with the 2023 European Year of Skills. The event included contributions from Juliana Wahlgren, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) and Agnieszka Maj, economist at the Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE), which carried out the study.

In the wake of the green and digital transitions and with current demographic trends, experts expect changes in employment trends and increased demand for the skills and competences required to enable and accompany these transitions. The changes will therefore require specific action with regard to training, upskilling and reskilling.

'When investing in education and training, it is necessary to ensure that these measures also effectively reach people experiencing or at risk of poverty and social exclusion,' said Séamus Boland, President of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, opening the panel discussion. ‘The pace of this change will require a proactive approach: Civil society organisations play an important role in this regard, by proposing targeted and inclusive learning approaches but also by transmitting essential life skills, enhancing social cohesion.'

The new study sheds light on the link between today’s skills divides and poverty by examining the concept of ‘skills poverty’. It proposes a definition and investigates possible drivers and solutions, paving the way for further research into this topic in the future.

Agnieszka Maj, from CASE, presented the research by drawing attention to employment trends. Forecasts anticipate growth in the ICT, professional, scientific and technical sectors, as well as in health and social work. While this requires appropriate skills, the study also points to skill divides, in which individuals or communities lack the necessary competences to join the labour market. 'Lower-educated, older individuals are at the highest risk of being affected, followed by foreign residents and the rural population', said Ms Maj. Furthermore, certain - sometimes overlapping - characteristics such as age, disability or migration background could make it more difficult for individuals to access their rights. 'It is imperative to establish equal access to high-quality education right from early childhood,' said Ms Maj. At the same time, education and training must equip people with technical skills linked to the green and digital transition, along with cross-cutting and social skills.

Juliana Wahlgren, EAPN director, discussed the topic of skills poverty from a structural and systemic perspective, giving examples of the underlying factors affecting access to skills. Addressing digital welfare, she stressed the highly digitalised nature of the job market. Those who don't have access to internet and digital skills are finding themselves left behind. Likewise, the assumption that young people are inherently proficient in digital skills is misguided, as there are exceptions depending on the country or context. 'We need a context-specific approach that takes into account the multiple challenges that people may face, specifically people experiencing poverty,' said Ms Wahlgren.

In the ensuing debate, members of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group charted out additional questions and points of action, such as access to skills and education and internet in rural areas, the risk that technology and AI may reproduce societal biases, and the role played by access to housing and energy in preventing poverty.

• Read the full study and the executive summary.
• Read an interview with the authors.