Labour Market Observatory (LMO) study - The EU on the path to reaching the headline 2030 employment and training targets: the views of social partners and civil society organisations in a selection of EU Member States

KEY FINDINGS:

AS REGARDS THE EMPLOYMENT TARGET

  • Improving job quality should be part of the approach to support increasing employment rates and reaching the related EU headline target. This would allow attracting and retaining workers, including from underrepresented groups in the labour market, thus addressing labour shortages.
  • Increasing employment rates requires targeted efforts to remove barriers and create opportunities for underrepresented groups in the labour market - such as women, young people, including NEETs (young people not in employment, education or training), older people, persons with disabilities, migrants, Roma, LGBTIQ+ individuals and other disadvantaged groups. This would also contribute to reaching the EU headline target on poverty reduction.
  • Supporting businesses, particularly SMEs, by addressing labour and skills shortages and removing barriers to growth is essential for driving job creation.
  • Achieving inclusive employment policies and meeting employment targets requires strong and meaningful social dialogue and the active participation of civil society organisations.   
  • AS REGARDS THE ADULT TRAINING TARGET
  • Increasing the adult training participation rate requires better outreach and strengthened access to training for underrepresented adult learners, such as low-skilled adults, migrants, older workers, Roma and people in rural areas.
  • Adopting a strategic and priority-driven approach to adult training, aligned with labour market needs, is essential to motivate participation in training and effectively address skills shortages.
  • Businesses - especially SMEs - should be supported in overcoming structural, financial, and motivational barriers to investing in adult training.
  • The role of social partners and organised civil society in adult training should be strengthened through meaningful involvement in policymaking and targeted capacity-building support, while respecting their different roles.

AS REGARDS THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENTS IN EMPLOYMENT AND ADULT TRAINING

Promoting labour market inclusion and boosting participation in adult training require increased strategic, stable and future-focused investment.