28 Amendments of Agnes JONGERIUS related to 2022/0326(COD)
Amendment 26 #
(1) A skilled workforce isCitizens with skills for the participation in a democratic society and the pursuit of personal development as well as a skilled workforce and quality jobs are crucial to ensuring socially fair and just green and digital transitions, and to strengthening the Union’s sustainable competitiveness and resilience in the face of adverse external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the fallout of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. More and better skills, knowledge and qualifications, whether acquired in informal, non-formal or informal settings, open up new opportunities and empower individuals to fully participate in the labour market, society and democracy, to harness and benefit from the opportunities of the green and digital transitions and to exercise their rights.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Across the Union, companies report difficulties to find workers with the necessary skills while for many workers it is difficult to find quality jobs which match their skills levels and qualifications. In 2021, 28 occupations were classified as having shortages, including the healthcare, hospitality, construction and service sectors, in addition to shortages of IT and security specialists, in particular cybersecurity experts, and workers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics background, as well as specialists that can support the societal adaptation to the green transition.22 Increasingly, the biggest constraint to a successful digital and green transition is the lack of quality job offers with decent wages and working conditions which results in a lack of workers with the rightnecessary skills22a. In many Member States, demographic ageing is expectedchange has been and is expected to continue to accelerate over the coming decade as “baby boom” cohorts retire, reinforcing the need to make use of the full potential of all working-age adults through continuous investments in their skills, knowledge and qualifications as well as activitating more people, in particular women, people with a migration background, low-skilled and low-qualified adults, and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs). Against this background, decent working conditions and access to social security systems, quality social services and an attractive living environment will play an even more prominent role in retaining and attracting skilled workers. Strengthening personal development and learning guidance from an early age and supporting equal access to information can help people to choose suitable learning pathways to quality employment opportunities. _________________ 22 European Labour Authority, Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2021 and ENISA, Cybersecurity skills development in the EU, March 2020. The ENISA studies identify that there is a gap of 291,000 professionals in cybersecurity. 22a According to CEDEFOP, 45 % of workers think that their skills do not fully match the job they do, while 70% of the companies suffer from skills shortages but few of them link this to obstacles they create to find skilled workers, e.g. recruitment processes, geographical location, salary levels and working conditions: European Skills and Jobs survey, CEDEFOP 2015 and Skills qualifications and jobs in the EU: the making of a perfect match? CEDEFOP 2015.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Low skills of working-age adults remain a significant challenge for the Union, pointing to considerable untapped potential of upskilling and reskilling to help mitigate increasing labour shortages in sectors such as manufacturing and services, and in particular in economic activities related to hospitality and manufacturing of computer and electronic equipment, and the care sector.25 For care work in particular, the Commission should follow the ILO ‘5R’ Framework for Decent Care Work25a - recognize, reduce, redistribute, reward and representation. However, participation in adult learning in the Union has stagnated over the last decade and 21 Member States fell short of the 2020 EU- level target. For many adults, such as those in atypical forms of work, employees of small and medium-sized enterprises, the unemployed, the inactive and the low- qualified, skills development opportunities are too often out of reach. Increasing the upskilling and reskilling opportunities for these groups, and all working-age adults, also contributes to reaching the EU employment target of 78%, with employment rate in the EU in 2021 being at 73.1%.26 Further efforts are needed to provide effective support to low-skilled and low qualified workers and the unemployed in line with the Council recommendations on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults (2016) and on the Integration of the Long-term Unemployed into the Labour Market (2016). _________________ 25 European Commission, 2021 Labour Market and Wage Developments in Europe, p. 26 25a ILO’s ‘Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work’ 26 Eurostat, Employment (as % of the population aged 20 to 64), (LFSI_EMP_A)
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Principle 3 of the European Pillar of Social Rights underlines that regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities, and this includes employment and education. The European Year of Skills should be carried out in a way that is inclusive and actively promotes equality for all. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan29 points out that by increasing participation of groups which are currently under-presented in the labour market, we can it is possible to achieve a more inclusive employment growth. _________________ 29 The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (europa.eu)
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The European Skills Agenda30 , adopted in July 2020, calls for a skills revolution to ensure the recovery of our economy, strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness and turn the green and digital transitions into opportunities for all. It aims to foster collective action on skills, ensure that training content is alignedto improve the overall qualifications of people in view of a more active and engaged citizenship, to increase the alignment of training content with the evolving labour market needs, and better match training opportunities with people's aspirations to incentivise their uptake across the working-age population. The European Parliament welcomed the objectives and actions of the European Skills Agenda in its Resolution of 11 February 2021.31 _________________ 30 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (COM(2021)274 final) 31 European Parliament, European Parliament resolution of 11 February 2021 on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (2020/2818(RSP))
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 – paragraph 3
Recital 9 – paragraph 3
The Year of Skills follows the 2022 European Year of Youth which sought to empower, honour, support and engage with young people, including those with fewer opportunities, in a post-COVID-19 pandemic perspective with a view to having a long-term positive impact for young people. The European Year of Youth already emphasised the importance of skills to find good quality employment for young people.
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The Council Recommendations on Individual Learning Accounts34 and Micro- credentials for lifelong learning and employability35 help people to update or complete their skill-sets, also in response to emerging skills needs in the labour market, in a more flexible and targeted way. The Council Resolution from December 2021 on a new European Agenda for Adult Learning 2021-203036 promotes formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities capable of providing all the necessary knowledge, skills and competences to create an inclusive, sustainable, socially just and more resilient Europe, as well as upskilling and reskilling that can in turn reduce skills mismatches and labour shortages. SkillsQuality career guidance and skills self-assessment opportunities are among the measures whichneeded to support people in their up- and reskilling. _________________ 34 Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on individual learning accounts (OJ C 243, 27.6.2022, p. 26) 35 Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro- credentials for lifelong learning and employability (OJ C 243, 27.6.2022, p. 10) 36 Council Resolution on a new European agenda for adult learning 2021-2030 (OJ C 504, 14.12.2021, p. 9)
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The strengthened active labour market policies advocated for by the EASE (Effective Active Support to Employment) Commission Recommendation37 aim to support transitions into new employment amid the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and the better matching of skills in the labour market, supported by employment services with a sufficient administrative capacity. _________________ 37 Commission Recommendation of 4.3.2021on an effective active support to employment following the COVID-19 crisis (EASE) (OJ L 80, 8.3.2021, p. 1)
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET)38 supports modernisation of VET systems to equip young people and adults with the knowledge, skills and competences they need to thrive in the evolving labour market and society, to manage the recovery and the just transitions to the green and digital economy, in times of demographic change and throughout all economic cycles. It promotes VET as a potential driver for innovation and growth, which is agile in adapting to labour market changes and providing skills for occupations in high demand. _________________ 38 Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (OJ C 417 2.12.2020, p. 1)
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The Digital Decade Policy Programme 203041 reiterates the objective of ensuring that at least 80% of the EU population have at least basic digital skills by 2030, and sets the target of 20 million employed ICT specialists, with the aim of achieving gender convergence, by 2030, also by creating a cooperation framework between the Member States and the Commission. The Digital Decade42 stresses the lack of capacity of specialised education and training programmes to train additional ICT experts. The Digital Education Action Plan 2021-202743 emphasises that technological means should be used to ease accessibility and strengthen flexibility of learning opportunities, including upskilling and reskilling. Platform work can provide opportunities for employment and for accessing the labour market more easily, especially for disadvantaged groups, gaining additional income through a secondary activity or enjoying some flexibility in the organisation of working time. Most persons performing platform work have another job or other source of income and tend to be low paid. At the same time, platform work brings challenges, as it can result in unpredictable working hours and blur the boundaries between employment relationships and self-employed activities on one hand and the responsibilities of employers and workers on the other. Misclassification of the employment status has consequences for the persons affected as it restricts access to existing labour and social rights. It can also lead to labour exploitation and an uneven playing field with respect to businesses that classify their workers correctly, especially affecting SMEs. More over, it has implications for Member States’ industrial relations systems, their tax base and the coverage and sustainability of their social protection systems. While such challenges are broader than platform work, they are particularly acute and pressing in the platform economy. _________________ 41 Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the 2030 Policy Programme “Path to the Digital Decade” (COM/2021/574 final) 42 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the regions; 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade (COM (2021)118 final) 43 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the Digital Education Action Plan (COM/2018/022 final)
Amendment 130 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) AttImproving the Union’s labour migractingon framework could help to attract skilled third-country nationals can contribute toin view of tackling the Union’s skills and labour shortages. In October 2021, the revised EU Blue Card Directive45 entered into force, a key achievement for attracting highly skilled talent into the labour market. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum46 also places a strong emphasis ones labour migration and on integration of third country nationals. Against this background, the Commission adopted a Skills and Talent Package47 in April 2022 to reinforce the legal framework and Union action in this area. Proposals to recast the Long- Term Residents Directive and the Single Permit Directive will allow to simplify the procedures for the admission of workers of all skill levels to the Union and to provide better protection and rights. The Commission will also continue to roll out an EU Talent Pool to facilitate labour matching with non-EU nationals, with the involvement of social partners. The Commission is also working towards the launch of tailor-made Talent Partnerships with specific key partner countries to boost international labour mobility and development of talent in a mutually beneficial and circular way. Social partners should be involved in the development, implementation and monitoring of these partnerships. In addition, the Union continues to be the leading contributor to global funding for education focusing especially on teacher training, girls education and vocational education and training. This work, under the umbrella of the Global Gateway strategy48 , is complementary to the objectives of this proposal. Fair remuneration, social protection and full disclosure of workers’ rights must be ensured for all migrant workers according to the existing Union and national legislation. _________________ 45 Directive (EU) 2021/1883 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2021 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment, and repealing Council Directive 2009/50/EC (OJ L 382, 28.10.2021, p. 1) 46 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum (COM/2020/609 final) 47 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Attracting skills and talent to the EU (COM/2022/657 final) 48 Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank The Global Gateway (JOIN/2021/30 final)
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Overall public and private investments in upskilling and reskilling are insufficient. Most job-related training in the Union is employer-sponsored or supported by social partners’ funds. However, many companies, in particular SMEs, do not provide or fund training for their staff, and individuals in atypical work have less or no access to employer- sponsored training. Such inequalities undermine individuals’ welfare and health, reduce economic competitiveness, result in missed opportunities and barriers to innovation and risk leaving people behind in the transition to more sustainable economic activities. An enabling framework unlocking and incentivising employers’ financial investments in skills and giving visibility to the economic value of upskilling and reskilling is neededduring working time is needed. In addition, it is important to recall that decent working conditions are essential to retain and to attract skilled workers. Training provided to workers by their companies must not affect their remuneration and should include a more general and broad set of skills and competences that can be combined with the specific needs of training of each company.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
The year 2023period 9 May 2023 until 8 May 2024 shall be designated as the ‘European Year of Skills 2023’ (hereinafter referred to as the ‘European Year’).
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
In line with principles 1, 4 and 5 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, contributing to the objectives set out in the 2020 European Skills Agenda and the EU headline targets set by the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the overall objective of the European Year shall be to further promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling as well as investing in the overall skills, knowledge and qualifications of workers, thereby boosting competitiveness of European companies, in particular small and medium-sized entreprises, realising the full potential of the digital and green transitions in a socially fair, inclusive and just manner, namely through access to fair remuneration that guarantees a decent standard of living, including through collective agreements and minimum wages. More specifically, the activities of the Year will promote skills policies and investments to empower people to participate in social, political and professional life, and to ensure that nobody is left behind in the twin transition and the economic recovery, and to notably address labourskill shortages for a better skilledof citizens and the workforce in the Union that is able to seize the opportunities of this process, by:
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. Promoting increased, more effective and inclusive investment into training and upskilling to harness the full potential of the European current and future workforce and, to support people in managing job-to-job transitions, active ageingto encourage personal development, and to benefiting from the new opportunities brought by the ongoing economic and societal transformations, especially supporting via targeted actions those most disadvantaged to engage in lifelong learning opportunities and to remain in employment until retirement.
Amendment 182 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
2. Strengthening skills relevance by closely cooperating with provision and access to upskilling and reskilling by closely cooperating with and promoting cooperation between social partners, public and private employment services, companies, education and training providers and civil society organisations, and developing joined-up approaches with all branches of governments. Social dialogue plays a key role in this context.
Amendment 192 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
3. Matching people’s aspirations and skills-set with labour market opportunities especially those offered by the green and digital transitions and the core sectors in need of recovery from the pandemic. A special focus will be given to activate more people for the labour market, in particular women, people with a migration background, low-skilled and low-qualified adults and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs).
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
4. Attracting people from third countries with the skills needed by the Union, including by strengthening learning opportunities and mobility, and by facilitating the recognition of qualificationsvalidation of their skills and competences and the recognition of qualifications. Supporting migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to upskill and reskill and to access quality jobs and information regarding working conditions and social protection is essential in this regard.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
4a. Promoting decent working conditions at company level to retain and attract skilled workers.
Amendment 204 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
4b. Promoting support and solutions for people who are not able to reskill or upskill in order to ensure that no one is left behind.
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) conferences, forum discussions and further events to promote debate on the role and contribution of skills policies to achieve competitive, sustainable and fair economic growth in light ofan active citizenship for resilient democracies as well as competitive, sustainable and fair economic growth, based on decent wages, mental well-being, inclusion and remuneration of internships, traineeships and apprenticeships to avoid exploitation, to tackle major challenges such as climate change and the demographic change, and to mobilise relevant stakeholders to ensure access to training is a reality on the ground;
Amendment 223 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) increasing dialogue inwith existing stakeholder groups and networks, also via established online platformincluding tripartite advisory committees, also via established online platforms, and promoting cooperation between European cross-sectoral and sectoral social partners;
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) promoting and further implementing tools and instruments for increased transparency and mutual validation and recognition of qualifications, including qualifications awarded outside the Union, and for the validation and recognition of skills acquired in non-formal or informal settings;
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) promoting programmes, funding opportunities, projects, actions and networks of relevance to public, private and non-governmental stakeholders, involved in the design, dissemination and implementation of upskilling and reskilling opportunities, learning and education and vocational training;
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
The organisation of participation in the European Year at national and regional level shall be a responsibility of the Member States. To that end, each Member State shall appoint a national coordinator that can represent the different branches of government in a holistic manner. The national coordinators shall ensure the coordination of relevant activities at national and regional level and with policy makers, social partners and relevant stakeholders, including national and regional parliaments.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall rely on the expertise and assistance of relevant Union Agencies in implementing the European Year, in particular the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and the European Training Foundation (ETF).
Amendment 255 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 4
Article 5 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall engage with social partners, labour market bodies, civil society organisations and representatives of organisations or bodies active in the field of skills, education and training to assist in implementing the European Year at Union level.
Amendment 259 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
By 31 December8 May 20245, the Commission shall present a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the initiatives provided for in this Decision.