28 Amendments of Dragoş PÎSLARU related to 2022/0326(COD)
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) A skilled workforce isand citizens who are skilled in democratic participation and the pursuit of personal development 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 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. Warns about the skill mismatch challenge Europe is currently facing1a. In this regard, highlights the need to offer training in areas linked to skills needs identified in labour markets, and future oriented sectors to overcome labour shortages in view of the twin transition. More and adequate skills 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. Attention should also be given to life skills and non-formal skills, as they are essential.1b _________________ 1a https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news/sk ill-mismatch-challenge-europe 1b UNICEF, What Makes Me? Core Capacities for Living and Learning, https://www.unicef- irc.org/publications/pdf/What-Makes- Me_Core-Capacities-for-Living-and- Learning.pdf
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Across the Union, companies report difficulties to find workers with the necessary skills. In 2021, 28 occupations were classified as having shortages, including the healthcare, hospitality, construction and service sectors, in addition to there being shortages of IT and security specialists, in particular cybersecurity experts, and workers with science, technology, engineering and mathematics background.22 Increasing the participation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and artificial intelligence fields, as well as emphasising the importance of entrepreneurial skills, should ensure that more women enter these sectors in order to reduce the skills shortage, combat prevailing stereotypes and thereby promote women's empowerment and economic independence. Increasingly, the biggest constraint to a successful digital and green transition is the lack of workers with the right skills, as well as proper, affordable and accessible digital infrastructure and digital equipment. In many Member States, demographic ageing is expected 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 as well as activitating more people, in particular low-skilled, women and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs), and people belonging to vulnerable groups, marginalised persons and those living in remote and rural areas and in outermost regions. Knowledge and skills required to access employment in an innovative, rapidly changing technological landscape to all and how assistive technologies can increase accessibility to employment and be mainstreamed in the workplace. Strengthening career guidance from an early age and supporting equal opportunities and access to information and guidance for students and adult learners can help young people choose suitable educational vocational pathways leading to appropriate 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.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Low inadequate 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 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, in particular the long-term 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 _________________ 25 European Commission, 2021 Labour Market and Wage Developments in Europe, p. 26 26 Eurostat, Employment (as % of the population aged 20 to 64), (LFSI_EMP_A)
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) In its resolution of 7 July 2021 on an old continent growing older - possibilities and challenges related to ageing policy post - 20201a, the European Parliament stresses the importance of creating age-appropriate lifelong learning opportunities and calls for the development of opportunities to better integrate older people in society, including by focusing on online education, regardless of whether they are still active in the labour market or already retired. It also encourages the Member States to allocate appropriate spending from ESF+, the ERDF and the Just Transition Fund, for the training of older workers, ensuring equal access to public services and non-discrimination in the labour market, to encourage companies to employ and retain older workers, and to adapt public infrastructure, including transport, as well as public spaces to the needs of older people. _________________ 1a P9_TA(2021)0347.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) In its resolution of 17 February 2022 on empowering European youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery1a (the ‘resolution on European youth´), the European Parliament calls on labour mobility and skills for the future, in particular insisting that the ALMA (aim, learn, master, achieve) initiative assists young people, in particular young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), in finding temporary quality work experience in another Member State; insists that the ALMA programme must comply with quality standards that uphold young people’s labour rights such as decent remuneration, good working conditions and access to social protection. Moreover, the European Parliament underlines the importance of digital skills in the 21st century and thus calls on the Member States to consider developing permanent, certified and free access for young people to online and offline courses for digital skills and literacy in all Union languages in partnership with public entities and private companies, and insists that Member States develop more programmes such as eTwinning and the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. Recalls the utility of the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp 2.2) as a tool to empower citizens with the necessary digital skills, and to simplify how digital skills are certified and recognised by governments, employers and other stakeholders in the European Union. The inclusion of digital- and media-literacy, cyber- hygiene and safety, and data protection in curricula from an early age and to be part of lifelong learning processes needs to be encouraged. Teachers must be trained on digital teaching and learning methods. The European Parliament also refers to the need to link access to online courses with the reinforced initiatives to address shortages in accessing internet and digital tools in order to leave no one behind, and insists that the courses be built in an accessible way to avoid excluding young people with disabilities. The European Parliament also stresses the importance of green skills development and employment opportunities in a climate-neutral, energy efficient and circular economy, especially in the regions most impacted by the green transition, such as those heavily dependent on the agricultural sector and those involved in combating climate change, production of energy from renewable sources, reducing carbon emissions, increasing energy efficiency, waste and water management, improving air quality, and restoring and preserving biodiversity with a special focus on regions undergoing fair transition. _________________ 1a P9_TA(2022)0045.
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 b (new)
Recital 9 b (new)
(9b) In its resolution on European youth, the European Parliament calls on the Member States to facilitate access for young people to paid, quality and inclusive traineeships and apprenticeships; calls for the reinforcement of monitoring schemes, ensuring that young people receive adequate and quality first working experiences, opportunities for upskilling and new qualifications or credentials; calls on the Commission and the Member States to propose, in collaboration with the European Parliament and respecting the principle of subsidiarity, a common legal framework to ensure fair remuneration for traineeships in order to avoid exploitative practices; Calls on the Commission to review existing European instruments such as the Quality Framework for Traineeships to include quality criteria for the offers made to young people.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 9 c (new)
Recital 9 c (new)
(9c) In its resolution of 14 September 2021, “Towards a stronger partnership with the EU outermost regions”, the European Parliament stresses the need to prioritise investment in all levels of education and lifelong training in the outermost regions as a way of preventing school drop-out by urging the Commission to regard education as a ‘key element’ in the development of the outermost regions, by helping regional and local authorities to design public policies that encourage young people and offer them new and attractive educational, training, skilling and reskilling options at local and regional level, including digital skills, whether through face-to-face learning or distance learning, so that they can build up a set of recognised skills.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) As companies and other stakeholders know best what skills are needed in their industrial ecosystems, strengthening their collective action on skills development has to be part of the solution. The Pact for Skills brings together companies, social partners, education and training providers, public employment services and other key skills stakeholders, both private and public. So far, more than 700 organisations have signed up and 12 large scale partnerships in strategic sectors have been set up, with pledges to promote 6 million training opportunities. The regional dimension is also important, including in border regions, where finding workers with the right skills requires targeted measures to support effective cross-border labour markets. Similarly, disadvantaged and remote regions, including the outermost, face particular challenges as access to the labour market and upskilling and reskilling opportunities are limited. Local Pact for Skills should be supported in cities to bring together local businesses, training providers and people searching for employment.
Amendment 97 #
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, inclusive, accessible and targeted way. The Council Resolution from December 2021 on a new European Agenda for Adult Learning 2021-203036 promotes upskilling and reskilling that can in turn reduce skills mismatches and labour shortages. Career and Skills guidance and, together with skills self-assessment opportunities are among the measures which support people, especially young 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 100 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) In its resolution of 5 July 2022 on mental health in the digital world of work1a, the European Parliament recalls proactive approaches to digitalisation, as improving digital skills in the workplace or allowing for flexible working hours to help mitigate work-related stress. It also expresses concerns that teleworking is not yet available to all workers and stresses the impact of the shift to teleworking on the mental health of those in danger of digital exclusion. It stresses the importance of fighting the digital divide in Europe and the necessity of retraining younger and older people in order to ensure a sufficient level of digital skills for all workers. It calls for more targeted investments in the provision of digital skills, especially groups that are more digitally excluded such as people of a low socio-economic status and a limited educational background, older people, people in rural and remote areas, people living in outermost regions and people with disabilities. The acute role of teleworking and telelearning, e.g. through a legislative European Teleworking Agenda, setting up National Digital Education Programs and investing in ethically sound programmes for European Artificial Intelligence that respect relevant data protection provisions should also be taken into account. _________________ 1a P9_TA(2022)0279.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12 b (new)
Recital 12 b (new)
(12b) In its resolution of 19 May 2022 on establishing the European Education Area by 2025 – micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for a sustainable environment1a, the European Parliament calls on the Council to adopt a common definition of micro- credentials and common standards for the European Education Area as a basis for quality assurance, recognition, transparency and portability. It also calls for the use of micro-credentials to recognise skills acquired in the course of learning mobility and civic-engagement as under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes or other experiences, including youth work, mentoring and volunteering. It reminds public authorities of their essential role in ensuring that those who are usually left behind find micro-credentials readily accessible and relevant, that there is balance in the skills training offered to adults, and points out that basic, transversal, psychosocial and soft skills are as important to the green and digital transitions as technical skills; In this regard, points out that the automatic mutual recognition of micro-credentials within the European Education Area could be a step towards facilitating the automatic recognition of qualifications more generally; considers that establishing a coherent European micro- credentials system that involves relevant stakeholders would be a step forward in reinforcing Europe’s educational power and global competitiveness; _________________ 1a P9_TA(2022)0217.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12 c (new)
Recital 12 c (new)
(12c) Recalls the European Parliament resolution of 6 April 2022 on the implementation of citizenship education actions that insists on the need for greater European civic mobility under the European Solidarity Corps and encourages Member States to establish and develop national volunteering schemes as well as the Commission and Member States to ensure mutual recognition between national systems, because these are crucial for young and older people to acquire skills that are valuable on the labour market.
Amendment 105 #
(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 driver for innovation and growth, which is agile in adapting to labour market changes and providing skills for occupations in high demand. The European Parliament underlines, in its resolution on European youth, the importance of the initiative to establish European Centres of Vocational Excellence with the aim of providing high-quality vocational skills and supporting entrepreneurial activities, and it calls for the creation of a stand-alone VET Area and encourages the Commission and the Member States to work towards the creation of a European Apprenticeship Statute. Increasing the attractiveness of VET through communication and outreach campaigns, through curricula, youth trade skills centres or hubs, special ecosystems for VET in local communities, dual education systems is essential. Further incentives are needed to foster the mobility of apprentices, including long term mobility programs and more synergies between the different statuses for apprentices. _________________ 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 116 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Skills for the greea fair twin transition and the upskilling and reskilling of the workforce will be needed in the context of the shift to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, as laid out under the European Green Deal39 setting the path towards EU climate neutrality by 2050. The Commission Communication “Fit for 55”40 recognises that the green transition can only succeed if the Union has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive and points to the flagship actions of the Skills Agenda to equip people with the skills that are needed for the green and digital transitions. _________________ 39 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The European Green Deal (COM/2019/640 final) 40 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Fit for 55: delivering the EU's 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality (COM(2021) 550 final)
Amendment 117 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) The ongoing transition to a European 4.0 industry and related labour market needs require investment in developing strong VET 4.0 systems across Europe, promoting control and problem solving competences, high-performance skills in the technologies of the future such smart production and machinery, advanced robotics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data processing and the internet of things.
Amendment 147 #
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. However, many companies, in particular SMEs, do not have enough resources to 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 needed. The SME Relief Package should consider the capacity building of SMEs to upskill their work force.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) In the past, the Union witnessed significant increases in the public investments in initial education and training. However, so far, this has not been matched with corresponding increases in investments to support continuing skills development throughout the entire working life.49 The Council Conclusions of 8 June 202050 invite Member States to “explore possible models for public and private financing of lifelong learning and the development of skills on an individual level”, and call on the Commission to support Member States in these efforts. In its resolution on European youth, the European Parliament notes that support should be given to national Public Employment Services for its implementation of the ESF+ budget line in coordination with private and public partners, while creating synergies with the European Education Area. It highlights the added value of ALMA in addition to already existing opportunities under Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps to ensure that virtual learning and cooperation remain combined with physical mobility under ESF+. _________________ 49 See for instance the increase in tertiary attainment, cf. Education and Training Monitor 2021 50 Council Conclusions of 8 June 2020 on reskilling and upskilling as a basis for increasing sustainability and employability, in the context of supporting economic recovery and social cohesion
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Significant EU funding support is available for reskilling and upskilling, for instance through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)51 , the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Just Transition Fund (JTF), the InvestEU programme, the Digital Europe Programme, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, the Programme for Environment and climate action (LIFE), the Modernisation Fund, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). The ESF+ remains the main EU funding tool to invest in more and better skills of the workforce, in particular by supporting institutions and services to assess and anticipate skills needs and challenges, supporting reskilling and upskilling opportunities for workers offered by the public and private sectors. The Reinforced Youth Guarantee should ensure quality and remunerated offers for young people to enter labour market. Child Guarantee can play an essential role in the early development of core competences and life skills for children. Reforms and investments included in Member States’ national recovery and resilience plans have a prominent skills dimension, often linked with active labour market policies, in particular youth employment support. In the national recovery and resilience plans endorsed by the Commission and the Council so far, around 20% of the social expenditure is dedicated to “employment and skills”52 . REACT-EU was the first instrument of NextGenerationEU to make payments for the recovery of Member States. It helped create jobs and invest in skills in the regions most in need. Workers that lose their jobs due to large-scale restructuring events, may also benefit from support through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to find new jobs, for instance through further education and training and tailored career guidance and advice. _________________ 51 Established by Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of 12 February 2021.New and innovative forms of financing like social impact bonds and social outcome contracts aimed at upskilling and reskilling the workforce should be encouraged. _________________ 52 Social categories are defined and applied based on the methodology adopted by the Commission in consultation with the European Parliament and the Member States in the Delegated Regulation 2021/2105. By 03/10/2022, 25 recovery and resilience plans have been endorsed by the Commission and the Council.
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 28 a (new)
Recital 28 a (new)
(28a) In this regard, highlights the importance of starting the European Year of Skills 2023 in a timely manner and warns about the risks of delaying the start of the European Year of Skills.
Amendment 174 #
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 ageing, and benefiting from the new opportunities brought by the ongoing economic transformation. The reduction of inequalities must be a cross-cutting objective, with a focus on gender equality, people with disabilities and low-skilled people.
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
2. Strengthening skills relevance by closely cooperating with social partners, public and private employment services, local authorities employment services, companies, education and training providers and developing joined-up approaches with all branches of governments.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2 a (new)
2a. Reinforcing the recognition of skills and competences, in particular from informal and non formal education, while furthering common frameworks across Member States, especially on a common recognition of soft skills.
Amendment 190 #
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 and young people especially those not in education, employment or training (NEETs), as well as persons with disabilities, marginalised groups and people living in remote areas and in outermost regions.
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
3a. Promoting increased European mobility under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes, for students, apprentices, teachers and trainers, while aiming for the better recognition of the skills and competences acquired during a mobility period, especially on civic and social competences.
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i (new)
i) developing local strategies and local pacts for skills to close the gap between skills mismatch and the labour shortages, while supporting the development of one-stop-shops and local hubs for skills development.
Amendment 231 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) favouring policy making on skills to achieve concrete impact on the lives of young and older people, thereby allowing them to better recognise themselves in a Union taking care of their future during the Year of Skills.
Amendment 241 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – title
Article 4 – title
4 Coordination at national levelin the Member States
Amendment 247 #
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 local level.