Reskilling 4 Employment

Abstract

Europe—

• Reskilling 4 Employment (R4E) is a company-driven initiative that is transforming Europe's job market by upskilling workers for digital and green jobs, enhancing employability across 8+ countries since 2020.

• R4E identifies, codifies and shares best practices to reskill for employment and mobilises partnerships between relevant organisations to provide reskilling opportunities to unemployed and ‘at-risk’ workers, so they can find employment in high-demand occupations, particularly in digital technology and green jobs.

• The R4E programme has been responsible for reskilling approximately 22 000 people across eight European countries (as of the end of 2023) and has provided crucial pathways to employment, particularly in digital and green sectors.

What are the objectives?

Automation and digitalisation are changing the nature of work and the demand for workers and skills across Europe. It is estimated that around 20 million currently employed European workers will need reskilling into a new occupation by 2030, while more than 5 million vacancies go unfilled in Europe. The R4E programme aims to tackle these challenges by improving the reskilling ecosystems across Europe, with a focus on applicants finding and retaining a job as the key measure of success.

Reskilling for Employment (R4E) is a company-driven initiative launched by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) in 2021 to help address reskilling and upskilling needs across Europe, particularly in the context of digital and sustainability transitions. R4E seeks to help both unemployed individuals and current workers at risk of job displacement, with the goal of enhancing European talent competitiveness and promoting inclusive growth. The programme is currently active in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Greece, Italy and France.

How does it work in practice?

The R4E programme was established by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), a high-level forum which brings together CEOs and Chairs from a cross-section of 60 European industrial and technology companies. R4E is spearheaded by more than 14 ERT companies and supported by a dedicated leadership team.

R4E identifies, codifies and shares best practices to reskill for employment and mobilises partnerships between relevant organisations to provide reskilling opportunities to unemployed and ‘at-risk’ workers, so they can find employment in high-demand occupations, particularly in digital technology and green jobs. As part of this initiative, R4E promotes the adoption of best practices along a seven-step reskilling value-chain, which includes monitoring skills gaps, designing tailor-made training components, attracting motivated participants in need of skills, delivering effective training at scale, and supporting participants to find a job.

Launched in the second quarter of 2024 as an MVP (minimum viable product) in Spain and Portugal, the New Career Network is a fresh initiative by R4E designed to help address Europe's skills gaps. The platform connects job seekers with top-tier reskilling programs and ready-to-hire employers through a centralised digital portal. Leveraging AI for optimal job matching, the network will enhance the employability of individuals and bridge talent shortages. With plans to expand to other European countries, the network seeks to provide scalable solutions for skill mismatches and improve job placement outcomes.

What has been the impact?

The R4E programme has been responsible for reskilling approximately 22 000 people across eight European countries (as of the end of 2023) and has provided crucial pathways to employment, particularly in digital and green sectors. The New Career Network aims to expand the impact of R4E by offering a curated selection of reskilling programmes associated with employment rates over 80% and AI-powered matching to improve job placement outcomes. Ongoing challenges with maximising the impact of the programme include scaling the platform and expanding to additional countries while maintaining high-quality training and employer engagement.

What can other communities learn from this example?

The R4E model demonstrates that a collaborative, adaptable approach to reskilling initiatives can successfully scale impact and improve employment outcomes. For communities looking to tackle growing skills gaps, R4E also highlights the importance of aligning training with job market needs and forging strong partnerships between businesses, educational institutions, and public agencies. To replicate this model, communities could consider building similar networks of employers and reskilling providers and leverage the New Career Network technology and AI matching tool to efficiently match candidates with training and job opportunities.

Further information

• Reskilling 4 Employment

OECD resources

OECD (2023), Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2023: Bridging the Great Green Divide, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/21db61c1-en.

OECD (2022), "Future-proofing adult learning systems in cities and regions: A policy manual for local governments", OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2022/03, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/11fa26cc-en.