Pact for Skills seminar: explore the opportunities and risks of ‘Skills first’ recruitment

The Pact for Skills’ upcoming thematic seminar on ‘The “Skills first” approach – Opportunities and Risks’ focuses on why prioritising a person’s skills can improve recruitment for employers and job seekers. This is the fifth seminar in the 2024 Knowledge Hub event series and aims to enhance the skills and competencies of the European workforce.

The seminar will bring together a panel of thematic experts to discuss the benefits and challenges of prioritising an individual’s skills and competencies over their academic achievements and previous job titles. This approach aims to create favourable conditions for attracting and retaining talent through inclusive hiring practices.

A ‘skills first’ approach can benefit employers and potential employees by both allowing companies to broaden their talent pool and democratising recruitment processes for job seekers. This also has the potential to improve access to jobs for individuals from underrepresented groups.

The thematic seminar will include panel discussions and presentations focused on the following topics:

1. Added value of a ‘skills first’ approach for employers and employees.
2. Risks and opportunities related to implementing a ‘skills first’ approach from the perspective of different stakeholders, including discussions on the challenges of:
   • investing and promoting skills intelligence, to anticipate changes and needs across different sectors, profiles and tasks;
   • enhancing cooperation for skills-based learning for more coordination among public authorities, education stakeholders and private actors;
   • using skills-based assessments and skills validation, to assess and recognise competences across jobs, sectors, and countries.

The seminar will also showcase successful examples from Pact members who have implemented effective hiring practices in response to ongoing trends, contributing to sustainable economic growth.

This seminar aligns with the European Skills Agenda, a plan to ensure European citizens have the necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving labour market impacted by the green and digital transitions. 

By providing a platform to discuss the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a ‘skills first’ approach, the seminar aims to bridge the gap between formal education and the skills required by employers.

Who can attend?

The thematic seminar is open to Pact members only.

This is a great opportunity for members to gain valuable insights and contribute to broader policy discussions on upskilling and reskilling.

Join us in this conversation and register for the ‘Skills first’ seminar.