The health and care ecosystem includes:
- Pharmaceuticals and other medical products
- Personal protective equipment
- Medical services, the healthcare workforce and hospitals
- Long-term Care services and assistance, including elder care and support for people with disabilities
Find out more about the LSP(s) in this ecosystem and their commitments below:
Challenges
The health and care workforce represents a significant share of the European workforce. Despite its importance, the health sector continues to face considerable workforce challenges, which were exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A starting point to address these challenges is by tackling the urgent need for health workforce upskilling and reskilling. However, the health sector is faced with complexities that make upskilling and reskilling a rather difficult exercise. Such complexities include the rapid transformation of the sector – including digital and green transformations – coupled with the known workforce shortages, further increased by large-scale resignation of health professionals, in particular from the frontline. This comes as a consequence of increased workloads and difficult working conditions and impacts the ability and willingness of health professionals to participate in training opportunities. Despite these difficulties, developing skills which support the health sector’s transformation is essential. Digitalisation is core to this transformative process. Nevertheless, the health sector is lagging when it comes to seizing digital opportunities. Training on digital technologies is often offered only as an optional course and health professionals report that they do not have enough opportunities to make full use of digital technologies. Besides digitalisation, a future-ready health workforce should also be resourced and trained to engage with the green transition towards more environmentally sustainable health provision which respects the ‘one health’ principles.
Size of the labour market
Almost 15 million people in Europe work in healthcare occupations.
Commitments made under the Pact for Skills
The Health Large Scale Partnership will create and implement a shared model for the skills development of the health workforce in Europe, with a particular focus on green and digital skills. In addition, the Health Partnership will also establish a culture of lifelong learning, ensure dialogue between health professionals, and aim to address the disparities among the health and education systems. Last but not least, the Partnership will foster an exchange of data on skills gaps and needs for existing and emerging occupations. The partnership will nourish equal opportunities to upskilling and reskilling within the health sector.
Through its activities, the Health LSP aims to promote 75% of healthcare workers participating in digital skills training opportunities and 50% participating in green skills training opportunities by 2030.
For further information, please refer to:
Large Scale Partnership for the health and care ecosystem - Lists of Large-Scale Partnership coordinators and members
Challenges
The skills required in the Long Term Care (LTC) sector are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly complex. However, a lack of investment in training means that workers are not getting the digital and soft skills development required to provide person-centred care and support.
Additionally, access to training is hindered by several factors, such as the heterogeneous size of employers and the lack of social dialogue in several countries. Long-term care workers generally have lower qualifications than health workers, which can also affect the quality of care delivered.
Size of the labour market
There are over 100,000 long-term care Providers (LTCP) throughout Europe, employing over 6.3 million long-term care workers in the EU (in 2019).
Commitments made under the Pact for Skills
The Skills Partnership for Long Term Care aims to contribute to and enable the training at least 60 % of LTC professionals every year, paid for or provided by their employer, including on areas related to digitalisation and person-centred care by 2030 – in line with the targets set by the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. This means that at least 3.8 million LTC workers will be trained every year by 2030.
The Partnership plans to apply for a Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills in Long Term Care. Through the Blueprint, the Partnership will seek to undertake a range of activities, including the creation of a European-wide curriculum and training programmes for LTC professionals on digital and person-centred skills.
For further information, please refer to:
Large Scale Partnership for Long-Term Care - List of Large-Scale Partnership coordinators and members
Challenges
The European Healthcare Industry faces many challenges – including the digital and green transitions. Technological advancement in healthcare sector widens the skills gaps among healthcare professionals who must rapidly adapt to the technological innovations like AI, big data and robotics. Furthermore, healthcare providers and health industry producers additionally require a unique skillset including sustainability, regulatory, quality, and logistics expertise. These skills shortages worsen already existing challenges in the sector including raising numbers of chronic patients, strict quality standards for innovation and ability to handle major healthcare crises such as COVID-19. Additionally, retaining talent within Europe is essential for sustaining and advancing competitiveness and innovation in the healthcare ecosystem. Employers in the healthcare industry must also ensure diversity, equity and inclusion by offering equal opportunities for professional growth, a good work-life balance and an inclusive workplace culture to all employees.
Size of the labour market
The healthcare ecosystem accounts for 9.5 % of the total gross value added of approximately EUR 1.2 billion in the EU 27. The European Healthcare Industry ecosystem accounts for around 24.8 million direct jobs through a diverse range of businesses, from global enterprises to innovative start-ups.
Commitments
The strategic plan for the Large Skills Partnership for the European Health Industry aims to address the critical skills gaps in the industry through collaboration, assessment, research, education, and partnerships. To do so, during the first phase, the partnership commits to conduct extensive analyses of skills shortages in the industry and to research existing training centres that can provide practical skills training in industrial environments.
The second phase will involve partnering with vocational schools, training providers and universities to promote industry-focused programmes and curricula, raising awareness of and interest in healthcare careers, and fostering public-private partnerships. These are all to up-skill and re-skill the workforce and enhance career opportunities for a growing talent pool in the European Healthcare ecosystem.
For further information please refer to:
Large Scale Partnership for the European Health Industry - Lists of Large-Scale Partnership coordinators and members