Pact for Skills celebrates its fourth anniversary and two new regional partnerships

A key pillar of the European Skills Agenda, the Pact for Skills has reached another important milestone – this month celebrating four years since its launch in 2020. That’s not the only victory – it is also expanding with two new Regional Skills Partnerships, further cementing its role in driving skills development across Europe.

Launched to tackle skills shortages and equip Europe’s workforce for the green and digital transitions, the Pact has grown steadily, bringing together organisations from a variety of sectors, including industry leaders, SMEs, educational institutions, and public authorities. This collaboration has already led to significant efforts to upskill and reskill workers in key industries such as digital, renewable energy, health and construction.

Four years of progress and collaboration

Over the past four years, the Pact for Skills has acted as a platform for cooperation, fostering partnerships that address the evolving needs of Europe’s workforce. The initiative aims to help Europe achieve the ambitious target of having at least 60% of adults participate in training annually by 2030. 

With more than 20 Large-Scale and Regional Skills Partnerships already established, millions of people[1] have access to new learning opportunities in areas critical to Europe's future growth, from tourism and agri-food to advanced manufacturing and digitalisation through the Pact.

Regional Skills Partnerships unite different stakeholders with a shared goal of helping working-age people in a region learn new skills or build on their existing ones. They include local skill partnerships as well as larger ones involving regions from several EU countries. 

Expanding impact through regional partnerships

Coinciding with the fourth anniversary is the launch of two new Regional Skills Partnerships, designed to address local labour market needs while contributing to Europe’s broader goals of sustainability and inclusion.

In Italy, the Bari Metropolitan Area faces high youth unemployment and a substantial gender gap in employment. The newly formed Regional Skills Partnership for Bari will focus on upskilling the local workforce in areas such as digital and green technologies. By 2027, it plans to reskill 150 people, implement new training models that align with the demands of the green transition and involve 15 organisations in the partnership and its steering committee. This initiative will engage a wide range of local stakeholders, including universities, training providers, and local government, to ensure the training is tailored to the region’s specific challenges.

In Spain, the Basque Country’s 4gune Regional Skills Partnership will address the skills needs of the region's advanced industry sector. The partnership will offer new inter-university training programmes focused on engineering, science and technology, and future technological trends. One key project is the creation of a master’s programme in quantum technologies, which will position the region at the forefront of digital and green innovation.

Looking ahead

As the Pact for Skills enters its fifth year, the addition of these Regional Skills Partnerships demonstrates the consolidation of its mission to foster collaboration between all stakeholders and in particular education, industry, and public authorities. With more regions and industries joining forces, the Pact is increasingly well-positioned to address skills gaps and prepare Europe’s labour market for the challenges of the future. 

[1] The existing large-scale partnerships have committed to supporting upskilling and reskilling opportunities for 25 million people of working age across the EU by 2030.