Launched: June 2026
The challenge
Following the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, France is facing an opportunity to innovate skills training in the sports sector. However, the sports industry is often marked by job insecurity, and around 75 % of jobs are in the voluntary sector. In addition, 61 % of employees have non-permanent or short-term contracts, preventing talent retention and career development.
Despite these challenges, the digital transition’s innovations have given way to opportunities for jobs that require a combination of sport, digital marketing and data management skills, and the green transition promotes green skills to tackle environmental issues linked to sport.
The region of Hauts-de-France can tap into this opportunity by using sport as a lever for inclusion, skills development and employment, as Hauts-de-France is currently the youngest region in mainland France (18.4 % of the population are 15–29 years old) and also one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged (26.7 % youth unemployment rate).
Yet, the region’s sports sector is smaller and weaker than in other regions, with high a youth concentration (46 % are under 30), over one third in part-time work (34 %) and a high gender imbalance (67 % of workers are men).
The ambition
The Hauts-de-France region has the chance to increase the population’s physical activity and sport participation, while generating a variety of jobs in the sports sector. To achieve this aim, the Alliance Hauts-de-France pour les compétences sportives, or the ‘Hauts-de-France Regional Skills Partnership’, is setting out to become a strategic driver of skills, employment, innovation and sustainable growth in Europe.
By relying on strong cooperation between academic, public and private stakeholders, the RSP will work to improve the sector’s image among young people, women, volunteers and disadvantaged groups, and evolve education and training systems in line with labour market needs to respond to societal changes and the green and digital transitions.
The commitments and impact
In line with the Pact for Skills, the RSP’s activities have seven main priorities. The RSP will strengthen skills intelligence and anticipation by sharing the results of the STARS (Sports CoVE) Training Needs Analysis with 100 stakeholders. It will also identify the needs and expectations of its members, mapping at least three priority needs per organisation, while producing annual updates based on existing reports and data on sport jobs, training and skills at national level.
To better align training with labour market needs, the RSP will promote training opportunities to members. The aim is to give 10% of the RSP’s workforce access to new training opportunities by 2027, increasing to 25% by 2030.
The RSP will also promote a culture of lifelong learning by identifying a vocational education and training school to test the applied research model developed under CoVE Building Block 4. This pilot will involve 10 students or school staff members, helping to connect research, education and practice more closely.
Supporting the digital and green transitions will be another key priority. By 2030, the RSP aims to award 20 green skills and 20 digital skills microcredentials, with each microcredential tested verified by a professional.Furthermore, to improve inclusion, equal opportunities and the attractiveness of the sector, the RSP will create two working groups in 2026, each bringing together at least 10 participants.
The RSP will also help optimise available financing opportunities. This will include creating a resources hub showcasing relevant funding, with a target of 100 unique website visitors per year in France. In addition, the Alliance will organise a webinar on available EU funds targeting Pact for Skills members.
View the document below to learn more about the Hauts-de-France Regional Skills Partnership.