How to eradicate skills poverty among the most vulnerable? : final study report

The shift of employment towards sectors driving the twin (green and digital) transition, alongside longterm demographic trends and geo-political shocks, will influence all professions and sectors, affecting skill requirements. Apart from green and technical skills, transversal and social skills, enabling people to actively participate in social life and adapt to the complex, changing environment must also be reflected in education and training provisions at all levels. However, there are still visible skills inequalities in European society resulting from diverse factors contributing to uneven skills acquisition. The divide exists between those better educated, with relatively secure professional positions cumulatively increasing their advantage through additional educational investments during their life, and those missing out on education, whose hindered access to skills leads to skills poverty. Apart from addressing demand, skills programming should focus more on training disadvantaged groups, including by adapting to their needs where necessary, to ensure nobody is left behind in the ongoing transitions. This study extensively explores (based on qualitative and quantitative analysis) what determinants of unique circumstances of vulnerability most affect access to skills, identifying characteristics conducive to skills poverty. Concrete illustrations from country-based case studies help scrutinize the imperative task of designing inclusive upskilling and reskilling practices.