The Commission has launched the first full version of the European classification of Skills, Competences, Occupations and Qualifications (ESCO). The classification is available in 26 languages (the 24 EU languages, Icelandic and Norwegian). ESCO  facilitates the dialogue  between labour market  and the  education/training sector  by providing a common language...

The Commission has launched the first full version of the European classification of Skills, Competences, Occupations and Qualifications (ESCO). The classification is available in 26 languages (the 24 EU languages, Icelandic and Norwegian).

ESCO facilitates the dialogue betweenlabour market and the education/training sector by providing a common language that could help overcome labour market imbalances and increase occupational and geographical mobility in the EU. You can read more about ESCO here.

Retail, manufacturing and agriculture are three of the sectors where disruptive technologies have begun to usurp human capital. But are there sectors of our economy that technology cannot conquer? Jobs requiring emotional skills, such as care-giving and teaching, are less likely to be infiltrated by technology. While AI is progressing, computers are not yet at the stage where they can...

Retail, manufacturing and agriculture are three of the sectors where disruptive technologies have begun to usurp human capital. But are there sectors of our economy that technology cannot conquer?

Jobs requiring emotional skills, such as care-giving and teaching, are less likely to be infiltrated by technology. While AI is progressing, computers are not yet at the stage where they can replicate complex human emotions such as empathy convincingly. As a result, if these jobs cannot be automated, then workers with emotional skills will be in high demand in the job markets of the future. 

More on the importance of developing tech-resistant skills can be found here.

On 26 July, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) agreed on a mandate for negotiations on a draft directive covering entry and residence conditions for highly qualified  workers coming from third countries (blue card directive). The directive seeks to make Europe a more attractive destination for highly skilled workers from third countries, by creating a simplified common...

On 26 July, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) agreed on a mandate for negotiations on a draft directive covering entry and residence conditions for highly qualified  workers coming from third countries (blue card directive). The directive seeks to make Europe a more attractive destination for highly skilled workers from third countries, by creating a simplified common framework for all member states. Based on the agreed mandate, the Council presidency will start negotiations with the European Parliament. More information is available here. 

July 11 – Vice President Andrus Ansip takes part in structured dialogue with Parliamentary committee for culture and education (CULT) to discuss progress on digital strategy.  A number of questions were fielded from the Committee members, including from Elena Gentile (S&D, ITA), raised the issue of ‘fake news’ on platforms, asking how the Commission...

July 11 – Vice President Andrus Ansip takes part in structured dialogue with Parliamentary committee for culture and education (CULT) to discuss progress on digital strategy. 

A number of questions were fielded from the Committee members, including from Elena Gentile (S&D, ITA), raised the issue of ‘fake news’ on platforms, asking how the Commission foresees combatting the dissipation of such disinformation, while Luigi Morgano (S&D, ITA) spoke of Europeans’ fears of the implications of Artificial Intelligence and robotisation for the labour market. The issue of digital skills for the next generation of the European workforce was also raised. 

Ansip underlined to the importance of digital skills with reference to successful European initiatives such as Coding Week. He also made clear, that age should not be seen as a barrier to developing digital skills, and called on employers to make lifelong learning of their workers a reality. He also made reference to the unacceptable gender gap in ICT industry, and called for solutions to encourage girls and women into this field.

He also sought to assuage fears of the impact of AI on the job market, alluding to the fact that progress has historically always been good for the job market as a whole, while also warning that it was inevitable that some jobs would be lost to robots, making it doubly important to encourage continued professional development. He also alluded to the example of Germany to highlight how AI has led to ‘re-shoring’ of manufacturing jobs previously lost to countries with cheaper labour markets.