In today’s rapidly evolving world, digital and green transitions are shaping economies, societies and labour markets, with a strong impact on jobs, workforce and skills demand.
The digital revolution, characterised by technological advancements and automation, creates new job opportunities while altering workforce requirements, such as advanced digital skills. Simultaneously, the urgent need to address climate change drives the transition to a greener economy, reshaping industries and creating demand for sustainable practices. This leads to a significant workforce reallocation and a growing demand for digital and green skills Skilling for the green transition | ETF (europa.eu).
To support inclusive transitions towards greener and digital labour markets, Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) play a crucial role. ALMPs encompass a range of measures and initiatives aimed at promoting employment, improving labour market efficiency, and supporting workers during economic and structural changes. Within the context of the digital and green transition, ALMPs can address challenges and seize opportunities by adapting its provision of services to jobseekers and employers. For example, Public Employment Services (PES) can facilitate job matching by connecting individuals with emerging job opportunities, offer targeted training programs to equip workers with the skills in demand, and promoting entrepreneurship and innovation.
These efforts align with the principles and priorities of the European Pillar of Social Rights and European Skills Agenda, as well as the European Years of Skills, which prioritise the development of relevant skills in demand, contributing to sustainable growth and leading to more innovation and competitiveness.
Below, a series of country practices from the EU neighbouring countries and EU Member States, collected through ETF’s regular policy learning activities and research, as for example Mapping innovative practices in the field of active labour market policies during the Covid-19 crisis | ETF (europa.eu) and Assessment of the effectiveness of active labour market policies in crisis and post-crisis situations | ETF (europa.eu)
ETF Partner Countries
Alo Career, Azerbaijan
Alo Career is an online support service aimed at assisting the personal and professional development of individuals during the pandemic through ensuring the availability of career guidance services for the target groups, providing the quality of services and prompt response to the request. The aims of the support services are: 1) career planning and goal setting; 2) selection of occupation; 3) labour market and job search; 4) providing recommendations and evaluating the preparation of resumes; and 5) providing necessary assistance in preparation for job interviews.
Core competencies training, Georgia
In 2021, the State Employment Support Agency (SESA) introduced trainings in core competencies which cover different areas, including digital skills. The target group for Core Competencies training was defined broadly as all job seekers who are registered in Worknet. According to SESA counsellors these courses, particularly Digital competencies, and foreign languages (mostly English and German) are extremely helpful in boosting job seekers employability. Online mode of delivery made it possible for the job seekers from remote areas (where no employment office is present) to attend the training.
Cash transfer notification via SMS, Egypt
During the Covid-19 pandemic, cash transfer amounts were increased by 157% through a monetary compensation offered to informal workers registering with the Ministry of Labour and Manpower. The payments were made through post offices and banks and were expected to cover almost 2 million people working in different sectors. The beneficiaries were notified via SMS with the location and time to collect their first payment, as well as given a free ATM card. This helped to avoid overcrowding and ensure the safety of beneficiaries
Enbek, Kazakhstan
Through digitalization of services, Kazakhstan has a fully automated process of organising vocational training on Enbek.kz, based on a digital employment ecosystem comprising different employment and education platforms. Other than online trainings (Enbek Skills), the portal offers electronic labour exchange for jobseekers and employers (Enbek), online services for the registration of employment contracts and organisation of the employment process (Enbek HR) and online support to businesses (Enbek Business).
Upskilling for energy-efficient construction sector, North Macedonia
Initiated as part of the pan-European initiative Build-Up Skills to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, the EU supported project TRAINEE (TowaRd market-based skills for sustAINable Energy Efficient construction) targeted upgrade of training/retraining and skills recognition services and development of a clear skills roadmap towards greener construction sector in North Macedonia. To overcome the barriers of skills shortages and underdeveloped network of training providers, the project developed or updated qualification standards, training programmes and added new routes for recognition of prior learning for several professions which are key for energy efficient building sector.
Angajat, Moldova
Jobseekers or employers can access the portal Angajat to benefit from the free services offered by the National Employment Agency (NEA). Employers can register their company and post vacancies, which are grouped by industry and field of interest. They can find suitable candidates based on available CVs. Jobseekers have access to a personal online space, where they can develop their CV, specify their professional experience, choose the region, the desired professional field, or the employer, and then apply for the selected job or for several vacancies simultaneously.
Morocco Take IT Forward, Morocco
Launched in October 2020, the project aims to empower Moroccan youths by developing digital skills and helping young people to find jobs in the ICT sector. The project aims to foster inclusive economic growth and reinforce the competitiveness of Morocco’s digital economy by providing demand-driven digital skills training to young jobseekers, with the aim of increasing employment opportunities in the booming ICT sector. The programme includes a mix of online digital training and in-classroom soft skills and technical training in computer programming.
Digitalisation of PES services, Tunisia
In Tunisia, the National Agency of Employment and Self-Employment initiated the whole set of activities toward digitalisation of its services and information exchange.
Digitalisation of PES services, Ukraine
The State Employment Service simplified administrative procedures by introducing deferred formal registration (online registration subject to verification within 10 working days after the quarantine restrictions are officially lifted) and online enrolment in unemployment and part-time employment benefit programmes.
Digital, green and inclusive dimensions of Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans
Youth Guarantee is a key priority for the Western Balkans and national stakeholders have committed to design, implement and monitor Youth Guarantee schemes, modelled in line with EU framework and adapted to each country’s conditions. Included in the European Investment Package of the European Union for recovery and inclusive growth in western Balkans, the Youth Guarantee initiative features political commitments to consolidate employment opportunities for young people taking into account increased demand for digital skills as well as digital and green transformations of economies and labour markets. As in the EU, the Youth Guarantee is an integrated package of education, (re)training, work-based learning and employment measures targeting one of the most vulnerable groups – young people not in employment, education and training.
European Union
Digital public works, Austria
In Austria, a large-scale programme of digitalisation of public archives was implemented, targeting workers with disabilities. Examples include activities like digitalisation of records of physical assets and printed public health records, tracking contacts with Covid-19 patients and classifying digital (health) records. Such jobs require computer equipment and some knowledge of digital technologies.
Vouchers for green and digital programmes, Croatia
The Lifelong learning concept in Croatia contributed to decreasing the number of unemployed individuals, starting from the period when Croatian access the EU, while is based on the systematic selection process and a strong focus on career counselling (in 2022, 13.5 million euros for approximately 11 thousand participants in all ALMM) and last but not least vouchers for education (green and digital programmes). This voucher scheme is initiated with the purpose to increase the number of adults in LLL, by promoting the acquisition of digital and green skills.
Digitalisation of service provision, Germany
The German PES has developed a road map with short- to medium-, and longer-term implications for the labour market from the crisis. The road map uses a transitional model to structure the new regular operations in line with the principles that have been set. This involves moving from a model mostly based on face-to-face contact to a 100% digital model.
MyOAEDlive, Greece
In Greece, a dedicated online platform has been put in place to facilitate counselling services via teleconferencing means as an alternative to in-person or on-site provision. Through this service, individuals can use interpretation services in a number of foreign languages and Greek sign language. In addition, the platform supports specialised counselling for vulnerable groups facing significant barriers to employment, including people with disabilities, refugees, migrants and young people. (Source, OECD)
Crescere in Digitale, Italy
The project aims to promote, through the acquisition of digital skills, the employability of young people who do not study and do not work and invest in their skills to accompany businesses in the world of the Internet. The project is composed of an online training (50 hours) with practical examples and case studies on the use of digital technologies in the workplace, followed by a training and guidance laboratory activities and 6-month internship programme funded under the Youth Guarantee.
FutureSkills, Luxembourg
This programme allows candidates to benefit from training aimed at strengthening their skills and acquiring new ones, as well as a practical internship allowing them to remain active during the period of unemployment. The training component is focused on the development of transversal skills: soft skills (communication, creativity, adaptability, etc.), digital skills (digital transformation, collaboration tools, etc.), project management skills, and training in office automation or data and coding. Following this intensive training, candidates put these new professional skills into practice by completing a six-month internship within the public sector.
Key competencies trainings, Romania
The Ministry of Labour in Romania is currently working to elaborate the National Adult Training Strategy 2023- 2027 having as a general objective the increase of adult learning participation rate to 12% by 2027 by intensifying and improving the provision of formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities. As approximately 30% of the registered unemployed people in Romania are low-skilled/unskilled person, or without any education, Romania introduced as compulsory provision by PES of key competencies trainings (literacy, numeracy, digital skills) for low-skilled/unskilled people.
Basque region green employment programme, Spain
This programme is based on a fund to support training/internships for companies offering sustainable development goods/services and is also available to employers’ associations and social partners. 560 participants and around 400 ‘green’ companies were involved. The programme includes a classroom training period of between 350 and 450 hours, followed by the practical application of new skills through an internship of 450 to 550 hours. The context of this programme is the decades-long transformation of the industrial Basque region into a high-skilled, coop-embedded green economy.
Free training in digital skills, Spain
The Spanish PES and the National Foundation for Training in Employment (Fundae) in conjuction with big technology companies provide free and open-access training courses in digital skills. Implemented in 2019, this programme is aimed at responding to new needs arising from the technological, digital and production transformation process, and to improve workers’ employability. The training is free and open to the entire working population, although it is related to and aimed at responding to the needs of SMEs and unemployed people. Free online training courses are provided by 24 partner companies. Currently, there are 567 training units, at different levels of complexity and specialisation.
Other countries
Digitalisation of service provision, Norway
In Norway, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) has been focused on furthering the digitalisation of the service delivery, particularly through self-service solutions and the digital follow-up of clients. The NAV has introduced a new ICT system to automate case handling and to allow people to apply digitally for an advance payment of unemployment benefits, social assistance and income support to self-employed and freelancers.
Key messages
A greener, digital-savvy and inclusive future will not become a reality without well thought, targeted and encompassing strategies to support individuals make this transition, be it young or adults, learners, workers or jobless.
Active Labour Market Policies and employment services play a crucial role in supporting workforce’s adaptation to new skills demand and occupations and work with most vulnerable groups exposed to joblessness and poverty.
Labour market impact of green and digital transition seems to affect disproportionately women due to long-standing problems such as lower participation in STEM studies, female workforce preponderantly employed in less tech-savvy sectors or occupations, or ‘male-oriented’ digital economy opportunities.
An inclusive approach requires strong investments in upskilling, reskilling and most importantly in efficient matching services to help workers and unemployed transit towards new employment opportunities or adapt to digital and green technologies at current workplaces. It also calls for a swift adaptation of initial education and training programmes as well as flexible and outreaching lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The European Training Foundation works with its Partner Countries, EU services, international organisations and donors to prioritise adaptation of education and employment systems to emerging needs and socio-economic transformations triggered by green and digital transitions. Our efforts entail building up to date and novel intelligence, policy and practice learning, progress monitoring as well as advice on most efficient ways to tackle the challenges and embrace opportunities of green and digital future.
Hello is it possible for a Palestinian to join even though his country is not in the partners?
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