In this first webinar of 2025, the ETF Skills Lab Network of Experts will introduce a forthcoming publication that emerged from the joint research projects on skills anticipation and demand. The research projects originated from a call for proposals launched by the Network in 2022, encouraging collaborative, cross-country studies on skills demand and anticipation. The selected proposals were implemented during 2023-2024.
As previously announced in the Catalogue of joint research projects 2022–24, the publication will be a compendium of the following six papers on skills anticipation and demand, with an introductory and concluding section that sets the overall framework of changing skills demands and connects the research papers under the common theme of skills supply and demand analysis:
• Bridging Sustainability and Digital Gaps in the Agri-Food Sector: A Study on Skill Needs Among Small Farms in Serbia
• Green jobs, skills needs and skills gaps in green economy: Evidence from Lebanon and Tunisia
• Addressing Skill Gaps and Mismatches in the Emerging Energy Sector Transition
• The transition to work and graduate qualification and skill mismatch: Case studies of Morocco and Serbia
• Identifying Sectoral Skills Needs: Lessons from Poland and Wales for the Turkish Steel Industry
• Digital Social Entrepreneurship for Young People in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia
The publication critically examines prevailing theories on how labour market skills needs evolve in response to technological and environmental shifts, while also offering fresh perspectives and policy insights. It also explores how skills gaps emerge and persist, particularly in the context of rapid technological change and evolving labour market needs. Each paper focuses on a different aspect of skills demand and discusses various solutions such as knowledge transfer, peer learning, sector alliances, and the role of technology in skills development.
A central theme is the need for policies that integrate skills development with broader economic and industrial strategies to drive meaningful change, addressing challenges such as latent skills gaps, barriers to vocational training adoption, and the need for integrated policies linking skills development with technology and investment strategies.
This webinar brings together researchers and professionals focused on understanding how skills anticipation methodologies are evolving and their implications for education, training, and employment strategies. The event will begin with a keynote by the author of the publication’s introductory chapter, providing context on skills anticipation trends and assessing how the featured papers challenge or reinforce dominant models. This will be followed by two expert panels, where the authors of each paper will present a glimpse of their research findings and engage in discussions moderated by an expert facilitator.
The event provides an opportunity for knowledge exchange, discussion, and a deeper understanding of global approaches to skills anticipation and workforce development.
You can find the agenda and the presentations as attachments to this page.
The webinar recording and a short summary of the event will be available on this page.
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