Regional skills ecosystems index (RESET)

Context

Recent EU initiatives, including the Union of Skills, the Council recommendation on human capital in the EU and the Conclusions from the European High Level Skills Board, stress the need for stronger skills intelligence and a stronger territorial approach to policy. Yet no EU-wide tool systematically compares regional skills ecosystems across all Member States. The Regional Skills Ecosystems index (RESET) addresses this gap by providing a structured, comparable and evidence-based picture of skills ecosystems in 244 NUTS 2 regions. It supports policymakers, social partners, employers and education providers in strengthening training systems, employment and regional development. This research paper establishes the methodological framework underpinning RESET.

Facts and findings

• RESET is the first comprehensive EU regional index on skills and vocational education and training (VET), covering 244 NUTS 2 regions in all EU Member States.
• The index combines 37 indicators organised into four pillars: skills supply, skills demand, skills environment and skills match.
• RESET includes some indicators on initial VET graduates, enabling more detailed regional comparison for VET.
• RESET rests on a solid methodological foundation, with statistical validation and robustness checks supporting reliable comparisons of regional skills ecosystems.

Key messages

• Skills performance can vary strongly across regions, so national averages alone cannot capture the conditions shaping skills supply, demand, environment and matching.
• Regional skills intelligence can support more targeted policy by showing where there is room for improvement in education and training systems, labour demand, governance or transitions into work.
• RESET offers a robust basis for benchmarking regions, showing patterns of strength and challenges, and supporting evidence-based skills strategies at EU, national and regional levels.
• RESET offers authorities, social partners, employers and education providers a shared basis for dialogue, helping identify priorities for action.

Policy pointers

• EU level: use RESET to strengthen the territorial dimension of EU skills policy, including implementation of the Union of Skills and the Conclusions of the European Skills High Level Board.
• National level: combine RESET findings with national evidence and examine regional differences with providers, employers and social partners to identify regions needing targeted support.
• Regional level: use RESET to inform regional skills strategies, smart specialisation priorities and regional skills partnerships between education and training providers, employers and public authorities.
• VET providers and social partners: use RESET evidence to improve the responsiveness of provision, strengthen school-to-work transitions and address regional skills mismatches.
• Short to medium term: build on RESET to identify high-performing and improving regions, support peer learning and develop case studies of transferable regional practice.