This high-level conference aimed to provide insight on how skills intelligence can contribute to understanding current challenges (digital, green, demography and others) and support national and regional policies in designing better VET and skills policies. It also took stock of Cedefop skills intelligence work so far and reflected on possible ways to strengthen it in the near future to make it more relevant and people-centred, in line with the ambitions stated in the 2020 Skills Agenda.

Speakers

Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of Cedefop

Jürgen Siebel joined Cedefop from the private sector in September 2019. As Executive Director, he is responsible for managing the Agency’s operations in accordance with the strategic direction of its tripartite Management Board.

Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

Nicolas Schmit took up office as European Commissioner responsible for Jobs and Social Rights in December 2019. Prior to this, and following a long career of public service in his native Luxembourg, he took up duty as Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the EU in 1998 for a six-year term.

Jiri Branka

Jiri Branka is a Cedefop expert in the Department for skills and the labour market. He leads the Skills Panorama project and is also responsible for data quality and analysis within the Skills in online job advertisement project.

Mara Brugia

Mara Brugia is the Deputy Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Cedefop, since September 2014. She was the Acting Executive Director from June 2018 until August 2019.

Manuela Geleng

Manuela Geleng works for the European Commission where she is currently the Director for Skills in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Previously, Manuela Geleng has held several other managerial positions in the Commission.

Maria Jepsen, Acting Executive Director of Eurofound, Deputy Director of Eurofound

Maria Jepsen is Eurofound’s Deputy Director, appointed on 1 November 2019. Prior to this, she was Director of the research department at the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), and assistant professor and research fellow at the Free University of Brussels (ULB).

Vladimir Kvetan

Vladimir Kvetan works as an expert at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) since 2010. He leads Cedefop’s works on developing a system for gathering and analysing data from online job advertisements. He also participates in the various labour market and skills intelligence activities of the Centre.

Marju Lauristin

Marju Lauristin, PhD (b. 1940) is professor emeritus in University of Tartu. She had been teaching sociological theories, media and political communication. Her main area of studies is social, political and cultural transformation of post-communist societies and social dimensions of digital transformation.

Ilias Livanos

Ilias Livanos is a Cedefop expert. Working in the Department for skills and the labour market, Ilias heads the Skills forecast and the European skills index projects, while he has been responsible for conceptualising the quantitative structure of the Skills Panorama.

Joanna Napierala

Joanna Napierala is a Cedefop expert in the Department for skills and the labour market. She joined Cedefop in January 2021 and she is focusing on the analysis of the impact on the labour market and skills of two megatrends: greening of economy and Artificial Intelligence.

Robert Plummer

Robert is a senior adviser responsible for issues concerning migration and mobility, education and skills, social dialogue and the European Labour Authority.

Konstantinos Pouliakas

Konstantinos Pouliakas is an Expert on Skills and Labour Markets at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). He is coordinator of Cedefop’s Skills and Work team and leads Cedefop’s projects on Digitalisation, AI and the Future of Work and Anticipating and Matching skills.

Antonio Ranieri

Antonio Ranieri, Head of Department for Learning and Employability at Cedefop, manages a team of European experts working in VET policy analysis and research. The mission of the Department is to support the development and implementation of European policies aimed at increasing attractiveness, effectiveness and inclusiveness of vocational education and training in EU Member States.

Agnes Roman

She has been a senior policy coordinator on education policy issues at the European Trade Union Committee of Education (ETUCE) since 2010 while she has been advising also the European Trade Union confederation (ETUC) on lifelong learning and VET policy since 2012. She is representing the European trade unions in several bodies and groups of the European Commission and agencies, eg. CEDEFOP Management Board, ACVT, DGVT, EQF, EQAVET.

Jasper Van Loo

Dr. Jasper van Loo is coordinator of Cedefop’s department for skills and labour market. He currently coordinates the labour market and skills analysis work of the agency. He is also part of the team investigating EU skills trends using online job vacancies.

Albrecht Wirthmann

Albrecht Wirthmann is acting head of the unit for methodology and innovation in official statistics at Eurostat where he is focussing i.a. on developing and implementing the concept of Trusted Smart Statistics.

Graphic recording

Opening addresses

Have your say

Round table

Policy panel

Related publications

Briefing note – Trends, transitions and transformation

Digital, greener and more resilient – Insights from Cedefop’s European skills forecast

Understanding technological change and skill needs: skills surveys and skills forecasting – Cedefop practical guide 1

Understanding technological change and skill needs: big data and artificial intelligence methods – Cedefop practical guide 2

Understanding technological change and skill needs: technology and skills foresight – Cedefop practical guide 3

Follow-up workshops

The main event on 13/04 is followed by four follow up workshops (on 15/4 and 20/4) which provide opportunities to engage in more in-depth discussions on particular aspects of LMSI.

Workshop 1: Cedefop skills forecasts - Going beyond understanding long-term trends

Workshop 2: Online job advertisements - Gaining real-time insights into skill trends

Workshop 3: Digital skills post-covid19 - Shifting gears in the digital transition

Workshop 4: Making skills intelligence actionable - Understanding opportunities and challenges