Tackling Unemployment: A New Skills Strategy for Europe with Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labor Mobility, May 12

European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labor Mobility Marianne Thyssen
 
On May 12, Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills, and Labor Mobility, joined the Atlantic Council for a private breakfast roundtable conversation. Ms. Thyssen addressed the challenges that the European Union is currently facing with regards to unemployment and outdated skills of workers in the aftermath of the financial crisis. 

Commissioner Thyssen talked about the European Commission’s future plans of how to tackle current unemployment levels, “skills atrophy”, as well as elaborated on how to integrate the increasing influx of migrants and refugees.
 
  • Both the European Union and the member states need to increase efforts to support their workforce in upgrading their skills, with a special emphasis on digital skills. 
 
Thyssen Full Boardroom
Participants were eager to learn about the EC’s efforts to curb low-employment
 
  • There is no “one size fits all member states” solution with regards to skills strategies. While approaches should account for national and regional differences, peer learning programs are strongly encouraged.  
  • A European skills strategy as well as updated national skills strategies are a big priority. The European Commission is working on a European agenda that will provide recommendations of how to “Get Europe working again”.