STRENGTHENING KEY COMPETENCIES OF LOW SKILLED PEOPLE IN VET TO COVER FUTURE REPLACEMENT POSITIONS (REPLAY-VET)

Labour markets are dynamic institutions that are gradually but permanently changing their demand for skills. The main challenges labour markets in Europe currently face are those of an ageing workforce and expected changes to skills and work profiles due to automation and digitalization. While the skill demand is changing, skills are becoming more and more important in labour markets. Disadvantaged and low-skilled people are likely to find themselves in a rather vulnerable situation since the current technological change makes an increasing part of their work susceptible to substitution by technology. Those people need to enhance their skills for keeping up with the developments and they need some support in order to do so.

REPLAY-VET is an ERASMUS+ strategic partnership that aims to identify requalification strategies for low-skilled people in order to more adequately cover the future replacement positions.

This project will provide insights for the European Union and its member states in order to facilitate their capability of designing VET strategies. These strategies will help disadvantaged or low-skilled people to improve their employability, to acquire the necessary skills and to take advantage of the opportunities created by the need of replacements in the labour markets.

Start date: 1 January 2017
Finish date: 31 December 2018

Activities

During the first year of the project, every participating region compiled a regional report focusing on the labour market situation as well as future employment opportunities of low-skilled people in the seven participating regions. The regional reports include a statistical analysis of the labour-market participation of the target group as well as findings concerning replacement needs, trends and changes required in the qualifications of low-skilled people in sectors and occupations critical for low-skilled people in- and outside of the labour market. In interviews with important stakeholders of the regional VET system, possible obstacles and good practices when attracting and training low-skilled people were identified.

In the second year of the project, every participating region has initiated a working group in order to discuss the main challenges regarding the employment and training opportunities of the low-skilled in the specific sectors identified in the first year of the project. In the end, an Occupational Kit will provide VET institutions, employment services and policy makers with how-to-guides and best practice examples responding to needs and challenges in the respective sector.

Furthermore, based on the analysis of present and future labour market needs as well as the findings of the working groups, a requalification strategy for upskilling low-skilled people through the VET system will be designed. The strategy will cover the relationship between replacement demand projections, vocational training policy and active employment policies.

Events

The 1st Multiplier Event of the project was held in Bilbao, Spain on 8 February 2018. 

The 2nd Multiplier Event of the project took place during the Annual Meeting of the EN RLMM on 10-11 September in Exeter, UK. 

Results/Publications

REGIONAL REPORTS

Every partner organisation prepared a regional report, which starts with a preliminary statistical analysis of the low-skilled labour market and projections on expansion and replacement demand in the chosen economic sector. Based on these findings, challenges and opportunities in the sectors critical for low-skilled people were identified in interviews with VET training organizations, policy makers, companies as well as business and employers’ associations. Proceeding from the projections for expansion and replacement demand, the project partners focused on the following economic sectors in their country or region:

 

COMPARATIVE REPORT

The Comparative Report offers a comprehensive summary, which addresses the main conclusions of the regional reports from a comparative point of view. It provides an overview over the main challenges and replacement opportunities in the jobs and sectors critical for low-skilled people in the respective regions.

 

EU SRATEGY AND GUIDELINES

The European Strategy highlights lessons and recommendations on improving the current and future labour market participation of low-skilled groups of workers across the European Union. These include: reducing barriers to vocational training; improving the attractiveness of jobs, careers and labour conditions associated with the sectors in which low-skilled/low-qualified people work; and advancing professionalisation in these sectors. Understanding changing labour market trends, including replacement demand and new demand for skills, is pivotal to the successful design of vocational education and work and employment policies for low-skilled people across Europe. 

Specific guidelines have been developed for VET providers and career counsellors:

The partners have also composed their regional strategies:

Occupational Kit

The Occupational Kit is designed to provide VET institutions, employment services and policy makers with how-to-guides and best practice examples responding to needs and challenges regarding the employment and training opportunities of the low-skilled people identified in the first year of the project. The kit gives access to inspiring solutions structured by key themes. Click here for access to the full toolkit: http://www.replayvet.eu/