During a debate with Roxana Mînzatu, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, local and regional leaders called for better resources and funding in the next EU budget to implement the Union of Skills Strategy, a key initiative under the European Pillar of Social Rights. In an accompanying opinion led by Emil BoC (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cluj-Napoca Municipality, members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed that investing in skills is the EU’s strongest driver of competitiveness.
Rapporteur Emil Boc (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cluj-Napoca Municipality said "Local and regional authorities are not just implementers of policies decided elsewhere. They are the true architects of transformation. They build lifelong learning ecosystems, foster innovation hubs, and bring schools, universities, SMEs, civil society, and citizens around the same table. That is why the Union of Skills must be co-designed with cities and regions — not simply delivered to them.”
Boc called for simpler, more accessible and better coordinated EU funding in the new EU long-term budget (2028-2034), and for local and regional authorities (LRAs) to be recognised as indispensable partners in delivering the Union of Skills and social inclusion strategies across all EU regions. They emphasised that Union of Skills and the Anti-Poverty Strategy should be mutually reinforcing, as empowering citizens with skills promotes employment and combats poverty and social exclusion.
Following the debate with Commissioner Mînzatu, local and regional leaders adopted the opinion on the Union of Skills Strategy and further stressed that investing in skills is key to Europe’s resilience, competitiveness and cohesion, especially in rural, remote and less-developed regions. They reaffirmed the crucial role of LRAs in adapting education to local needs and called for structured dialogue with EU institutions to ensure that EU policies reflect local realities.
Members of the CoR emphasised the need to modernise education and training through greater investments in STEM skills, digitalisation and vocational training, while addressing teacher shortages. They called for strong partnerships with businesses and academia to build regional skills ecosystems that foster innovation and retain talent.
In his opinion Boc also advocated for tailored strategies to integrate vulnerable groups into the labour market, alongside with stronger support for workplace-based and lifelong learning. Members underlined that better recognition of qualifications across Europe and data-driven skills policies, are essential to preparing Europe’s workforce for future challenges
The European Pillar of Social Rights provides the EU’s framework for promoting social justice, fair working conditions and equal opportunities. The Union of Skills Strategy, launched this year by the European Commission, is one of its key priorities and aims to equip citizens with the competences needed for the green and digital transitions. The challenges are significant. Only 37% of adults participated in training in 2023, below the 60% target for 2030, and skill shortages continue to grow at a time when the working-age population is shrinking and 3.5 million jobs across the EU remain unfilled.