On 11 February, the European Parliament officially inaugurated the Intergroup on the Future of Education and Skills for a Competitive Europe in Strasbourg, marking a significant step toward strengthening skills development and lifelong learning across the EU. The initiative is led by Vice-President Victor Negrescu (S&D, Romania), alongside MEPs Eleonora Meleti (EPP, Greece), Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, Germany), and Brigitte van den Berg (Renew, Netherlands), and has secured the backing of 64 MEPs in addition to the four Co-Chairs.
As Europe navigates the twin green and digital transitions, ensuring that people have the right competencies to thrive is a key challenge. This new Intergroup will enable MEPs across Committees to work holistically on education and skills development, breaking silos between different policy areas.
The Intergroup aims to enhance the quality, equity, and inclusiveness of education and training across Europe. It will focus on key challenges such as labour and skills shortages, the shortage of education professionals, the need for upskilling and reskilling in response to technological and environmental transformations. Additionally, it will address the decline in basic competencies among learners. By fostering dialogue between MEPs, stakeholders, and civil society, the Intergroup seeks to develop comprehensive European strategies, influence legislation, and build political alliances to promote lifelong learning.
EBC, in collaboration with the Schuman Associates Skills coalition, supported the Intergroup’s establishment and welcomes this first-ever initiative. A broad coalition of education and industry stakeholders backs this effort, recognizing its potential to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and social cohesion. EBC’s engagement follows its active role in the European Year of Skills and its position paper on labour and skills shortages in construction. With an ageing workforce and increasing demand for green and digital skills, the construction sector requires strong vocational training policies and reskilling initiatives. This Intergroup provides a crucial platform to address these pressing challenges.
EBC looks forward to engaging with MEPs to ensure that construction, particularly micro companies and SMEs, benefits from the European Parliament’s renewed focus on education and skills development. Strengthening skills development is essential to ensuring the sector’s long-term competitiveness and supporting a resilient and skilled workforce for Europe’s future.
 | To read the EBC position paper “Crafting the workforce of tomorrow EBC position paper on skills and labour needs in the EU construction sector” (2024), click here |
