Young Europeans need technical skills: there is still too big a gap between job vacancies and applications

Technical and vocational education: the great European opportunity

The European Union has launched several programmes in recent years to boost Vocational Education and Training (VET) as a strategic lever to close the skills gap. Among them, the Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) programme is funding more than 100 partnerships between schools, companies and universities from 2021, with the aim of creating regional talent ecosystems.

The Italian ITS Academy project, which underwent a major reform in 2022, also fits into this context. The Istituti Tecnici Superiori (Higher Technical Institutes), which are now fully integrated into the non-university tertiary system, are enjoying increasing success: the latest INDIRE monitoring shows that more than 85% of ITS graduates find a job within a year, often in sectors consistent with their training pathway.

The twin transitions - green and digital - are profoundly transforming the European labour market. By 2030, according to the EU Commission, Europe will need more than 20 million workers with green skills, from photovoltaic system technicians to smart grid designers to circular economy and green building experts.

In parallel, digitisation is redefining the very concept of 'literacy'. It is no longer just a question of knowing how to use software, but of understanding digital processes, knowing how to analyse data, developing automated solutions, even in traditional sectors such as agriculture, logistics or tourism.

According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), 42% of young Europeans between the ages of 16 and 24 have 'above-average' digital skills, but the share drops dramatically among girls and in some rural or peripheral areas. Closing the digital gender gap is now a priority for Brussels, which launched the 'Women in Digital Skills' initiative in 2023, with scholarships and awareness-raising campaigns in 27 countries.

On World Youth Skills Day, the focus is also on WorldSkills, the international competitions that test the best young craft, technical and digital talents in over 60 disciplines: from robotics to cooking, from carpentry to industrial design.

The 2024 edition, held in Lyon, saw the Italian team win six medals and nine medallions for excellence. Italy excelled in mechatronics, confectionery and cybersecurity. But it is Germany that leads the European medal table, followed by France and Switzerland.

These competitions are not just a show: they are a concrete way to enhance manual and technical skills, which are too often marginalised in the education debate. As Ursula von der Leyen pointed out in a recent speech: 'In a rapidly changing world, practical skills are more important than ever. Those who can do will always be in demand'.

Another key challenge is the continuous updating of skills. More and more European companies are investing in reskilling and upskilling programmes for young recruits. According to a BusinessEurope survey, 63% of companies say they have an internal training plan, but only 28% of young workers aged between 20 and 29 regularly participate in it. What is needed, therefore, is a greater alliance between schools, businesses and the local area.

Finally, one cannot forget youth leadership. Experiences of skill hubs, participatory workshops in which young people co-design their own training trajectories, are springing up all over Europe. In Berlin, the FuturLab trains high school students in hybrid work skills; in Milan, JobFarm accompanies NEETs aged between 16 and 25 in customised orientation and training paths.

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Europe's real wealth is not just its patents, funds or infrastructure. It is its young people. Investing in their skills, with vision and courage, is not only an ethical duty: it is an economic strategy. Because only a Europe that knows how to do, will also know where to go.