Future skills needs in EU and skills transferability in 2020 : sector meta-analysis

Abstract

Employment and its changes caused by restructuring are topics, which European Union pays attention to in long-run horizon, and the experience of current economic crisis confirms the rectitude of this approach. Structural changes always generate a need of the re-emplacement of laid off workers. Possibilities of their emplacement is strongly influenced by knowledge and skills offered by workers and demanded by employers. Acquaintance with future demand on knowledge and skills applicable across whole economy or applicable in different segments of labour market, i.e. in concrete occupations and sectors, enables effective targeting of educational activities at both individual and social levels, which will lead to higher flexibility of labour market mirrored mainly by high occupational mobility and low structural unemployment. The aim of this paper is to analyse future knowledge and skills needs recognized in 18 future-oriented sector analyses, published by European Commission in 2009, and identify knowledge and skills applicable in individual sectors, occupations and on the whole labour market, i.e. identify transferable knowledge and skills.