TRAILS partners meet in Dublin for the 4th Plenary Meeting

29/09/2025

On 25–26 September 2025, TRAILS partners gathered at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin for the project’s 4th Transnational Plenary Meeting. The event brought together professors, researchers, and regional stakeholders to take stock of progress, review upcoming deliverables, and set priorities for the next phase of work.

The meeting opened with updates on project management by Prof. Ioannis Pragidis (Democritus University of Thrace, DUTH). He also highlighted preparations already underway for the next academic workshop in Naples in September 2026.

Work on data management and survey design has also advanced significantly. Prof. Georgios Panos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AUTH) presented progress on secondary data analysis and the design of large-scale surveys spanning 24 EU Member States and four candidate countries. Complementing this, Sylvana Hiltrop (Skillab) outlined developments in field experiments and regional workshops carried out in Tuscany, Västra Götaland, and Borås, with additional activities scheduled for Baden-Württemberg and Catalonia, coordinated with the support of the European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) .

Updates on research activities continued with Luke Brosnan (ESRI) who described ongoing work on technological change and training. This was followed by a presentation from Tilburg University, who introduced methodologies to measure skills mismatches and their social costs. Early findings point to notable wage gains for workers in teleworkable jobs, underlining the importance of flexible working arrangements.

The discussion then turned to new skills and labour market dynamics. Paul Redmond (ESRI) shared results showing that digital upskilling remains a top priority for employees across the EU, with strong links to positive career outcomes. Complementary evidence from AUTH highlighted the economic and social costs of skills and educational mismatches, drawing on innovative econometric approaches.

On the communication front, EARLALL presented progress in dissemination and business planning. TRAILS’ LinkedIn community continues to grow steadily.

Finally, Paris Karypidis (DUTH) introduced the TRAILS Portal. The platform will integrate datasets and provide interactive dashboards designed to support evidence-based policymaking.

The meeting concluded with preparations for the Academic Workshop in Naples in September 2026.

Partners reaffirmed their shared ambition to equip Europe with data-driven tools that help bridge skills gaps, reduce mismatches, and strengthen the resilience of labour markets. The next consortium meeting will take place on 8 May 2026 in Amsterdam, hosted by Skillab.