About

TRAILS seeks to build on current data in skills mismatches and create novel tools and databases, harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence. It will empower Vocational and Adult Education training to match employers with educational opportunities to reallocate workers efficiently.

Motivation

TRAILs motivation is driven by the:

urgent recognition of skills mismatch as a multidimensional challenge affecting productivity, social welfare and overall cohesion
changing labour market requirements triggered by several external trends and shocks, such as the pandemic COVID-19 pandemic or the energy crisis.
the need to allocate work efficiently, minimise unemployment and fill the skills gaps created by the “great restructuring”.

Scope

Architecture in a nutshell

The aim of TRAILS is to create a complete ecosystem that serves as a basis for research-led, policy-relevant and social impact-oriented actions. The aim is to establish the necessary conditions for the successful development of competences adapted to the needs of the European Union. The novel approach of TRAILS is that its concept is based on an open-loop architecture.

Objectives

1. Generate innovative European primary survey data

This will enable TRAILS to gather insights into regional and demographic disparities in skills mismatch while improvising upon existing databases.

2. Create a novel framework of analysis for identifying the main causes of labour shortages

TRAILS will asses skills needs and gaps and the impact of green and digital changes (known as the twin transition) on the resilience of European households and companies.

3. Enable new instruments and indicators based on machine learning and Big-Data methods

This will allow TRAILS to address the skills mismatch and assess factors that mitigate the polarisation and segmentation of the labour market induced by the post-Covid-19 megatrends.

4. Develop new instruments for balanced training

This will improve the coordination of VET providers, employers and other labour market institutions, and enable effective search and matching in the labour market, by harnessing the power of technology and artificial intelligence.

5. Initiate and improvise upon a bottom-up approach to identify the determinants of education and training choice, and enable skills profiling that classifies and promotes transferable skills for the needs of inclusive labour markets in Europe

By identifying:

new elements and learning objectives in training to facilitate changes in the labour market.
links for transforming research outputs in interventions for updating training curricula.
behavioural aspects in choosing education and training.

6. Assess the role of behavioural, social and cultural factors in the decision for participation and choice of VET and Adult Learning programmes, including informal learning

TRAILS will reach by identifying behavioural biases for different groups across countries and by increasing awareness towards upskilling and reskilling through behaviourally-based interventions

7. Enable wide communication and scientific dissemination of the innovative results to the
labour market institutions, citizens, employers, VET providers, and policy actors.

TRAILS will reach this objective by taking actions to enhance awareness of data-driven policy actions and to develop an integrated and scientifically robust analytical framework for monitoring skills mismatch

Working Package structure

Expected impact

Among its results will be an innovative methodology to measure skills mismatches; an analysis framework of training in the area of artificial intelligence, as well as a selection of best practices for tackling skills shortages and mismatches in Europe.