PRESS RELEASE I

23/01/2024

Brussels 23 January 2024

In Europe, there is an urgent need to recognise skills mismatch as a multidimensional challenge impacting productivity, social welfare, and overall cohesion. Today, our societies are facing fast-changing labour market demands caused by megatrends and external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the energy crisis. Therefore, it is essential to relocate workers efficiently, minimize unemployment, and bridge the emerging skills gaps caused by the “Great Reshuffling.”

In this context, TRAILS – Enabling data analytics for actions tackling skills shortages & mismatch – Horizon Europe project 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. 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.

TRAILS is funded under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, Thematic Priority “Innovative research on social and economic transformations” and will last three years (2024-2027). The consortium is led by the Democritus University of Thrace (D.U.Th, Greece), in partnership with the University of Naples Federico II (UNINA, Italy), IPSOS NV (Belgium), the Economic and Social Research Institute LBG (ESRI, Ireland), SKILLAB BV (Skillab, the Netherlands), University of Tilburg (TiU, the Netherlands), European Association of Regional & Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL, Belgium), and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH, Greece). Partners will work on eight work packages and seven objectives to contribute to strengthening social and economic resilience and sustainability boost inclusive growth and reduce vulnerabilities.

TRAILS officially launched its activities on 21-22 January 2024 with the first partners meeting at EARLALL’s premises located at the Basque Delegation to the EU in Brussels (Belgium). Simone Rosini (from the European Commission’s DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion) and Andrea Rotondo (from the European Research Executive Agency), project officers for TRAILS participated in this first meeting in Brussels.