10/09/2026
The TRAILS consortium came together in Naples, Italy, on 9 September 2026 for its sixth plenary meeting, bringing partners together to take stock of progress and coordinate the final stages of the project. The meeting took place at the Department of Economics and Statistics of the University of Naples Federico II, ahead of the Conference on Occupational Mismatch and Skill Shortage, held in Naples on 10–11 September.
With TRAILS entering the final implementation period, the plenary provided an important opportunity for partners to review progress across the project’s work packages, address outstanding issues and agree on the actions needed to deliver the remaining research, policy and technological outputs.
A central theme of the meeting was the transition from research findings towards practical recommendations for policymakers and other stakeholders.
Partners discussed the development of a series of policy briefs that will translate evidence generated through TRAILS into concrete actions. The planned briefs will focus on key challenges addressed by the project, including training and inclusion, matching skills to labour market needs, skills development and mobility.
The consortium also reviewed the progress of the second TRAILS survey, an important source of evidence for understanding skills, education and labour-market dynamics across Europe. The survey results will contribute to the wider TRAILS evidence base and support the project’s work on educational and occupational mismatch, skills development and labour-market mobility.
The plenary also addressed the development of the TRAILS platform, which brings together the project’s data, analytical approaches and results.
Partners reviewed progress on system design and integration and discussed the next steps towards the platform’s final development. The platform is making TRAILS results more accessible and useful beyond the consortium, supporting stakeholders interested in understanding and addressing skills shortages and mismatches.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the project’s overall implementation, including milestones, deliverables, dissemination activities and the remaining project timetable. The project has been extended until March 2027, when the final results will be present.
With several major deliverables scheduled for completion between October 2026 and February 2027, the consortium agreed on a set of priorities for the coming months. These include completing the remaining research outputs, finalising the TRAILS platform, continuing the second survey, producing policy briefs and strengthening dissemination and exploitation activities.
The Naples meeting therefore marked an important shift towards the consolidation and uptake of TRAILS results. The emphasis is increasingly on ensuring that the knowledge, data and tools developed by the project can inform decisions and contribute to more effective responses to skills shortages and mismatches.
The plenary was followed by the Conference on Occupational Mismatch and Skill Shortage, held on 10–11 September at the Museo Artistico Politecnico (MUSAP), Palazzo Zapata, in Naples.
The conference brought together more than 40 participants to discuss occupational mismatch and skills shortages and provided an important setting for sharing research and perspectives with a wider audience.
Holding the conference immediately after the consortium meeting created a valuable bridge between the internal work of the TRAILS project and the broader European discussion on skills, employment, education and labour-market change.
As TRAILS moves towards its conclusion in March 2027, the consortium will continue working to turn its research findings into practical knowledge, policy recommendations and tools that can support stakeholders in tackling skills shortages and mismatch.
The Naples meeting was an important step in that process — with the project’s final plenary meeting still to come before TRAILS officially concludes in March 2027.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101132673
