On 5 March, the European Commission presented its Union of Skills strategy, complemented by an Action Plan on Basic Skills and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education Strategic Plan, aimed at boosting skills for competitiveness and innovation. As part of the Commission’s flagship initiatives during the first 100 days of its mandate, the Union of Skills intends to promote upskilling and reskilling, facilitate recruitment across the EU, and attract and retain talent within the Union, in line with recommendations from the Draghi and Letta reports, as well as existing instruments such as the European Research Area.

Notably, the strategy sets new 2030 targets for performance in literacy, mathematics, science, and digital skills, as well as for the share of students enrolled in STEM or Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fields. It also proposes the creation of a Basic Skills Support Scheme pilot for struggling children and young people in 2026, and a Skills Guarantee pilot for workers to develop their careers in different sectors, to be introduced later this year. Additionally, the Union of Skills aims to make full use of the Single Market by streamlining skills and qualifications across the EU to facilitate mobility.

To further ensure the attractiveness of the EU’s research and innovation ecosystem, in the final quarter of the year, the Commission will introduce the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions pilot project "Choose Europe" to bring in top global talent by offering attractive working conditions and career opportunities, with a €22.5 million budget. Furthermore, the Union of Skills seeks to propose a legal status for European Universities alliances in 2027, with the objective of deepening transnational cooperation by facilitating alliances of higher education institutions to ensure sustainable cooperation and funding.

The clean energy transition is also referenced, with a proposal to streamline and reinforce the EU Skills Academies, which aim to deliver the skills needed by businesses for the green transition, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal. Shortages are anticipated in various sectors, including industries related to the clean transition. According to the publication, a 50% increase in the energy workforce is estimated to be necessary by 2030 to deploy renewable energies, grid technologies, and energy efficiency technologies. Green and energy transition roles, such as Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Specialists, Environmental Engineers, and Renewable Energy Engineers, are identified as some of the fastest-growing positions.

In making these forecasts for future needs, the STEM Education Strategic Plan highlights that the starting point is the shortage of STEM graduates, which has worsened between 2015 and 2022, with a 7% decline in doctoral graduates in STEM fields. It also draws attention to a persistent gender gap: the proportion of women in energy has increased only from 19% in 2010 to 24% in 2022. This situation undoubtedly weakens the Union’s ability to compete in the global race for technology and to maintain autonomy in strategic industrial sectors, with rivals such as China, India, and the US seeing an increase in STEM doctoral graduates in recent years.

Precarious working conditions, rigid academic hierarchies, a lack of permanent positions, and comparatively low salaries notably present challenges for research careers in the EU. Overall, the communication recommends improving curricula, increasing student enrolments, and implementing long-term strategies covering the entire education chain. The Strategic Plan also emphasises the importance of bolstering and fully implementing previous EU initiatives, such as the EU Skills Academies, including the net-zero industry academies set up by the Net-Zero Industrial Act (NZIA), or the Advanced Materials Academies, which aim to facilitate upskilling and reskilling in response to STEM needs, and foster collaboration between academia and industry.