The European Commission’s new Competitiveness Compass places skills development at the heart of Europe’s future success. The Commission has recognized that “the foundation of Europe’s competitiveness is its people” and is launching a “Union of Skills” initiative to transform how Europe develops talent.
What the EU is Prioritizing
The Commission is focusing on creating systems for continuous learning throughout careers, anticipating future skill needs rather than just addressing current gaps, and enabling talent mobility across Europe. This skills strategy is designed to help Europe close its innovation gap, accelerate its green transition, and remain competitive globally.
As President von der Leyen emphasized, “What matters is speed and unity. The world is not waiting for us.”
Why This Matters Now
Europe faces a perfect storm of challenges: lagging productivity growth, rapid technological transformation requiring new competencies, an ambitious climate neutrality goal demanding green skills, and demographic shifts creating workforce gaps. Without urgent action on skills development, Europe risks falling further behind in global competitiveness.
How ComeThinkAgain is Contributing
ComeThinkAgain fosters strategic collaboration between Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, enterprises, and research organizations. Our mission is to transform European education by equipping educators with the needed skills to shape the future workforce in a rapidly evolving world.
The project directly supports EU priorities through:
- Standardized Training: Developing and implementing a standardized training system (ComeThinkAgain CETS) for educators across Europe
- Educator Empowerment: Training educators with the skills to teach essential competencies like Computational Thinking, Green Skills, Entrepreneurship Education, and Social Responsibility
- Cross-Sector Collaboration: Creating partnerships between education institutions, businesses, and research organizations
By focusing on educators as knowledge multipliers, ComeThinkAgain creates a sustainable approach to skills development that can scale across Europe’s educational systems. Our work helps ensure that the next generation of European professionals is prepared for success and career advancement in today’s rapidly changing job market.
Source:
An EU Compass to regain competitiveness and secure sustainable prosperity: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_339
