The COVID-19 crisis has reiterated the importance of adult learning and career guidance services as many adults have lost their jobs and now require upskilling and reskilling opportunities in order to keep pace with the rapidly evolving world of work. Yet, in order to achieve its positive gains, adult training needs to be of high quality and ensure successful learning experiences for all participants.
The COVID-19 crisis has reiterated the importance of adult learning and career guidance services as many adults have lost their jobs and now require upskilling and reskilling opportunities in order to keep pace with the rapidly evolving world of work.
Germany has a strong skill development system. The country’s 15‐year‐old students performed above the OECD average in the last (2018) edition of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), continuing a trend of significant improvement since PISA’s first edition in 2000.
Skills are the key to shaping a better future and central to the capacity of countries and people to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. This report, OECD Skills Strategy Bulgaria: Assessment and Recommendations, identifies opportunities and makes recommendations to improve youth skills, improve adult skills, use skills effectively in the labour market and at work, and improve the governance of the skills system in Bulgaria.
This report, OECD Skills Strategy Lithuania: Assessment and Recommendations, identifies opportunities and makes recommendations for Lithuania to better equip young people with skills for work and life, raise adults’ and enterprises’ participation in learning, use people’s skills more effectively in workplaces, and strengthen the governance of skills policies.
Talent shortages in the tech sector pose significant challenges for firms, workers and governments, hindering productivity, innovation, job satisfaction and economic growth. To address these shortages, this report emphasises the importance of a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder strategy based on innovative policy actions. This includes adopting skills-first approaches to hiring, which prioritise specific skills over traditional qualifications, expanding talent pools and enabling employers to adapt more dynamically to evolving technological demands. Additionally, the promotion of micro-credentials is highlighted as a crucial tool for facilitating rapid skill development tailored to current industry needs, thereby supporting continuous learning and workforce agility. Furthermore, fostering inclusivity in the tech sector is essential. The report advocates for inclusive initiatives that broaden the talent pool by addressing barriers faced by under-represented groups, including women, minorities, youth and migrants. The report emphasises that successful implementation of these strategies requires robust collaboration among governments, education and training institutions, and the private sector. It draws on exemplary practices from various OECD countries to illustrate effective approaches to fostering such collaboration, ensuring sustainable solutions to alleviate talent shortages in the tech sector globally.
A changing world of work brings the importance of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to the forefront, as it has the ability to develop the skills that are needed in today’s labour markets and societies. At the same time, structural changes highlight the need to re-engineer certain parts of VET systems in some countries to make them more resilient and ensure they can make the most of the opportunities ongoing changes present.
Skills are the key to shaping a better future and central to the capacity of countries and people to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. This report, OECD Skills Strategy Luxembourg: Assessment and Recommendations, identifies opportunities and makes recommendations to provide labour-market relevant adult learning opportunities, guide and incentivise skills choices, attract and retain foreign talent to fill skills shortages, and strengthen the governance of skills data in Luxembourg.
The Dutch economy swiftly returned to its pre-pandemic growth path, but rapidly rising inflation disrupted growth, magnifying existing challenges, such as the urgency of the transition to net zero, ageing-related fiscal pressures, and pervasive labour shortages. Significant investments in low-carbon infrastructure and technologies are needed to reduce fossil fuels dependence and exposure to global energy price fluctuations.
The 2021 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook focusses on the labour market implications of the COVID‐19 crisis. Chapters 1-3 concentrate on the main labour market and social challenges brought about by the crisis and the policies to address them.
