Employment and social policy: Christian Lettmayr

Education and training must be able to adapt quickly to changing demands and Europe's ageing workforce, writes Christian Lettmayr

The recession that has followed the 2008 financial crisis has increased unemployment in Europe and highlighted structural imbalances in the labour market. Despite high unemployment, employers experience skill shortages.

Even qualified young people have difficulty finding their first job; those who lost their job before finishing their training or apprenticeship and those with no qualifications are finding it even harder.

Lack of work experience early in working life can damage future job prospects and turn youth unemployment into adult unemployment. The depressing scenario of a 'lost generation' without the skills the labour market needs has become a reality for many.

But not only young people have suffered. Unemployment has risen for all age groups, irrespective of their qualification level. But generally those without qualifications have suffered most.

There is a risk that, despite high unemployment, skill shortages will become worse. Cedefop's skill forecasts for 2020 (an update of which will be published in March 2012) show a clear trend towards skill-intensive jobs between now and 2020.

Europe also needs green skills to develop a low-carbon economy. Green skills are not confined to the energy sector. They are generic and will become as central to many occupations as IT skills.

The forecasts also show that many people will retire in the next decade, with skills that need to be replaced particularly by those with medium-level qualifications, many of which are vocational.

Even elementary jobs will require higher levels qualifications even at times of high unemployment, like now.

Success of the EU's strategy for smart sustainable growth and its target to raise the employment rate from today's 64 per cent to 75 per cent in 2020, depends heavily on Europe's workforce having the skills that the labour market requires.

Europe's workforce is becoming more highly qualified. But many highly qualified young people often have to accept jobs below their qualification level. The workforce is also ageing.

By 2020, the EU will have more people aged over 65 than aged 19 or younger. New demands for skills have to be met largely by those already in the workforce.

Strengthening people's job and career prospects means moving away from the current age-based education and training systems whereby people qualify for a trade, craft or profession by their late teens or 20s.

To tackle structural unemployment, adults need access to various forms of learning and qualifications through training.

Education and training systems need to provide people with opportunities to qualify for a trade, craft or profession throughout their working lives and various routes that validate the results of informal and non-formal learning.

This is important for young people whose careers were interrupted by the recession as well as adults made redundant in their mid-40s.

Europe's ageing workforce needs to update, upgrade and broaden its knowledge, skills and competences to find and perform efficiently in jobs which, at all levels, will be more skill-intensive.

It is important that education and training systems adapt quickly and are flexible to changing demands and do provide the skills and competences needed.

Christian Lettmayr is the director of the Euroepan centre for the development of vocational training (Cedefop)