A range of factors including technological displacement, the ageing of the European population and, more recently, structural changes due to, for example, the growth of the green economy and the emergence of artificial intelligence, have contributed to changes in the labour market. Some results of these developments which are giving rise to great concern include the emergence of a demand for new skills and extensive skills shortages in the European labour market. That is why a PES Network Working Group was established and a survey launched on the issue of ‘PES and skills shortages’. A questionnaire was included in the survey and it was completed by 26 individual European PES. The responses revealed that the PES have strategies and activities to fill skill shortages, but also that there are a number of areas where the contribution of the PES to alleviating skills shortages could be significantly improved. These areas include inter alia the early identification of skills shortages; providing supports and services for non-traditional client groups (i.e. potential as well as actual jobseekers); the changing relationship between general education and vocational training and more extensive and balanced engagement between PES, and between PES and some of their stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to identify a strategy that would result in the PES successfully addressing these issues and consequently placing itself in a position where it could make a further significant contribution to enhancing the impact of PES in addressing the issue of skills shortages.

链接地址：http://dx.doi.org/10.2767/911732