European skills: Launch of a large-scale partnership on skills in retail

Today, with the support of the Commission, retail employers and trade union associations Eurocommerce and Uni Europa have set up a large-scale skills partnership for the retail industrial ecosystem. The ambition of the partnership is to allow people and businesses to acquire new skills for the digital and green transitions of Europe’s economy. The partnership will focus on promoting lifelong learning in the retail sector, help to share best practices as well as monitor available and needed skills. Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “This large-scale partnership under the Pact for Skills will help retail businesses embrace the green and digital transition, increase their resilience and remain competitive.

Consumers will also benefit from a better performing retail ecosystem”. Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit, said: “We welcome the new large-scale skills partnership for the ecosystem with the largest workforce in the EU. The Pact for Skills brings together all relevant players in the retail and wholesale value chain, to work together and tackle skills challenges in an inclusive and fair way. Following commitments in other industrial ecosystems, this partnership is a concrete implementation of the Pact for Skills, one of the flagship initiatives under the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. Since its launch, nearly 1000 organisations have pledged to reskill over 6 million people in Europe. This initiative also contributes to the EU-level headline target that by 2030, at least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year.