High-level EU taskforce on skills calls for business and educator partnerships

A taskforce on skills has published its first recommendation to the European Commission, proposing that all member states set up "skills partnerships for adult reskilling" (SPARKs) to bring together education and training institutes and businesses.

"SPARKs" would be high-impact regional and sectoral skills ecosystems bringing together businesses, education and training providers, and regional authorities to up- and reskill adults faster, and closer to where jobs actually are.

Presenting the High-Level Skills Board's first recommendation to the European Commission Vice-president for Skills, Roxana Mînzatu, on 15/07/2026, Johansson said that SPARKs would help identify which kind of courses were needed to fill the skills gap.

The High-Level Skills Board, chaired by former Commissioner Ylva…