Pact for Skills – key results and future opportunities

Based on a Europe-wide survey of members, the 2025 Pact for Skills Annual Report highlights progress and challenges in skills development across Europe.

Launched in 2020, the Pact for Skills is one of the flagship initia­ti­ves of the European Skills Agenda and brings together public and private orga­ni­sa­ti­ons. Its aim is to streng­then the skills of the European workforce through ups­kil­ling and res­kil­ling, and to support Europe’s green and digital transitions.

As the European Commission’s annual survey shows, more than 10 million people – including 3.9 million in 2025 alone – have benefited from training initia­ti­ves since the launch of the Pact for Skills.

In 2025, members of the Pact for Skills – a network of around 4,000 European orga­ni­sa­ti­ons from industry, social partners, education and training providers, regional and local aut­ho­ri­ties, and employment services – invested more than €1 billion in streng­thening skills across the EU.

Most respond­ents assess the Pact posi­tively, par­ti­cu­lar­ly high­light­ing net­wor­king and exchange oppor­tu­ni­ties, increased visi­bi­li­ty of training acti­vi­ties, and improved access to knowledge and resources.

The survey also shows that par­ti­ci­pa­ting orga­ni­sa­ti­ons have increased their efforts to provide high-quality training pro­gram­mes and improve access to lifelong learning. In line with the needs of the European labour market, digital, green, and sector-specific skills were prioritised.

Key chal­lenges include limited human and financial resources, as well as rapid tech­no­lo­gi­cal changes across sectors. Members also expressed a desire for more tailored support to specific stake­hol­der groups and addi­tio­nal Pact activities.

The recently published report can be accessed here.

The Pact for Skills was also discussed at the European Employment and Social Rights Forum 2026, which took place on 3–4 March in Brussels. Stefan Humpl and Daniel Unterweger par­ti­ci­pa­ted on behalf of 3s. Organised by the European Commission, the Forum is the EU’s flagship annual event on employment, social rights and social policy. In 2026, dis­cus­sions focused on streng­thening Europe’s social model, addres­sing labour shortages, and promoting skills deve­lo­p­ment in strategic sectors.