Supporting European Union Member States and national organisations to develop and implement vocational education and training (VET) and skills policies is a major element of Cedefop's mandate, and as part of that the Agency welcomed in Thessaloniki a delegation from Sweden's KFS-Företagens Trygghetsfond (The Job Security Council – Transition Fund) in Thessaloniki, for a knowledge exchange meeting on 1 September.
Swedish job security councils are non-profit foundations that provide support to workers and businesses in employment issues since 1974.
Mr Maurizio Roncaccia, Head of Cedefop's Communication Department, presented Cedefop’s main activities and its role in VET and skills policies development. He outlined how the Agency produces evidence on skill trends and wide-ranging changes in the world of work to inform policy-making and how it works with the European Commission, Member States and social partners to support the promotion, development and implementation of EU VET, skills and qualifications policy, with special reference to the European Year of Skills.
Presenting KFS-Företagens Trygghetsfond, its CEO Mr Johan Frisoe spoke of its activities benefitting both employees and employers in Sweden. He noted that the Council provides support during employment but also proactively to strengthen workers' future position in the labour market.
'We help municipal companies and their employees adapt to fill future skill gaps, while providing employees with increased job security within their positions,' he said.
Cedefop's Silke Gadji presented the Agency's work on VET policies and systems, on a European and national level, and on monitoring the European Union's VET Recommendation and Osnabrück Declaration, while Jasper van Loo briefed the visitors on Cedefop research findings regarding skills in transition and labour market trends until 2035, also presenting skills intelligence data in relation to the green and digital transitions.
KFS-Företagens Trygghetsfond and Cedefop reaffirmed their willingness to continue exchanging information and knowledge to help inform policy-making and provide support for workers and businesses in a rapidly changing economy and labour market.
