New skills for new jobs: scope for trade union intervention and sectoral dialogue

The purpose of this Policy Brief is to focus attention on some key issues in the New Skills for New Jobs initiative launched by the European Commission in 2008 and contribute towards a response which takes into account the balance between strengthening the basic skills of the whole working population and investment in attractive top-class training for potential talents.

The author, Jacky Fayolle, explores the questions raised by the planned creation of Sector Councils for employment and skills at European level and argues that they have the potential to become a privileged forum for mobilizing the field experience of social actors.