Conference on the Future of Skills and Jobs
Overview
Side event to the ELF General Assembly and LYMEC Congress, in collaboration with NEOS Lab.
Venue: Novum, Wiedner Hauptstraße 146-148, 1040 Vienna
Europe is entering a decisive decade. Technological acceleration, demographic change, geopolitical tensions and fiscal constraints are reshaping our economies at unprecedented speed. In this context, the question of skills is no longer a sectoral issue, it is central to Europe’s economic strength, social stability and political self-confidence.
Artificial intelligence, automation and the green transition are transforming labour markets across all Member States. Entire professions are evolving, new ones are emerging and others are disappearing. At the same time, many regions face labour shortages, ageing populations and growing mismatches between educational outcomes and labour market needs.
Europe brings considerable strengths to this transformation: strong education systems, respected vocational training models, leading research institutions and a regulatory environment that seeks to balance innovation with social fairness. In several Member States, investment in research and development remains high, and Europe continues to play a leading role in digital governance and sustainable technologies.
Yet structural weaknesses persist: Access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities remains uneven. Participation in adult training varies widely across countries and socio-economic groups. Small and medium-sized enterprises often struggle to invest sufficiently in upskilling. And despite high levels of formal education, skill shortages persist in key sectors, from digital technologies to engineering and care services. At the same time, a more fundamental question arises: Are our institutions designed for stable careers of the past or for continuous transitions in the future?
Various policy bodies and research institutions across Europe have identified priority areas for action:
- Strengthening digital and AI-related competencies at all levels of education,
- Improving the responsiveness of vocational and higher education systems,
- Mobilising untapped labour potential and supporting labour market participation,
- Creating incentives for lifelong learning and entrepreneurial initiative.
Against this backdrop, the Conference on the Future of Skills and Jobs aims to identify the decisive levers for a resilient and competitive European skills ecosystem. The conference will begin by clarifying the core challenges and opportunities:
- What constitutes Universal Basic Skills in the 21st century?
- Which Future Skills will determine Europe’s global position?
- How can institutions support mobility, adaptability and equal opportunity?
The insights generated during the conference are meant to contribute to an informed public debate and to provide policymakers with ideas for strengthening Europe’s capacity to adapt and innovate. Europe’s future prosperity will depend less on natural resources than on the skills, flexibility and initiative of its people. Ensuring that these capacities are broadly developed and fairly accessible is one of the central policy tasks of our time.
Programme
13:00 Welcome coffee and registration
13:30 Greetings and Openings Remarks
Helga Pattart-Drexler, Executive director NEOS Lab, Vienna
Brigitte van den Berg, Member of the European Parliament, ELF Board member
13:45 Introduction:
Clemens Ableidinger, Senior Researcher NEOS Lab, Vienna
Maartje Schulz, Policy and Research Manager, ELF
14:00 World Cafés on the future of skills & jobs:
1. Universal Basic Skills: The Foundation of a Resilient Society
Hosted by : Alexander Bari, Head of executive education, Vienna University of Economics and Business
2) Future Skills: Navigating Permanent Transformation
Hosted by : Roderick Bloem, Institute of Information Security, University of Graz
3) Policy, Institutions & Liberal Responses: Designing the Future of Work
Hosted by: Helga Pattart-Drexler, Executive director NEOS Lab, Vienna
15:15 Summary and Outlook
15:45 Closing Remarks and call to action
Ines Holzegger, Member of Parliament (NEOS)/LYMEC President
Alva Finn, Executive Director, European Liberal Forum16:00 End
16:00 End of event
World Cafés on the Future of Skills and Jobs
- Universal Basic Skills: The Foundation of a Resilient Society
- What are the truly universal skills required in 2035?
- What does “digital basic competence” mean?
- Should critical thinking and media literacy be treated as democratic infrastructure? What needs to change in our education (system?)
2. Future Skills: Navigating Permanent Transformation
- Which skills are likely to be replaced by AI — and which will be amplified?
- Are Future Skills primarily technical (AI, coding, data) — or fundamentally human (creativity, empathy, judgement)?
- How are career trajectories changing?
3. Liberal Labour Market Policies: Designing the Future of Work
- How can policy ensure equal access and mobility of skills without over-regulating markets?
- How can businesses be incentivised to invest in workforce development and labour inclusion to boost our competitiveness?
- Should social protection systems shift from protecting jobs to protecting transitions?
The event is open to all Congress Delegates (Please plan your travel accordingly) and the public.
The event is organised by the European Liberal Forum. The event received financial support from the European Parliament. The sole liability remains with the organiser. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
