As decarbonisation and digitalisation reshape European economies, an increasing number of companies across various sectors are looking for workers with new types of skills. However, they are facing challenges in finding such workers, due both to a lack of people with the required skills (skills shortage) and because the skills they possess do not perfectly match the needs of employers (skills mismatch). People without adequate qualifications cannot find good quality jobs, while the skills shortage hinders companies’ growth and competitiveness. The skills gap harms both companies, which cannot grow and compete, and the labour market, which experiences imbalances, with many posts remaining vacant and numerous people left jobless or stuck in low quality jobs.
SkiLMeeT analyses the scope of skills shortages and mismatches, identifies their drivers, and proposes innovative ways to reduce skills gaps.
SkiLMeeT aims to provide:
SkiLMeeT research is carried out by labour economists, data scientists, and sociologists from eight universities and research institutes in six European countries. Meet the team
SkiLMeeT employs an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, using a variety of data sources, conducting analyses and engaging in extensive consultations with stakeholders to analyse and interpret the demand for and supply of skills, and to develop concrete policy proposals.
datasets and indicators |
technical reports |
research papers |
policy briefs |
scientific conferences |
virtual seminars |
roundtables in Brussels |
Michael Handel
Professor Emeritus of Sociology College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
Salih Tutun
Researcher and Data Scientist in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis
Uschi Backes-Gellner
Professor of Business Economics, Personnel Economics and Empirical Research at University of Zurich
Glenda Quintini
Senior Economist at OECD, overseeing the work on skills carried out by the Employment Labour and Social Affairs Directorate.
Wouter Zwysen
Senior Researcher at the European Trade Union Institute