Closing the skills gap for a sustainable and digital future
About the event
Equipping professionals with the right skills to harness technological innovation and drive sustainability is vital for Europe’s success in achieving its twin transition while preserving its industrial competitive edge. As the European labour market evolves to meet the demands of climate neutrality, the need for talent with strong digital expertise and a solid grounding in environmental, social, and economic sustainability has never been more urgent.
However, a significant gap persists in skills at the intersection at digital and sustainability domains, hindering Europe’s industrial capability and as a consequence and its role on the global stage.
To respond to this challenge, the European Digital Sustainability Skills Strategy developed by Digital4Sustainability, promotes a coherent and forward-looking approach to build the capabilities needed to close the skills gap and reinforcing Europe’s global competitiveness, innovation capacity, and social responsibility.
This event thus explored how digital skills and technologies can serve as powerful enablers of environmental sustainability and societal well-being. By bringing together Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials, business leaders, education providers, and leading experts in digital and sustainability fields, the event offered a vital platform to reflect on Europe’s strategic priorities and to discuss how targeted skills development can drive innovation, strengthen industrial excellence, and secure long-term prosperity for the continent.
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Agenda
16:00 – 16:10
Welcome and Introduction
16:10 – 16:20
Keynote speech: Skills as a catalyst for EU competitiveness
- Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Cabinet Member of Roxana Minzatu, European Commission EVP for People, Skills and Preparedness
16:20 – 16:30
Presentation of the European Digital Sustainability Skills Strategy
- Serena Dell’Agli, Senior Technology Manager, European DIGITAL SME Alliance
- Wanda Saabel, Senior consultant, Eduserpro
16:30 – 17:15
Panel Debate: Empowering Europe’s workforce for a sustainable and digital future
- Glenda Quintini, Head of Skills and Future Readiness Division, OECD
- Wanda Saabeel, Senior consultant, Eduserpro
- Michelle Thompson, Strategic Partnership Manager, Skillnet Ireland
- Sonia De Melo Xavier, Policy Officer, DG EMPL, European Commission
17:15 – 17:30
Closing remarks and next steps
About Digital4Sustainability
The Digital4Sustainability project, funded under the Erasmus+ Programme, aims to accelerate the digital and green transition by equipping the European workforce with the needed set of skills. The project is developing training programmes to support 1) non-tech industries in adopting new technologies and 2) the ICT sector in creating digital solutions that reduce energy, carbon, and waste. The designed learning programmes are driven by market and industry demand, addressing current and future needs. The project focuses particularly on supporting European companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in achieving long-term competitiveness and growth through digital and green transformation.
