Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-10-25-Speech-2-532-000"
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"en.20111025.30.2-532-000"2
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"Madam President, I should like to thank all my shadow rapporteur colleagues, with whom I worked fruitfully, and I should also like to thank the rapporteurs for the opinions of the four committees involved: their opinions made a valuable contribution to this report. We received 400 amendments and drafted 47 compromises, all of which were adopted. This demonstrates the importance of this issue of new skills and jobs, and the interest it has generated. In the end, this is about preparing Europe’s human resources, and anticipating the needs of the labour market over the next decade. The key strategy when drafting the report has been to reformulate common ideas, so as to avoid repetition and ensure its coherence. I think we have achieved this goal.
We all know that the crisis currently affecting us has demonstrated the weakness of the European economic and social model, and has wiped out several elements of the progress made in the past. Since the first effects of the crisis started to be felt in the labour market in 2008, Europe has already lost more than 5 million jobs. There are almost 23 million people unemployed today. Youth unemployment is even more shocking: the rate of youth unemployment is around 21%, which is more than double the overall unemployment rate.
On the other hand, unemployment rates vary according to levels of qualification in all the Member States. This means that people with better qualifications find work more easily. We also know that, in the near future, needs in terms of aptitudes, skills and qualifications will increase in all types and levels of profession. As such, Europe is facing four challenges: firstly, job creation; secondly, the need to be involved and stay competitive; thirdly, the sustainability of social security systems; and, finally, the difficulty of finding people with adequate skills to fill job offers.
Therefore, this report essentially has two objectives: firstly, to stress the need to act fast to fill Europe’s skill gaps; and, secondly, for us to anticipate the skill needs of the labour market. Several measures are important in order to achieve this. Firstly, in order to ensure that qualified workers are available, we need to improve basic skills, as well as skills in the sciences, in innovation, in information and communication technologies, and in foreign languages. As I have already mentioned, skill needs must be identified early, at least 10 years in advance. We know today the potential for a new, sustainable, green economy, and that environmentally friendly investment is needed. Next, participation in lifelong learning and retraining, and in reducing the school drop-out rate, needs to be increased.
Another important area is mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications and the urgent need to make progress with this recognition. Fourthly, we would draw attention to the link that should exist between educational establishments and the needs of the labour market. Internships should be high quality and supervised by tutors so that they lead to a job, so as to put a stop to potential abuses of the intern’s situation. Particular stress is also given to the role of social partnerships and social dialogue. The report also proposes measures to promote job seeking and creation. We have the future before us and we must create jobs. Small and medium-sized enterprises play a decisive role in achieving this goal.
There is also a need to strengthen the internal market, so as to facilitate the free movement of workers, which results in the need to coordinate social security systems in order that the rights that workers have won might be guaranteed, in particular, the portability of pensions.
Finally, the issue of labour market flexibility: in order for the labour market to work better, we must adapt the rules of flexicurity to the socio-economic context of each Member State."@en1
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