Skills needed for new Manufacturing jobs

Specific Challenge:

Breakthrough education and training paradigms for continuous training of the existing workforce are needed, that will enable the European industrial workforce to develop new skills and competences in a quick and efficient way. This should put workers, both women and men, at the forefront of innovation and drive industry towards a smooth transition to the use of increasingly sophisticated machines and new technologies.

Advanced Manufacturing, one of the six Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), is a highly innovative sector in Europe. In line with the New Skills Agenda for Europe, there is a need to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness for this KET. The Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on skills is one of the ten actions in this Agenda. This topic will support the implementation of the Blueprint beyond Additive Manufacturing within several areas from the Factories of the Future priorities.

Scope:

  • Identify shortages and mismatches in technical and non-technical skills, knowledge and competences in Advanced Manufacturing (including digital capabilities);
  • Map the most relevant existing national initiatives upskilling the existing workforce in order to develop an EU wide strategy;
  • Put in place activities related to lifelong learning and granting of qualification for personnel in industrial settings. Develop real case scenarios providing efficient methodologies that can be applied in a variety of industrial areas;
  • Innovative and hands-on approaches, including Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) elements, in upskilling of the existing workforce and attracting more women to the field, through training activities (including training of trainers) and knowledge management with direct involvement of senior employees. On-site, modular and e-learning education should be offered free of charge for re-use;
  • Exchange of information between industry, trade unions, educational centres, national employment agencies at European scale.

Proposals are also encouraged to seek synergies with national initiatives funded under the European Social Fund, projects from the Skills Alliances and, where relevant, other future initiatives launched at European level.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 1 and 2 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact:

  • Real and measurable steps towards the reduction of identified skill gaps leading to the upskilling of the existing workforce in Europe and, as a consequence, increased innovation performance in the industry concerned;
  • At least 15 new job profiles per industrial area analysed, leading to a longer work life for jobholders;
  • Close and continuous engagement between relevant industry, trade union, academia, educational centres (including vocational schools) across Europe to stimulate networks in the European Research Area as a whole.
Types of action: CSA Coordination and support action
DeadlineModel: 
Opening date:
single-stage
31 October 2017
Deadline: 22 February 2018

Source: HORIZON 2020 – The European Commission