Union of Skills - a joint employers' input

Introduction

• This note constitutes the joint views and priorities of BusinessEurope, SGI Europe and SMEunited as regards the policy priorities and measures that the Commission should consider for inclusion in the Commission’s Union of Skills initiative.
• European enterprises constitute the cornerstone of the EU’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a place to live, work and invest. However, they are being held back by skills and labour shortages, which place them at a competitive disadvantage in global markets and discourage job-creating investment in Europe.
• Therefore, European employers welcome and broadly support the objectives of the Union of Skills initiative. In doing so, it is imperative that any measures resulting from this initiative fully respect national competences and the role of social partners within existing national industrial relations systems and education and training practices.