The Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance has announced that the National Action Plan for the European Year of Skills 2023 has been prepared and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval next week. The plan will be implemented immediately upon approval.

Yiannis Panayiotou, Minister of Labor, who made the above announcement through a written statement, emphasized that the official launch of the European Year of Skills 2023 is important for both Europe and Cyprus. “As a member state, Cyprus places great emphasis on the quality of its human resources to foster economic development and social cohesion”, he added.

The Minister noted that the promotion of green and digital skills is a key objective of the European Year initiative and is essential to address the modern world's needs. “By reskilling millions of workers in Europe, we can effectively respond to the demands of the global economy”.

Panayiotou stressed the importance of developing an effective human resources culture to facilitate the green and digital transition. The Minister highlighted that Cyprus will take advantage of all the opportunities provided by the European Year of Skills 2023.

The initiative aims to promote a more sustainable and innovative approach to skill development across Europe and to highlight the importance of skills and lifelong learning in the continent. The aim is to create a comprehensive skills agenda for all EU citizens, which will address the skills mismatch and shortages.

Furthermore, the initiative is designed to foster innovation in education and training and support the development of a highly skilled workforce. It is expected to provide significant support for the creation of new jobs and boost economic growth across the EU.

Finally, it is notable that 77% of EU companies report difficulties in finding workers with the necessary skills, while only 37% of adults undertake training on a regular basis. “We need much more focus in our investment on professional education and upskilling. We need better cooperation with companies, because they know best what they need. And we need to match these needs with people's aspirations. But we also have to attract the right skills to our continent, skills that help companies and strengthen Europe's growth”, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated.