The Automotive Skills Alliance held its Partnership Meeting on 29 November. Representatives of the more than eighty members of the Alliance met with the working groups’ leaders to discuss the latest activities and to define its path towards the future. Members also discussed the achievements of the Alliance since its creation one year ago under the European Pact for Skills.
In the coming months, the Alliance will focus on increasing the sharing of knowledge among members and facilitating the sharing of methodologies and good practices. At the same time, the external outreach will continue, including the ongoing dialogue with the European institutions, particularly the Parliament and the Council. The Alliance aims to profile itself as the platform representing all the partners involved in the development of the Skills Agenda within the automotive ecosystem. The Alliance has also presented the main activities and objectives for the months to come, including key performance indicators—to make its activities measurable in a transparent way—in line with the Pact for Skills Charter.
Part of the meeting was then devoted to the current possibilities offered by the European funds which already provide resources for upskilling and reskilling. The presentation was provided by the European Commission and included an overview of the available financial mechanisms, such as Erasmus +, Invest EU, Horizon2020 and many others, as well as a detailed explanation on how to get more information on each of them.
The presentation of the Alliance’s activities also included an overview of the sub-groups which are collaborating for the first time in their respective areas of expertise, with dedicated work towards the development of skill sets in the areas of batteries, hydrogen, repair & maintenance, IT and electronics. Those groups are building on the work undertaken by the Blueprint DRIVES and ALBATTS projects. Discussions of work accomplished included the comparison and the cooperation between the supply and demand sides. It was noted that having the available data and tools ready and organised has been a great asset to those working on the activities.
The regional implementation, which is one of the fundamental principles of the partnership, was also presented. The Alliance has recently welcomed two new regions and has participated in several meetings with the Committee of the Regions during the last year. Three pilot projects have already been activated in France, Germany and Slovakia, but others are starting in other regions.
Upcoming activities include the organisation of an event in March to showcase the activities of the Alliance, and support for the finalisation of the EU-Project DRIVES.
Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated on the upcoming initiatives!