The Automotive Skills Alliance reaffirmed its role as a key partner in supporting regions and the EU network for skills development in the automotive-mobility ecosystem at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Automotive Regions Alliance (ARA), held on November 28-29, 2024, in Monza, Lombardy. This event brought together representatives from 36 member regions to tackle the challenges and opportunities of Europe’s green and digital transitions in the automotive sector.
The Monza Declaration, adopted at the conference, underscores the importance of maintaining competitiveness while pursuing ambitious climate goals. It calls for technology-neutral solutions and enhanced EU support to navigate the green and digital transitions. The declaration highlights the critical role of education and vocational training, reaffirming close collaboration between ASA and ARA:
Appreciates the strong commitment in the Commission President’s guidelines to promote education and vocational training based on the analysis and anticipation of skills, together with the common recognition and validation of qualifications, and stands ready to continue the close collaboration between the Automotive Regions and the Automotive Skills Alliance; (p. 3, paragraph 16)
ASA’s President, Jakub Stolfa, highlighted the vital role of regional collaboration in driving forward the skills agenda, which is key to equipping the workforce with skills needed for the twin transitions. He also highlighted the pressure this transformation places on both initial and continuous education systems, underscoring the urgency for collaborative efforts with regions and other stakeholders.
“We welcome the Monza Declaration and are proud to continue working alongside ARA, Committee of the Regions’ Automotive Intergroup (CoRAI), and regional partners to promote skills development in the automotive-mobility ecosystem,” said Stolfa.
Looking ahead in the automotive skills agenda, ASA is calling for a systematic, concrete actions – like the proposed Automotive Mobility Ecosystem Academy outlined in the ASA position paper in November 2024 – to paving the way forward and building on the basis of the established Pact for Skills partnership collaboration in the Automotive-Mobility ecosystem.