The 20th of April, long-term care service providers, social partners and education and training providers, with the support of the European Commission, have set up a large-scale skills partnership for the long-term care sector.
This partnership aims to improve both career paths and the quality of care provided, making the long-term care sector more attractive. The partners commit to train at least 60% of the long-term care workforce (3.8 million workers) every year by 2030. Training courses will focus on digital skills and person-centred care.
Since Europe’s population is ageing, there is a growing demand for care. Over 6.3 million people currently work in the long-term care sector in the EU. An additional 1.6 million workers are needed by 2050 to keep today’s level of care coverage.
To address labour shortages, it is essential that the long-term care sector retains and attracts workers, including by improving skills and training. This will also benefit gender equality, as women make up almost 90% of the overall care workforce. Finally, the partnership will facilitate exchanges of good practices and lessons learnt with relevant public authorities, education and training institutions and the healthcare sector.
Background
The skills partnership for the long-term care sector was announced in the European Care Strategy. It is the 16th skills partnership under the Pact for Skills, a flagship initiative under the European Skills Agenda. It contributes to the European Year of Skills and to the EU headline target that by 2030, at least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year.
Source: European Commission | News (https://bit.ly/3n1qsxG)