On the 5th and 6th of March 2025, COFACE Families Europe, consortium member of the rEUsilience research project, attended the European Employment and Social Rights Forum in Brussels. This year’s Social Forum focused on “Skills for a Competitive Europe,” highlighting the challenges of labour and skill shortages amidst declining productivity in Europe. In general, the event was a key place for the Commission to present and discuss its new social initiatives planned for this period: notably an EU anti-poverty strategy, a renewed European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, and the Union of Skills initiative. Participants from diverse sectors, including policymakers, civil society, business, and academia, attended the event. This article explores the Forum’s key takeaways and how rEUsilience can contribute to these discussions, particularly by integrating a family perspective.
“Competitiveness and strong social rights are extensively linked”
Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, European Commission, opened the forum by emphasising that “competitiveness and strong social rights are extensively linked.” He argued that Europe should not only aim for high employment rates but also ensure good-quality jobs, opportunities, and overall well-being. Finnish MEP and Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, Li Andersson also stressed that true competitiveness requires investments in well-being, skills, and social and technological innovation. The European social model, she argued, is key to addressing current challenges and securing future success. The rEUsilience project similarly advocates for inclusive, flexible and complementary social policies that support families. These policies are crucial to safeguarding welfare systems and strengthening the European social model. As former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin put it, “social systems are important—not just defence, but also welfare.”
“We are as strong as our weakest links”
Marin also emphasised the importance of investing in people’s skills, especially through education and training, citing Finland’s education system as a model. She stressed the principle, “we are as strong as our weakest links,” advocating for a focus on inclusive policies that benefit everyone. For example, Marin drew experience from investments Finland has made in Early Childhood Education and how these investments returned in an availability and affordability for all families in Finland. This resonates with rEUsilience’s goal of fostering inclusive and complementary social policies that do not leave anyone behind.
“A lot of people don’t have access for upskilling, and I think this is a society problem”
The Forum also addressed labour shortages, setting a target for 60% of adults to participate in training by 2030, compared to less than 40% of adults participating in regular training now. However, rEUsilience research points out that many families face barriers to upskilling, particularly when work-care trade-offs make it difficult for individuals living in households to access training. For many families, the valuable upskilling they need for keeping or improving their jobs is not possible and therefore, attention should be paid to designing policies which will allow families to balance work and care responsibilities while upskilling. An upcoming rEUsilience working paper will respond to this topic in detail.
“Preparedness to adapt to changes”
The concept of “preparedness” was introduced by Riikka Åstrand, Deputy Mayor of Vantaa, as part of the need for adaptive policies to support families in the face of rapid labour market changes. The rEUsilience project aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing social policies to help families navigate transitions in an evolving labour market. By addressing the trade-offs between family life and work, rEUsilience advocates for policies that better prepare families for change.
“Only what gets measured gets done”
Eric Thode from the Bertelsmann Stiftung emphasised during a presentation on the next Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan that “only what gets measured gets done.” This principle aligns with rEUsilience’s work on strengthening the European data infrastructure. By using interactive statistical visualisations and creating a blueprint for a new EU-SILC ad hoc module on adult care and work, rEUsilience seeks to better capture family realities and inform policymaking. This working paper will shortly be published.
We are glad to see that the rEUsilience project is well-positioned to contribute to the key initiatives discussed at the EU Social Forum. By incorporating the family perspective into policy design, rEUsilience can help shape EU policies that address labour market challenges and promote well-being. We look forward to sharing our findings at our upcoming final conference and continuing to collaborate with policymakers to ensure the success of these crucial EU developments.