The European Skills High-Level Board plays a central role in advancing the Union of Skills, the Commission’s strategy to boost Europe's competitiveness and address labour shortages through improved education, vocational training and lifelong learning.
The Board has an advisory role, bringing together businesses, education and training providers and social partners to provide guidance on skills development for workers in Europe. It builds on the findings of the European Skills Intelligence Observatory established by the Union of Skills. It supports the Commission’s work on education and skills within the European Semester including a Council Recommendation on human capital and the country-specific recommendations.
The Board is established as an informal Commission special group.
First conclusions
In July 2026, the Board presented its first conclusions to Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu.
The Board's conclusions outline key elements for the development, scale-up and connection of skills ecosystems. These include
Education and training has to respond rapidly to evolving skills needs. This requires learning that is closely aligned with workplace realities, local labour markets and technological transformation.
The Board’s conclusion outline high-impact regional and sectoral skills ecosystems as a model to achieve this.
These ecosystems can bring together key actors who are closest to local labour markets - businesses, education and training providers, social partners, regional authorities and others - to reskill and upskill adults faster.
The first conclusions of the European Skills High-Level Board call for high-impact regional and sectoral skills ecosystems — referred to by the Board as ‘SPARKs: Skills Partnerships for Adult Reskilling’. These ecosystems would bring together businesses, education and training providers and regional authorities to up and reskill adults faster, and closer to where jobs actually are.
Chair
The Board is chaired by Ms Ylva Johansson in her function as a Special Adviser reporting to Executive Vice-President Mînzatu.
Membership
The Board is composed of businesses, education and training providers and social partners. The Board members are selected based on a selection procedure outlined in Point 6 of the Terms of Reference.
Overview of members of the European Skills High Level Board
- Adecco Group: Denis Machuel (CEO)
- Business Europe: Riikka Heikinheimo (Director for Competencies and Innovations at the Confederation of Finnish Industries)
- European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE): Jelmer Evers (Director)
- European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC): Ludovic Voet (Confederal Secretary)
- GB Foods Europe: Miranda Visscher (CEO)
- IMEC: Jo De Boeck (Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer)
- Josip Slavenski Gymnasium: Sandra Breka-Ovčar (Principal)
- Katapult: Pieter Moerman (Co-founder)
- Mercedes-Benz Group: Britta Seeger (Board of Management member responsible for People & Enterprise Tech)
- Polytechnic University of Bucharest: Mihnea Costoiu (Rector)
- SME United: Véronique Willems (Secretary-General)
- St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences: Hannes Raffaseder (CEO/President)
- University of Helsinki: Sari Lindblom (Rector)
- University of Milano: Marina Brambilla (Rector)
- Sanofi
Meetings
2. Meeting: 8 July 2026
1. Meeting: 15 June 2026
Kick-off meeting: 19 May 2026
