Welcome to the Pact for Skills newsletter!
This edition, we’re taking a look at results of the 2025 annual survey to examine the huge impact the Pact for Skills has made to upskill Europe and strengthen training.
Plus, read on for information on the open funding opportunities available for Pact members, and check out the newest Regional Skills Partnerships.
We also shine a spotlight on Pact member Miriam Rosa, Director of Quasar Human Capital’s Innovation Centre, to learn about her organisation’s involvement in the ‘Space4Geo’ and ‘RISE-ASD’ partnerships.
Pact for Skills annual survey results: over 10 million workers trained across a growing Pact community
After collecting over 1 500 responses from Pact members, the Pact for Skills Annual Survey results are in, revealing that over 10 million people have benefitted from upskilling initiatives since its launch in 2020, including 3.9 million people in 2025 alone.
The survey also found that over 4 000 organisations have joined the Pact community, investing a total of over EUR 1 billion to strengthen skills across the EU with the ultimate aim of upskilling and reskilling 25 million people by 2030.
But that’s not all, as the vast majority of surveyed business and workers also had a positive view of the Pact for Skills, with 85% appreciating the Pact’s benefits and impacts. In fact, through the Pact, 277 600 organisations have joined skills networks to develop or update nearly 46 500 training programmes, strengthening cooperation between education, industry and public authorities.
Funding opportunities for Pact for Skills members
There are still open calls for proposals that Pact members can apply to. Funding opportunities are open to Pact members to help advance training, partnerships and innovation across Europe, helping translate skills priorities into concrete training and action. One call is particularly relevant for Pact members looking to promote skills development aligned with the Union of Skills strategy, as follows:
• Centres of Vocational Excellence – deadline 3 September 2026
The aim is to strengthen vocational education and training by creating strong local and regional skills ecosystems that can respond to labour market needs, support innovation and contribute to regional development and social inclusion. The call is open to VET providers, companies, employers, industry or sector representative organisations, VET provider representative organisations,national or regional qualification authorities, research institutes innovation agencies and regional development authorities.
New Regional Skills Partnerships boost skills development across Europe
The Pact for Skills continues to strengthen upskilling and reskilling across Europe with nine new Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs) launched in 2026.
The newly launched RSPs span a wide range of sectors and regions, reflecting the diversity of Europe’s vast skills landscape. They include initiatives within the proximity and social economy sector in Spain, net-zero technologies in Lower Saxony, and circular textile and fashion in Sweden’s Borås region.
Other partnerships are supporting skills development in adult education at pan-European level (PEPEAE), as well as across key regional ecosystems in Eastern Lithuania, Latgale, North Holland and Southern Italy’s creative and cultural sectors.
In addition, skills partnerships are supporting the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors in Northern Portugal, helping to modernise traditional industries and equip workers with future-ready skills.
By supporting skills growth at a regional level, RSPs ensure that training is in line with labour market needs, fostering innovation and supporting inclusive growth while encouraging collaboration.
Member Spotlight: discover how Quasar Human Capital collaborates with the Pact partnerships
In our latest member spotlight video, Miriam Rosa, Director at Quasar Human Capital (QSR)’s Innovation Centre, highlights why the Pact for Skills matters, the tangible benefits its brings and how she envisions the Pact evolving. Speaking about her organisation’s collaborations through the Pact’s Aerospace & Defence Large Scale Partnership ‘Space4Geo’ and ‘RISE-ASD’ RegionalSkills Partnership, Miriam said:
“We have the opportunity to do something together – something meaningful, valuable – that otherwise we would be doing in silos.”