The MASTERY Consortium and contributing organisations from seven EU Member States have submitted a joint response to the European Commission’s consultation on the Skills Portability Initiative (Action 1). The response draws on a survey of practitioners from 14 organisations across Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, including VET providers, higher education institutions, public authorities and industry associations.
The EU already has the right policy architecture for skills portability. What is missing is sector-specific implementation, particularly for green and circular economy competences increasingly acquired through:
- Workplace experience
- Non-formal learning.
- Short-cycle specialised training
- Micro-credentials at EQF levels 5-6
Notably, 82% of respondents identified documenting work experience as the single most difficult step in cross-border qualification processes, highlighting the urgent need for improved validation and recognition mechanisms.
Drawing on field evidence and sectoral expertise, the MASTERY consortium proposes five priority actions:
- Accelerate sector-specific VNFIL implementation. Fund targeted pilots for validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL) in green and circular sub-sectors such as construction, waste management and circular manufacturing.
- Extend fast-track mutual recognition mechanisms. Expand sectoral recognition models (e.g., Net-Zero Industry Academies) to include green and circular competences in critical industrial ecosystems.
- Accelerate ESCO updates for emerging green and circular profiles. Introduce a dedicated review track with a shorter update cycle for rapidly evolving green job profiles.
- Build digital credential infrastructure on existing EU architecture. Strengthen Europass and European Digital Credentials (EDC) to support interoperable micro-credentials, avoiding fragmentation through competing wallet systems.
- Enable cross-border recognition of endorsed micro-credentials. Create structured pathways for micro-credentials developed under Pact for Skills partnerships, Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) and Skills Alliances to gain EU-wide recognition.
You can download the Executive Summary here.
The Full Consultation Response, including detailed proposed measures, is available here.
Also, the European Commission’s consultation is open on the Have Your Say portal and can be accessed here.
