Pilot Talent Pool: important test to alleviate labour and skill shortage

10 October 2022
by smeunited -- last modified 10 October 2022

SMEunited welcomes the launch of the European Commission Pilot Talent Pool focused on the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market.

"SMEs and Crafts made a lot of efforts and will continue to provide all the support for the integration of Ukrainian refugees in the labour market. Our members are offering training and placement in line with the renewed Partnership for Integration. The Pilot Talent Pool will offer a new opportunity for SMEs to recruit and fill shortages of skilled staff," stated SMEunited Secretary General Véronique Willems.

SMEunited welcomes the different initiatives put forward by the European Commission in the field of economic legal migration, as they are a stepping stone towards reducing the labour shortages and skills gaps hampering SMEs' performance.

SMEunited reiterates the importance of the Pilot Talent Pool and the future EU Talent Pool to be labour market responsive. The only way to succeed,  as SMEunited recommends, is the systematic involvement of employers in its governance. Labour market and skills intelligence are essential to better forecast and anticipate professions and their updated staff and skills needs. The matching process for a well-functioning Talent Pool requires more and better real-time data on vacancies and skills needs per country, region, sector and occupation.

The EU Pilot Talent Pool is the first initiative that the EC will test before launching a larger EU Talent Pool, which will target all third-country nationals to attract talent for a skilled workforce.

SMEunited is the association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe with around 70 member organisations from over 30 European countries. SMEunited represents national cross-sectoral Craft and SME federations, European SME branch organisations and associate members. Combined, they represent more than 12 million enterprises with around 55 million employees across Europe. SMEunited is also a recognised employers' organisation and European Social Partner. SMEunited was formally known as UEAPME.

SMEunited