Several new European tools related to higher education and skills trends have been introduced since the beginning of this year.
The European Higher Education Sector Scoreboard (EHESS), launched in January, is a key tool of the European Higher Education Sector Observatory (EHESO). It monitors the goals of the European Strategy for Universities by presenting data on key indicators about countries and higher education systems. These indicators are organised into major themes aligned with the EU’s higher education policy objectives, such as transnational cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation; future-proof skills and collaboration with industrial ecosystems; EU values like institutional autonomy, academic freedom, gender balance, diversity, and inclusivity; international cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation; and various context indicators for the higher education sector.
The Scoreboard integrates data from multiple sources, including Eurostat educational statistics, the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER), U-Multirank, EUROSTUDENT, and EUROGRADUATE projects, along with other international sources such as publication data and ERASMUS+ data on student and staff mobility. The tool covers 27 EU countries, EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), the United Kingdom, and several candidate and potential candidate countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Türkiye, Kosovo).
Another tool, Short-term Anticipation of Skills Trends and VET Demand (STAS), was introduced in February by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP). This tool provides regular short-term projections of employment by occupation and Member State. Its purpose is to address the need for enhanced short-term monitoring and identification of changing skill requirements. STAS complements CEDEFOP’s existing tools, such as skills intelligence and online job advertisement analysis.
These new tools offer insights into the evolving landscape of higher education and skills development across Europe. By providing data-driven projections and monitoring key trends, they aim to enhance policy-making and better align education with future labour market needs.