EuroCommerce has teamed up with UNI Europa to launch the Skills Partnership for retail and wholesale, under the European Commission’s Pact for Skills initiative.
It will seek to 'lay the foundation' to identify skills gaps within the retail and wholesale sectors, and anticipate the needs of the sector towards the green and digital transformation, EuroCommerce said in a statement.
It will also aim to facilitate cooperation among retailers, wholesalers, trade unions, education and training providers and public authorities at national, regional and local levels.
The Skills Partnership was launched at the EuroCommerce conference in Brussels, entitled 'Embracing transformation & uncertainty'.
Read More: EuroCommerce Director General Christel Delberghe On The State Of Retail
Need For Collaboration
“Our sector has a very good track record in helping its employees to achieve their full potential by developing their skills through vocational education and training and collaboration will deepen this," commented Christel Delberghe, EuroCommerce director general.
"The challenges of the digital and sustainability transformation need to be matched by investments in skills and talent, to which targeted EU co-financing can make a real contribution.”
Upskill The Workforce
According to a recent study by EuroCommerce and McKinsey, retailers and wholesalers will need to upskill their workforce to operate successfully in the retail and wholesale market of the future, given the massive transformation in digital and sustainability that the sector is undergoing.
It said that the sector needs to invest over €600 billion in this transformation, from now to 2030, with up to an additional €35 billion needed for re- and upskilling the 26 million Europeans working directly in the sector.
“Working together is vital to navigate the needs of a changing world. Joint initiatives at local and national level are already providing solutions that deliver for companies, for workers and for the communities that they serve," said UNI Europa regional secretary Oliver Roethig.
"The need for social partners and key stakeholders to identify and overcome the barriers to accessible and inclusive training opportunities for workers in the sector is clear."
Read More: Retail, Wholesale May Need To Invest €600bn To 'Future-Proof' Sector
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