Policy Session

Digitalization Skills and the Future of Labour Market in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa: Exploring Mobility and Opportunities

12th of December 2024, 4:30pm (CET)

Description

The digital transformation sweeping across Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa is reshaping economic landscapes and labor markets, presenting both opportunities and challenges for workforce mobility. Digitalization is not only transforming existing jobs but also creating new roles that require specialized skills. As these regions
navigate the complexities of digital transformation, the need to address digital skills gaps and promote mobility becomes crucial for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

In Europe, efforts to integrate digital skills into education and training programs are underway, while the Mediterranean and African regions are at a pivotal moment to harness digitalization for economic development and mobility. This session aims to explore how digital skills can be leveraged to enhance labor mobility between Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa, addressing the potential for cooperation, skills development, and policy harmonization.

Objectives:

  • To discuss the impact of digitalization on the labor markets in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa.
  • To explore the role of digital skills in enhancing mobility across these regions.
  • To identify opportunities and challenges for digital skills development in diverse economic contexts.
  • To propose policy measures that can facilitate cross-regional mobility and cooperation in the digital economy.

MODERATOR

Cinzia Alcidi

Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Economic Policy and Jobs & Skills Unit

Dr. Cinzia Alcidi is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels, where she is also head of the Economic Policy Unit and the Jobs and Skills Unit. From 2020 to 2023 she was Director of Research.

A macroeconomist by training, over the last 15 years, Cinzia provided evidence-based policy analysis to EU institutions and national governments by completing research projects in the field of economic policy analysis and policy evaluation, related to labour markets, macroeconomics and financial services. Her main research interests are EU economic policy, public finances and economic governance as well as macroeconomics and labour economics.

She is currently guest lecturer at the University of Ghent (BE) and Member of the Joint Board of Studies of the “Economics of Globalisation and European Integration (EGEI)” Erasmus Mundus Master Degree. She is member of the editorial Board of Intereconomics, and Editor of Applied Economics Quarterly.

Dr. Alcidi holds a Ph.D. degree in International Economics from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva (Switzerland). She also holds a Doctorate in Statistical and Mathematical Methods applied to Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Perugia (Italy).

PANELISTS

WHO THEY ARE

Ummunah Bardak

Senior specialist on labour market and migration at the ETF

Ummuhan Bardak is a senior specialist on labour market and migration at the ETF. She has been involved in different projects related to the labour market, migration, employment and human capital development in the European Neighbourhood Region. Her work encompasses research and analysis, policy dialogue, capacity-building and project management. Her thematic areas have been labour market reviews, skills anticipation and matching, the skills dimension of migration, youth transition and the future of work studies

Ekkehard Ernst

Chief Macro-economist at the International Labour Organization

Ekkehard Ernst is Chief Macro-economist at the International Labour Organization where he signs responsible for flagship reports on global labour market developments such as ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook Trends report. He publishes regularly on the implications of artificial intelligence, demographic change and globalization for the future of work, including in developing countries, as well as on the transition to a sustainable society. His latest publications focus on developing solutions for a Just Transition in a world of labour shortages where he focuses on innovations that help mobilise resources to accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Ekkehard has international experience at the OECD and the European Central Bank. He is member of various advisory boards, including the European Parliament’s International Advisory Board of the Science and Technology Committee, the UK’s Productivity Insight Network, Pillars, CEPS, The Conference Board, and the Economists Network of the German Ministry of Collaboration and Development. He holds a PhD from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris).

Charles Crevier

Manager of the Social Protection, Governance and Tripartism Programme at the International Training Centre of the ILO

Charles is the manager of the Social Protection, Governance and Tripartism Programme at the International Training Centre of the ILO. He ensures the overall coordination of the human resources, financial resources and technical activities of the Programme as well as the development of training and learning policies, plans and curricula.

From 2010 to 2017, he was responsible for the social protection training portfolio of the International Training Centre of the ILO. He implemented more than 100 international training activities in partnership with United Nations partners, research institutes and national stakeholders.

From 2008 to 2010, he was the technical manager of Quatrain Africa, a project designed to enhance financial governance capabilities of social security institutions in Africa.

From 2003 to 2008, he worked as an actuary in the Social Security Department of the ILO in Geneva on more than 20 technical cooperation projects concerning actuarial matters and financial governance (Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean).

He holds a BA in Actuarial Science from Laval University (Quebec, Canada), Master in Management of International Organizations from SDA Bocconi (Milan, Italy) and completed Postgraduate Studies in Development Economics at Harvard University and Strategy & Innovation at MIT (Cambridge, United States).

He is regularly invited as a guest lecturer on actuarial modelling, social protection policy and financial governance in universities in Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Mauritius, South Africa and Italy. Charles has working experience in more than 50 countries across Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Ines Duarte

Project Manager at the Energy and Climate Action Division of the Secretariat of the Union of the Mediterranean.

Ines Duarte is a Project Manager at the Energy and Climate Action Division of the Secretariat of the Union of the Mediterranean.

She is specialized in climate finance, mobilizing and managing financial instruments and grant funds for projects outside the EU (both technical assistance, investment grants, concessional loans or guarantees) from the European Commission (EC), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). She has a strong knowledge of lending, blending and advising for projects in key sectors of sustainable development such as energy (renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage), climate action (mitigation and adaptation). Ms. Duarte has previously worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and in the private sector with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Ines holds a Master in European Economic Studies from the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium) and a Bachelor in Economics from the Catholic University of Portugal.

Jorge Bravo

NOVA IMS

Jorge Miguel Bravo is Associate Professor of Economics & Finance at NOVA IMS and Invited Full Professor at Universidade Nova de Lisboa FCT; Invited Professor at Université Paris-Dauphine PSL in Paris, France. He holds a PhD and BSc in Economics from the University of Évora and a MSc in Monetary in Financial Economics from ISEG Technical University of Lisbon. He is Director of the Postgraduate Programs in Financial Markets and Risks and in Data Science for Finance and of the MSc Program in Statistics and Information Management. He is an Integrated Member of research centers MagIC (NOVA IMS research and development center), BRU-ISCTE-IUL and CEFAGE-UE, and an integrated member of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Pensions Institute Scientific Experts Forum in Madrid, Spain. He was considered a member of the World’s Top 2% Scientists List in 2021 – University of Stanford, USA. His work is published in prestigious academic journals such as the Journal of Banking and Finance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Expert Systems with Applications, Applied Soft Computing, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Journal of Pension Economics and Finance; Risk Management, Risks, Statistical Journal of the IAOS, Journal of Finance and Economics, International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences, CESifo DICE Report – Journal for Institutional Comparisons, MIT Press and World Bank books. He works as scientific consultant for national & international public (SOCIEUX+ European Union, Statistics Portugal, Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Labour & Social Security) and private institutions (Insurance companies, Pension Funds Association, Social Benefits Issuers Association) on research topics such as Longevity risk management, Ageing & social protection systems reform and sustainability, retirement & saving schemes, credit risk management. He integrated as an external member the Interministerial Commission for the Reform of the Social Security System in Portugal.