Anticipating Skills Needs: Emilia-Romagna’s Skills Intelligence System Showcased at EARLALL Working Group
29/04/2025
On Tuesday 29 April, the EARLALL Working Group on Skills and Labour Market — chaired by the Regional Ministry of Education and VET of Catalonia — welcomed Lara Porciatti, senior project manager at ART-ER Attractiveness Research Territory to share an inspiring case study from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy.
Ms Porciatti introduced the Skills Intelligence system of Emilia-Romagna, a strategic, multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at anticipating the evolving skills needs of the regional economy. Launched as a pilot in 2020, the initiative is jointly led by the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Regional Employment Agency, the Regional Chamber of Commerce Network, and various cluster organisations. It consists of three core actions designed to support regional innovation and workforce development.
A key feature of the system is the Talent Observatory, which provides real-time and traditional labour market data to identify mismatches between skills demand and supply. This intelligence is particularly valuable to VET providers and universities, enabling them to adapt curricula to emerging industry trends. It also supports individuals in making informed education and career choices.
Ms Porciatti emphasised the system’s role in fostering talent circulation and retention, including strategies to keep PhD graduates in the region and tackle labour migration. Members of the Working Group were particularly interested in how this tool informs policy-making and implementation, offering a concrete example of evidence-based governance in action.
A standout element of the presentation was a tool developed in collaboration with Emilia-Romagna’s Cluster Association. Combining insights from businesses and academia, the tool helps identify specific skills and job profiles needed in priority sectors such as AI in automotive and sustainable tourism. Used in biannual focus groups, and powered by data from Lightcast, it informs decisions at regional committee level and shapes policy responses.
This exchange marks another step forward in cross-regional cooperation, reinforcing EARLALL’s commitment to modernising vocational education and training and driving inclusive, forward-looking labour market strategies.
