EARLALL Academy #20: Demographic challenges and their impact on skills
30/09/2026
On 29 September, EARLALL held its 20th Academy session, bringing together members to explore how demographic change is reshaping labour markets and skills needs across Europe. The session combined an international perspective from El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Centre for Skills, with a regional perspective from Joacim Waara, Region Västra Götaland.
El Iza Mohamedou provided an OECD perspective on how demographic change is reshaping skills needs and labour markets, highlighting the growing importance of inclusive lifelong learning and policies that enable people to develop and adapt their skills throughout their working lives.
Bringing the regional perspective, Joacim Waara shared insights from Region Västra Götaland, illustrating how demographic trends, labour market transformation and changing skills needs are being experienced and addressed at regional level.
Together, the two perspectives provided a starting point for an exchange among EARLALL members on common challenges and regional experiences related to demographic change, skills and lifelong learning.
The discussion highlighted how many of these challenges are shared across EARLALL regions. The session once again demonstrated the value of the EARLALL Academy as a space for bringing together international perspectives and regional experiences, fostering peer learning and exchange among members on common challenges in skills and lifelong learning.