TRAILS partners meet in Naples to advance the final phase of the project
10/09/2026
The TRAILS – Enabling data analytics for actions tackling skills shortages & mismatch, EU-funded project consortium gathered in Naples on 9 September 2026 for its sixth plenary meeting, hosted by the University of Naples Federico II, ahead of the Conference on Occupational Mismatch and Skill Shortage, which took place on 10–11 September.
With the TRAILS project approaching its final months, the meeting offered an important opportunity for partners to review progress across the work packages, discuss remaining activities and deliverables, and agree on priorities for the final phase leading up to the project’s conclusion in March 2027.
A key focus of the meeting was how the evidence and knowledge generated by TRAILS can be translated into practical recommendations and made useful for policymakers, stakeholders and other actors working on skills shortages and mismatch.
Partners discussed developing a series of policy briefs on key themes emerging from the project’s research, including training and inclusion, matching skills to labour-market needs, skills development, and mobility. The briefs will connect TRAILS research findings with concrete policy challenges and actionable recommendations for relevant decision-makers and beneficiaries.
The final months of the project will also see the completion of several important research and technical outputs, alongside the continued development of the TRAILS platform, which will bring together project results and analytical tools.
As part of the plenary discussions, Alicia Gaban, representing EARLALL, presented the progress and achievements in TRAILS dissemination and communication activities.
The presentation highlighted the important progress made in raising the project’s visibility and strengthening engagement with relevant stakeholders throughout the project. Among the key achievements discussed were the successful publication and dissemination of press releases, the continued growth of TRAILS’ social media presence, the production and distribution of project newsletters, and ongoing efforts to reach and engage stakeholders at European, regional and local levels.
These activities have helped to increase awareness of the project’s work and ensure that TRAILS research and results reach audiences beyond the consortium itself.
EARLALL’s contribution to the research and experimental work is particularly important in connecting the project with regional and local stakeholders, helping to bring the discussion on skills shortages, skills mismatch, education and labour-market needs closer to the realities faced by territories and their communities.
As the project moves into its final phase, dissemination and stakeholder engagement will remain a key priority, with the consortium focusing increasingly on communicating the project’s findings and supporting their uptake.
The plenary meeting took place at an important moment for TRAILS. Several major deliverables are scheduled for completion between October 2026 and February 2027, while the final policy, dissemination and exploitation activities will continue into March 2027.
The meeting therefore represented an important step towards consolidating the project’s results and ensuring that the knowledge generated by TRAILS can have an impact beyond the lifetime of the project.
The plenary was followed by the Conference on Occupational Mismatch and Skill Shortage in Naples, which brought together more than 40 participants at MUSAP, Palazzo Zapata. The conference offered an opportunity to discuss the challenges addressed by TRAILS with a wider community of researchers, policymakers and stakeholders and to connect the project’s work with the broader European debate on skills and labour-market transformation.
For EARLALL, the continued engagement in TRAILS represents an opportunity to strengthen the role of regional and local perspectives in European discussions on skills, while ensuring that project knowledge is communicated effectively to stakeholders and can contribute to future policy and practice.