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The Skills Alliance for the Green, Digital and Social Transformation of the Energy Intensive Industries (Skills4EII) will uptake the results of the European Steel Skills Alliance (ESSA) and the Skills Alliance for Industrial Symbiosis (SPIRE-SAIS) and further develop them within the project aligned with the Large Scale Partnership Energy Intensive Industries (LSP EII) under the Pact for Skills. An essential part of Skills4EII is to identify and adjust additional skills gaps, both cross-sectoral and sector-specific, within national and regional skills and training ecosystems. Skills4EII will create a common framework integrating specificities of all industries to continuously and proactively adjust the skills demands of the energy intensive industries (including further process industries).
This will be done by expanding the results of the two blueprint projects and developing a broader alliance and framework to close the skills gaps for specific (additional) sector needs (e.g. SME specific skills in the ceramic sector) and use synergies for cross-sectoral relevant topics and activities (such as Image & Recruitment, cooperation for the exploitation of Industrial Symbiosis, Industry 5.0, Artificial Intelligence). It is essential to open and scale up the challenges and gaps already identified and those still to come in a more general scope (beyond steel and industrial symbiosis) and to focus on the one hand, on the specific needs of the different industrial sectors (Steel, Minerals, Water, Engineering, Logistics, Non-Ferrous Metals, Ceramics, Raw Materials, Chemicals, Cement, Pulp & Paper, Refinery). On the other hand, the rollout of existing and new national-regional ecosystems is key. A central element to support this is the online training platform HUB 5.0 (integrating the ESSA steelHUB and the SPIRE-SAIS online platform SKILLS4Planet). Furthermore, Skills4EII is also taking the next steps toward a Process Industry 5.0, becoming more human-centric, sustainable, and resilient.
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Skills4EII Stakeholder Survey: Mega-Trends and Future Workforce Skills
Skills4EII Future Skills Priority Survey
• Addressing existing skills and talent gaps in energy‐intensive industries to ensure a workforce equipped for the digital, green and social transitions. • Building on proven blueprints (ESSA and SPIRE‑SAIS) by establishing a unified, scalable skills framework and robust governance structures spanning European, national, and regional levels. • Undertaking a comprehensive needs analysis to identify and forecast critical skills shortages that hinder the adoption of new technologies and innovative practices. • Integrating cross-sectoral training measures with sector-specific solutions, leveraging digital platforms and micro‐credential initiatives to promote continuous upskilling and reskilling. • Aligning project outcomes with broader European initiatives—such as the European Pact for Skills and the New Skills Agenda—to drive measurable improvements in industry competitiveness and innovation. • Fostering collaboration among industry stakeholders, educational institutions, SMEs, and policymakers to create a human‑centred, inclusive approach towards Industry 5.0. • Expanding and adapt existing digital training infrastructures (e.g., steelHub and SKILLS4Planet) across multiple sectors, ensuring best practice transfer and long-term sustainability.
Skills4EII is set to transform energy‐intensive industries by developing a comprehensive skills framework that bridges both sector‐specific and cross‐sector needs. Drawing on past initiatives and an advanced online training hub, the project supports the green, digital and social transition, equipping the workforce with future‐proof skills. This, in turn, strengthens regional competitiveness and fosters a resilient, innovative industry landscape.
WP1 – Management and Quality Assurance: Ensure robust project coordination and monitoring through continuous quality assurance, with independent evaluation led by an ISQ expert—combining internal consortium reviews and external stakeholder assessments.
WP2 – Skills Intelligence: Systematically analyse and forecast current and future skills gaps in energy‑intensive industries using an Early Warning System to guide strategic training measures.
WP3 – Cross-sectoral Training, Topics, Themes and Activities: Identify and develop innovative cross-sectoral learning solutions—including e-learning, videos, and classroom training—to rapidly upskill and reskill the workforce in line with the Skills Directory and HUB5.0 requirements.
WP4 – Sector Rollout and Specifications: Adapt, customise and enhance ESSA and SPIRE‑SAIS solutions for sector-specific needs by identifying additional skills gaps, tailoring transversal tools, and extending outreach to a broader range of actors across industries (e.g. steel, minerals, ceramics, cement, water, engineering, logistics, aluminium, raw materials, chemicals, as well as emerging sectors like pulp & paper and glass).
WP5 – National/Regional Outreach, Marketing and Exploitation: Integrate existing training ecosystems (such as Centres of Vocational Excellence, ESSA, SPIRE‑SAIS, Hubs4Circularity, Smart Specialisation Regions and ChemSkills Blueprint) within a comprehensive business model and marketing strategy to maximise outreach at European, national and regional levels and ensure sustainable governance of the LSP EII.
WP6 – HUB5.0 Learning Solutions, Micro-Credentials and Support Platform: Develop HUB5.0 as a centralised, business-model-driven technological platform that facilitates training, communication, collaboration and coordination, serving as the infrastructure for a European exchange of training content among industry, training providers, public authorities, research and education institutions, associations and service providers.
WP7 – Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation and Marketing: Promote project outcomes broadly to improve the public image of the European process industry as modern, high-tech, sustainable and green, while ensuring effective dissemination and stakeholder engagement.
SKILLS4EII is implemented by a consortium of thirty-four partners (including associated and affiliated ones), ranging from associations to industry players and research and innovation organisations.
Click to view or download the Skills4EII documents listed below.
Skills4EII Corporate Handbook
Skills4EII Brochure
Skills4EII Flyer (EN)
Skills4EII Flyer (BG)
Skills4EII Flyer (DE)
Skills4EII Flyer (ES)
Skills4EII Flyer (FR)
Skills4EII Flyer (IT)
Skills4EII Flyer (NL)
Skills4EII Flyer (PT)
Skills4EII Flyer (RO)
Skills4EII Flyer (TR)
• D1.1 – Project Cooperation Platform and Handbook (WP1) • D1.2 – Monitoring and Evaluation Handbook (WP1) • D1.3 – Monitoring and Evaluation Reports (WP1) • D1.4 – Progress Report to the EACEA after 1 year (WP1) • D1.5 – Progress Report to the EACEA after 3 years (WP1) • D2.1 – Skills Intelligence for Energy Intensive Industries (WP2) • D2.2 – Skills Intelligence tool Data (Early Warning System) (WP2) • D2.3 – Strategy Paper (Roadmap) (WP2) • D3.1 – Mapping of Existing and Available Cross-sectoral Training Solutions (WP3) • D3.2 – Delivery of Cross-sectoral Training Programmes (WP3) • D4.1 – Mapping of Existing and Available Sectoral Training Solutions (WP4) • D4.2 – Delivery of Sectoral Training Programmes (WP4) • D5.1 – Sectoral, National-Regional Marketing and Exploitation Plan (WP5) • D6.1 – Learning Solution Directory (WP6) • D6.2 – Artificial Intelligent Tutor Infrastructure (WP6) • D6.3 – Skill Directory and Capability Assessor (WP6) • D6.4 – Learning Experience Interface (LXI) – LXI5.0 (WP6) • D6.5 – Digital Identity and Wallet Infrastructure to Record Micro-credentials and Badges in HUB5.0 (WP6) • D7.1 – Communication and Dissemination Materials (WP7) • D7.2 – Policy Recommendations and Practice Guidelines (WP7)
Skills4EII: Game-changer role profiles (Draft 1: 16 November 2025)
Seven cross-sectoral and 15 sector-specific archetypes, to initiate a crucial public consultation process with stakeholders from industry, education, and government.
A final conference will be organised in Brussels to present, discuss and exchange the project results. This will ensure the dissemination of the results to a broader public.
The Skills4EII project is aligned with the Large Scale Partnership Energy Intensive Industries (LSP EII) under the Pact for Skills (one of the flagship actions of the European Skills Agenda).
Skills Alliance for Industrial Symbiosis – a Cross-sectoral Blueprint for a Sustainable Process Industry: SPIRE-SAIS
European Steel Skills Agenda - ESSA Project
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Skills4EII Newsletter Edition 1 - 26 June 2025
Skills4EII Newsletter Edition 2 - 17 December 2025
Antonius Schröder
TUDO
Project Coordinator
antonius.schroeder@tu-dortmund.de
Vladiana Petărlecean
A.SPIRE
Communication and Dissemination
vpe@aspire2050.eu
