From Skills to Opportunity

14 October 2026 | Thon Hotel EU, Brussels | Online & In-Person

How can Europe turn skills into real opportunities for young people, employers and the creative economy? On 14 October 2026, JA Europe brings together policymakers, educators, business leaders and youth organisations in Brussels for “From Skills to Opportunity”, an event dedicated to building a more transparent, portable and future‑ready skills ecosystem across Europe.

Register now to join online or in person:
Registration form: From Skills to Opportunity

WHY ATTEND?

“From Skills to Opportunity” is designed for anyone working at the intersection of skills, employability, entrepreneurship and the cultural and creative sectors:

Policymakers looking for evidence-based approaches to skills recognition, mobility and inclusive labour market pathways

Education and training providers interested in micro-credentials, digital learning and entrepreneurial mindsets

Business and industry representatives seeking stronger pipelines of future-ready talent

Youth and civil society organisations working on employability, social inclusion and creative careers

Communications and public affairs professionals engaged in EU skills, education and culture policy

Participants will leave with:

A clearer picture of Europe’s evolving skills agenda and its link to competitiveness and inclusion

Concrete examples of tools and practices that scale skills recognition in the cultural and creative sectors

Insights on gamified digital learning and how it fosters entrepreneurial skills among young people

Policy and partnership recommendations to strengthen pathways from learning to work

PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE

09:00–09:30 – Arrivals and Registration

09:30–10:00 – Opening Remarks (livestreamed)
Kick off the event with high-level reflections on Europe’s skills agenda, competitiveness, and the role of innovation and inclusive learning in shaping the workforce of the future.

10:00–11:00 – Skills, Mobility and Innovation for Europe’s Competitiveness (livestreamed)
As the flagship session of the EMPASS project, this panel explores how Europe can build a more transparent, portable and future-ready skills ecosystem. Discussions will cover skills assessment, certification, micro-credentials and mobility, examining how skills recognition can better connect learning, employment and entrepreneurship to support Europe’s competitiveness.

11:00–11:30 – Coffee Break

Parallel Sessions I (11:30–13:00)

Recognising Skills in the Cultural and Creative Sectors: From Practice to Policy – Co-Funded by the EU (livestreamed)
Drawing on insights from the Cultural BEES project, this session explores how skills in the cultural and creative sectors can be better recognised, validated and supported. Policymakers, practitioners and sector experts will examine micro-credentials, entrepreneurship, skills pathways and policy approaches that help creative talent thrive across Europe.

Beyond Screen Time: Digital Learning, Entrepreneurial Mindsets and the Future of Skills – Funded by the EU (livestreamed)
In a time of growing debate about screen use in education, this session explores what meaningful digital learning looks like in practice. Featuring JA Compass, JA Europe’s gamified learning platform, participants will discover how digital tools can foster entrepreneurial mindsets, resilience, decision-making and future-ready skills, while supporting more engaging, inclusive and scalable learning experiences for young people.

Making the World Playful: Building Pathways for Creative Talent (King Roundtable) (invitation-only discussion)
This closed-door discussion explores how Europe can make creative technology and mobile gaming careers more visible, accessible and inclusive for young people. Grounded in King’s Mobile Matters research and the King–JA Europe partnership, the session will connect evidence, youth perspectives and policy dialogue to identify clearer pathways from interests and skills into future-oriented STEAM careers.

13:00–14:00 – Networking Lunch

Parallel Sessions II (14:00–15:30)

From Evidence to Action: Implementing Skills Recognition in CCSI (livestreamed)
Building on Cultural Bees’ project findings, this interactive session translates evidence into action through practical tools and good practices that can help scale skills recognition systems across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.

From Engagement to Impact: Scaling JA Compass Through EU Funding, Business Partnerships and Youth Uptake (livestreamed)
Explore how JA Compass is helping young people develop entrepreneurial and future-ready skills through gamified learning. The session showcases lessons from implementation, the role of EU funding, and opportunities for scaling impact through partnerships with education, business, and policy stakeholders.

Economic Opportunities for All – NN Group
How can partnerships between business, education and civil society create stronger pathways to opportunity for young people? Drawing on evidence and lessons from the Economic Opportunities for All (EOFA) initiative supported by NN Group, this roundtable will explore practical approaches to supporting employability, skills development and social inclusion. The discussion will identify policy and partnership recommendations for strengthening inclusive skills ecosystems across Europe.

15:30–16:00 – JA Europe Teacher Award Ceremony powered by UPS

The JA Teachers Award recognises outstanding educators who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to entrepreneurship education and have made a significant impact on young people’s skills, confidence, and career readiness across Europe over the past year. The award celebrates teachers who successfully deliver JA programmes, inspire entrepreneurial thinking, and help students develop key employability and life skills.

WHO IS BEHIND “FROM SKILLS TO OPPORTUNITY”?

The event is organised by JA Europe and brings together partners and projects working on skills, entrepreneurship and the future of work, including:

EMPASS – focusing on skills assessment, micro-credentials and mobility to support Europe’s competitiveness

Cultural BEES – generating evidence and tools for skills recognition in the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI)

JA Compass – JA Europe’s gamified learning platform fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and future-ready skills

King – JA Europe Partnership – leveraging Mobile Matters research to open pathways into creative technology and STEAM careers

UPS – JA Europe Partnership – is designed to support young students and refugees and enable them to access education opportunities.

NN Group – Economic Opportunities for All (EOFA) – strengthening inclusive skills ecosystems through multi-stakeholder partnerships

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Date: 14 October 2026

Time: 09:00–16:00 (registration from 09:00)

Location: Thon Hotel EU, Rue du Trône / Troonstraat 32, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Language: English

Format: Hybrid (in-person and online livestream for key sessions)

Join us online or in Brussels:

Register here for “From Skills to Opportunity”

Stay updated

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