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 (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 (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 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
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, 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.
15:30–16:30 – 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
Economic Opportunities for All (EOFA) – strengthening inclusive skills ecosystems through multi-stakeholder partnerships
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Date: 14 October 2026
Time: 08:30–15:45 (registration from 08:30)
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
Follow JA Europe on social media for updates on the final agenda, speaker announcements and additional details for “From Skills to Opportunity”.
