Global shifts in technology, economy, demographics, and green transition are expected to create 170 million new jobs by 2030, while simultaneously displacing 92 million others.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs report 2025, the most in-demand skills by 2030 will include both technological expertise and human-centric abilities, such as cognitive thinking and collaboration. To bridge this skills gap, coordinated efforts from public, private, and educational institutions are urgently required. The increasing skills gap, identified by 63% of employers as a critical barrier to business transformation, highlights the pressing need to equip today’s youth with the right skills to succeed in the world of work. Developing tools for the assessment and certification of soft skills through micro-credentials is a way forward.[1]
By addressing the current youth unemployment challenges through fostering essential soft skills needed by economic operators and industry, the EMPASS project aims to equip young people with the tools and qualifications necessary to thrive in today’s dynamic job market and to lead the way in empowering young Europeans with a dedicated new skills credential.
“In response to the global macrotrends, bridging the gap between education and employment and investing in reskilling and upskilling initiatives is our responsibility. We should empower young Europeans with the skills they need to thrive in the job market. Developing the new EmPass micro-credential for employability, building on the success of the Entreprenurial Skills Pass (ESP)[2] , we offer to young people especially in TVET a flexible and practical way to enhance their soft skills and demonstrate their work readiness effectively.” said Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe.
For the development of the micro-credential, the EMPASS consortium has conducted comprehensive skills needs analysis in Greece, Romania, and Spain to identify the most in-demand soft skills critical for employability. This analysis was undertaken in collaboration with industry leaders, employability experts, and the VET sector, identifying critical soft skills such as Responsibility, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Communication and more. The Consortium collected and combined points of view of teachers and students, which are aligned with real-world demands, amplifying joint strategies to reduce the labour market mismatch. [3]
The outputs of the skills need analysis, formed the basis for a tailored strategy which supported the development of a standardised employability micro-credential assessment, the EmPass assessment. It is a streamlined, 45-minute online exam designed to evaluate soft skills proficiency and provide learners with a structured pathway to enhance their capabilities. The EmPass micro-credential assessment will be piloted with 1.500 students in Spain, Romania, and Greece, before being finalised for scale-up and Europe-wide distribution.
About the EMPASS project:
The EMPASS project is coordinated by JA Europe, the largest provider of education programmes for entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health in Europe. The project, with full title called “Employment Skills Pass, a Quality Standard for Faster Transition from Education to Employment”, is funded by the European Union (EU) under the Erasmus+ Forward Looking Programme, It aims to equip young people with the tools and qualifications necessary to thrive in today’s dynamic job market. It’s core product, the EmPass micro-credential is targeting young professionals and Vocational Education and Training (VET) students with a clear mission to enhance employability and foster career readiness. This innovative programme has been developed through collaboration between leading institutions, educators, and industry experts. The Consortium consists of JA Spain, JA Romania, JA Greece, Zurich Insurance Group, IEDT, IME GSEVEE, IN.E, Ascendia, CEVM, IDS, Manpower Group, Accenture and Worldskills Romania.
[1] Future of Jobs Report 2025: 78 Million New Job Opportunities by 2030 but Urgent Upskilling Needed to Prepare Workforces > Press releases | World Economic Forum
[2] Entrepreneurial Skills Pass — JA Worldwide
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network provided 6 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats.
Press and media contact at JA Europe:
Minna Melleri, Chief of Advocacy and Growth ( minna@jaeurope.org)
