The European Commission has announced the EU members of the EU-US Talent for Growth Task Force. The Task Force will start its work at its inaugural meeting on 17 May 2023.

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The Task Force brings together government and private sector leaders from business, trade unions, and organisations that provide training. Building on existing initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic, the goal of the task force is to exchange best practices and to serve as a catalyst for innovative skills policies.

It will be a platform for sharing policies, tools and data on skills development in both regions and will work to develop a shared understanding and recommendations to drive development of the talent and skills needed for emerging and existing technologies.

Talent for Growth Task Force members

The Task Force will be co-chaired by Ms Zoe Baird, Senior Counselor to the US Secretary for Technology and Economic Growth, and Mr Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission.

The following persons were appointed as members of the Task Force:

• Mr Markus Beyrer - Director General, BusinessEurope
• Ms Esther Lynch - General Secretary European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Ms Giulia Meschino - Secretary General of the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA)
• Mr Claes-Mikael Ståhl - Deputy Secretary General, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Ms Marloes de Vries - Head of Zadkine Vocational Education College, Rotterdam
• Ms Véronique Willems - Secretary General, SMEunited

Mr Maxime Cerutti (BusinessEurope), Mr Adam Weatherly (Irish SME association, ISME), Ms Elena Crasta (ETUC), as well as the six member associations of the Platform of European Associations of Vocational Education and Training Providers will also support the work of the Task Force.

Information on the members representing the US can be found here.

Background

European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo first announced the creation of the Task Force in December 2022.

On 5 December 2022, the Trade and Technology Council announced in the establishment of the Talent for Growth Task Force. The Task Force will bring together government and private sector leaders from business, trade unions, and organisations that provide training, building on existing initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic. The goal of the task force is to exchange best practices and to serve as a catalyst for innovative skills policies.

The Task Force has a one-year mandate and will contribute to the common EU-US objective to recognise and develop the talent of their working-age populations. The Task Force will provide a platform to share best practices, policies, tools and data for talent development, and foster a shared understanding on specific skills needs that could inspire training programs in EU and US companies, including SMEs.

Trade and Technology Council

The EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) serves as a forum for the United States and European Union to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic, and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on these shared values. It was established during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels.