Brussels, January 27 th 2017 Federico Brugnoli

1. “More and better jobs for young people in the commerce sector” FINAL CONFERENCE Project submitted in relation to the functioning of a EU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee, budget heading 04.03.03.01. Brussels, January 27th 2017 Federico Brugnoli

3. METHODOLOGY I.G.A. RECRUITMENT EMPLOYMENT OFF SITE DATA COLLECTION DATA ELABORATION EUROPEAN WORKSHOP KNOWLEDGE ELABORATION RECOMMENDATIONS

4. Responses 15 organisations 12 member states

5. Problems

6. Solutions

7. Recruitment

8. Recruitment Attractiveness of the sector Skills recognition and transferability Geographical mismatches Transition between education and work

9. Recruitment Attractiveness of the sector • Comparably low wages • avoid generalisation, perception • High flexibility, short term contracts • specificities of sub sectors, not only a negative factor • Low expectations for long term careers • specificities of sub sectors, link with companies size • Low skilled occupations • link with dimension of companies and subsectors

10. Recruitment Skills Recognition and transferability • Discontinuous occupations • diversity of occupations, link with temporary jobs • Lack of formal recognition of competencies • lack of harmonisation, no recognition of soft skills • Lack of adequate contractual framework • lack of recognition of informal education

11. Recruitment Geographical mismatches • Geographical polarization on urban areas • EU dimension, more relevant in retail, language issue • Lack of info. in recruitment offices • employment agencies focused on the local dimension • Lack of incentives for mobility • economic aspect, issue more developed at EU level

12. Recruitment Transition between education and work • Communication with schools • curricula evolve at a slower rate than needs • Lack of adequate orientation policies • orientation of students, orientation of schools • Appropriate Apprenticeship contracts • national diversities in application and appropriateness

13. Recruitment

14. Recruitment Attractiveness of the sector • Sectoral communication campaigns • Targeted information packages, with details of career development schemes • Multi-stakeholder, communication ineffective if not accompanied by structural measures, that take into account the needs of companies and workers

15. Recruitment Skills Recognition and transferability • Official and mutual recognition of competencies acquired “on field” Both dimensions are important, ESCO is providing good basis for harmonisation, issue of soft skills

16. Recruitment Geographical mismatches • On line databases, to better inform and overcome the “local” dimension • Implementation of public financial support measures, targeted at boosting mobility of young people Erasmus + specific programmes, no significant national examples

17. Recruitment Transition between education and work • Public support to internship/apprenticeship programmes • Apprenticeship contracts linked to recognition of skills and competencies • Combining theoretical education with practical experience is a strategy with very high potential, dual system, key role of social partners

18. Employment

19. Employment Skills development programmes Career prospects Stability/Flexibility in employment HR policies on young workers needs

20. Employment Workers skills development progr. • Lack of skills development programmes focused on young workers programmes are in place, not specific for young people • Training mainly focused on product product specificities are necessary, not the only focus • “Operational” barriers to long life learning combining training and work is more difficult in SMEs

21. Employment Career prospects • Low concrete possibilities of rapid career advancement for young (unskilled) workers • Lack of adequate communication of the varied roles and opportunities for rapid progression within retail • not always the case, subsectoral specificities, communication within companies play an important role

22. Employment Stability/Flexibility in employment • High flexibility often required to workers • the importance grows if we consider retention • Growing rate of part time work • avoid generalisation. It could be also an entry point

23. Employment HR policies on young workers needs • Age is often not specifically targeted in the definition and implementation of HR policies • positive discrimination

24. Employment

25. Employment Workers skills development progr. • Skills development policies, focused on evolving competencies needs of businesses and workers • Evolved training programmes, flexible in their concrete implementation Concrete policies for the identification of needs, when defining the training plans, “interprofessional funds”, key role of social partners

26. Employment Career prospects • Evolution of the organisational structure of businesses (SMEs) • Improvement in the communication of career prospects growing number of cases in which SME evolve to more complex structures – franchising – networks – possibilities of career advancement, internal training programmes

27. Employment Stability/Flexibility in employment • Increased balance between flexibility (business needs) and stability (contracts) • examples of specificities in collective agreements, as student jobs

28. I.G.A.

29. I.G.A. Demographic balance policies • Lack of demographic balance policies • the problem is general, no sector specific measures widely adopted, legislative constraints

30. I.G.A. Transfer of Knowledge • No formal programmes aiming at supporting skills transfer between different age groups • some programmes exist, limited in number, the concept of I.G.A. is not only linked with age but with experience, difficulties in formalisation and therefore recognition

31. I.G.A. Recognition of mentorship progr. • No recognition of mentorship programmes • again: difficulties in formalisation and therefore recognition

32. I.G.A.

33. I.G.A. Demographic balance policies Transfer of Knowledge Recognition of mentorship programmes Few concrete effective examples, issues to considered in the evolution of collective bargaining

34. Thank you