The EACN joins an initiative coordinated by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association) that aims at setting up a joint European framework for jobs in the automotive sector. This initiative has been developed as the European automotive sector’s answer to the European Commission's Pact for Skills initiative. 

The European Commission proposed a Pact for Skills as a new engagement model for skills that will help meet COVID-19 challenges and deliver on the objectives of the recovery pathway, the EU Industrial Strategy and the green and digital transitions. The Pact for Skills aims at mobilising and encouraging all relevant stakeholders to take concrete actions for the upskilling and reskilling of people, and, when relevant, cooperate through partnerships.

In this context, the EACN supports the joint proposal to deliver and implement a sectorial up/reskilling framework for the automotive value chain maximising industry competitiveness, job retention and new job opportunities paving the way to a dedicated partnership for the automotive ecosystem within the Pact for Skills. 

The proposal aims at expanding the outcomes of the DRIVES project funded by Erasmus+ which provides key inputs to the future work of the partnership, such as initial ecosystem intelligence, skills mapping, basic principles of the EU skills Framework in the automotive or dedicated database of industrial stakeholders, education providers and other relevant stakeholders. The proposal is open for all interested parties, initiatives or projects to cooperate jointly under a European umbrella.

This proposal is supported by 43 other European organizations that commit to:

• Ensure sustainable and systematic sectoral cooperation based on clear commitment of all stakeholders involved. 
• Ensure systematic EU-wide recognition of skills and knowledge 
• Ensure EU-wide mutually accepted definitions of skills and job-roles 
• Continuous, systematic and pragmatic way to gather industrial skills needs in the automotive ecosystem and minimising the gaps 
• Improve attractiveness of the automotive ecosystem 
• Stimulate massive acceleration of investment in human capital through pilot regional projects