From Milan to Warsaw – Next steps for building capacity in the agency work sector

How can social partners in the temporary agency work sector take a lead on priority issues such as reskilling and working conditions? And how can they come together to promote innovative approaches that reflect evolving labour market and world of work dynamics?  These are some of the hot topics currently being taken forward through a potentially game-changing joint-initiative between the World Employment Confederation-Europe and UNI Europa, the EU Social Partners for the Temporary Agency Work sector. And the opportunity is there for national federations and industry leaders across Europe to feed into the next stages of this high-profile project.

Training and reskilling: Messages from Milan

The first in-person workshop on training and reskilling brought together 30 representatives from the sector in Milan, Italy in June 2024. It was an opportunity to share views on emerging jobs market trends and to hear from external experts, such as Indeed’s Head of Talent Intelligence. The event was also an opportunity to learn from innovative training initiatives across Europe, with case studies from Assolavoro (IT), FPE-TT (FR) and TRAVI (BE) . Here is a snapshot of the main messages from Milan:

• Creating bespoke support for target groups is an ongoing priority – This involves addressing specific barriers linked to accommodation, transport, caring responsibilities and other personal circumstances.
• Assessment of current skills and capabilities is a vital starting point – Recruitment and staffing experts are uniquely placed to identify gaps that need to be addressed in order to access opportunities within a specific role or sector.
• Social dialogue and a genuine partnership approach will drive sustainable progress – Building partnerships – with public employment services (PES), community groups and NGOs, for example – is key to making a lasting impact. One practical tip is to experiment at the micro/local level before seeking to build national level activities and partnerships.
• It is time to reimagine training delivery and content – The need to radically revamp the structure and delivery of training programmes is a recurring theme. One way forward is to develop new ways of listening to participants to better understand motivational triggers and changing expectations.
• Driving recruitment skills and hiring innovation are building blocks for further change – Case studies in Milan underlined the fact that working in the front line of a shape-shifting jobs market is no easy task. The underlines to need to continue enhancing the skills, capabilities and expertise of employment and recruitment professionals.

A changing skills landscape makes innovative approaches to training and reskilling more important than ever. This was a core conclusion of WEC’s ‘The Work We Want’ research, with 78% of business leaders saying that they cannot train employees fast enough. And social partners in the agency work sector will be at the forefront of accelerating the pace of positive change.

Social protection and working conditions – Paving the way to Warsaw

The project’s next ‘in-person’ event will take place in February 2025 in Warsaw, Poland. The focus here will be on the core themes of working conditions and social protection and on learning from innovative approaches in different countries. Discussions will also dig into the transferability of these initiatives and into the drivers and aims of new regulatory interventions. We will also be looking for answers to some of the following big-ticket questions:

• How are perceptions of agency work evolving and what are the political drivers of change on working conditions and social protection of temporary workers?
• How is social dialogue accelerating positive change and how can we make progress in countries where social dialogue is not yet embedded?
• What initiatives are making a tangible difference to for specific target groups – For example, young people (especially, those not in employment, education or training), older workers and people with disabilities?
• How are social security needs likely to evolve over the coming years and how can we ensure that public policy reflects societal and labour market evolutions?
• What kind of social protection schemes can facilitate access to jobs and ongoing employment for agency workers?
• How can social partners work together to ensure that future regulations are effective and workable and that robust enforcement mechanisms are in place?

The underlying aim of the EU-funded ‘Capacity Building in the Temporary Agency Work Sector’ project by WEC-Europe and UNI-Europa is to create a space for ongoing exchanges and to identify ‘exportable’ good practice examples that can inform public policy and workplace practices across Europe. As well as boosting capacity in EU Member States where social dialogue and the agency work sector is in a more developmental stage, the exchanges are providing valuable insight and new reference points for national federations and worker organisations in countries where the agency work industry is established, and social dialogue is firmly embedded. The Warsaw gathering is the next staging post for driving positive change in all participating countries. See you there!