Including sectoral skills evidence in the Skills Panorama. Practical Framework

Including sectoral skills evidence in the Skills Panorama Practical Framework December 2016

Introduction The Skills Panorama is an initiative of the European Commission to improve transparency on the European labour market by providing online access to data and research findings on skills and labour market prospects at both national and European level. Please visit the website to find out more. The objective of this Practical Framework is to inform potential contributors on how to best feed the Skills Panorama with their sectoral skills evidence. The Framework is expected to facilitate the inclusion of results in the Skills Panorama and set the basis for better synergy and comparative analysis between the future work of various European actors on different sectors. Cedefop s role Cedefop is responsible for the dissemination of results in the Skills Panorama. For this reason, please contact the Skills Panorama team to seek consultation on how to best: - proceed with forthcoming/in development sectoral skills work; - include your results from recent, complete sectoral skills work. Selecting sectoral input The Skills Panorama team will decide if and in which way the respective results will be uploaded on the platform. The Skills Panorama team reserves the right to offer priority to sectoral skills contributions stemming from or relevant to EU-funded projects. page 3 of 10

1. Options for displaying sectoral skills evidence in the Skills Panorama In the Skills Panorama, sectors are defined according to the latest statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE rev. 2 ( 1 )). Unconventional sectors (such as green economy ) can be also displayed. Sectoral skills analysis can also include information on the respective occupations. Regarding that type of information, the Skills Panorama will follow the ESCO classification, when the latter is complete (2). Currently, occupations are classified based on ISCO-08 (2-digit level), which is an internationally recognised classification. Please find more information on how we structure data on sectors and occupations respectively in When talking about sectors and Job talk. Quantitative and qualitative information on sectoral skills are included through: Indicators: Indicators are computed using European and widely-accepted sources, such as Eurostat Labour Force Survey, Cedefop forecast etc. If a potential contributor collects quantitative information on a sector, which is to be updated on a regular basis, then Cedefop could include it in the relevant webpage. Useful Resources: In the webpage of each sector, a link to Useful Resources leads to a list of information and studies on the sector. Useful Resources is a frequently updated information stand to include key pieces from various sources. Since its launch, Skills Panorama has been enriched with sectoral skillsrelevant reports: for example, please see the reports on skills and competences of the defence sector and tourism. Analytical Highlights: Analytical Highlights are concise reports on selected topics (e.g. sectors, occupations and countries), providing intelligence on demand, supply and trends in skills and related areas. The list of the Analytical Highlights is expanded and updated (for example, see the occupational Analytical Highlights, updated in November 2016). ( 1 ) Please find information on the development, rationale and the classification list of NACE Rev. 2 here: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/5902521/ks-ra-07-015- EN.PDF (accessed 01/12/2016). The classification can also be found in html format here: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/nomenclatures/index.cfm?targeturl=lst_nom_dtl&st rnom=nace_rev2&strlanguagecode=en&intpckey=&strlayoutcode=hierarchic (accessed 01/12/2016). ( 2 ) The ESCO classification regards occupational groups and occupations. ESCO v1 is currently under development; its release is expected in early 2017. (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/web/guest/escopedia/-/escopedia/esco_v1; accessed 01/12/2016). page 4 of 10

Any provided sectoral skills evidence should fit to at least one of the abovementioned categories. The information below summarises what is needed for display of the sectoral skills evidence in the Skills Panorama. Indicators provide Cedefop with raw data for new indicators generated by the study Useful resources provide Cedefop with the final report and respective hyperlink Analytical highlights provide Cedefop with the executive summary of the final report 2. Practical guidelines for including sectoral skills evidence in the Skills Panorama To feed the Skills Panorama, all necessary information should be provided in formats that enable further and comparative analysis between sectoral studies and, if possible, identification of trends over a period of time. The various feed-ins will be prepared by the owner of the data. If the sectoral study generated new primary data and indicators, which are projected to be updated, these can be included in the Skills Panorama, following approval by the Skills Panorama team. For this reason, contributors are asked to: keep raw data in a standard format (Excel/SPSS/STATA), including the scripts (e.g. STATA log and do-files) to ensure transparency and replicability of the results; keep record of original tables/figures and the relevant raw data to allow for further handling (e.g. for an analytical highlight); keep the metadata (summary of basic information about data, e.g. author, date created, date modified, file size, definitions used, etc.). To enable the inclusion of the work in the Panorama, where possible, it is strongly recommended to use ESCO for the data collection and analysis. ESCO will foster comparability of skills data stemming from different projects and sources. page 5 of 10

The link to final reports will be made available in the useful resources while they are expected to be used for the development/update of analytical highlights. To achieve that, it is advised that: final reports should be provided in Word document format (not only pdf) to support the use of all contents in analytical highlights, sectoral webpage of the Skills Panorama or any other further handling; for EU-funded projects: the hyperlink to the final report(s) that will be delivered to the European Commission/EU Institution should also be made available; in addition to following the European Commission/ EU Institution format, it should be ensured that the final report includes the publication date and contact information (name, phone number, address and an e-mail address of the contact person); the methodology followed is included in the report or provided separately to the Skills Panorama team. This is to ensure that results of surveys and any research methods deployed towards the final report are used appropriately in analytical highlights or other synthesis. The methodology can help Skills Panorama experts understand the itinerary of data formation (type of survey, representativeness of sample, soundness of research methods used etc.) and appropriately compare and match it to results from other reports. This will promote comparative analysis among different sectoral skills work. If possible, it would also be beneficial to have a substantial part dedicated to country/regional analysis of the topic, based either on national or EU data sources (e.g. highlighting differences between countries/regions). As information and data of the reports are expected to reach out and be used by numerous users/visitors of the Panorama, the final reports should include a clear mention of the copyrights. It can be expected that the sectoral work will gain broader dissemination and recognition if the use of open licences (e.g. creative commons) is provisioned. The executive summaries of the final reports should provide concise factual, relevant as well as attention-grabbing information on the given subject. It is advisable that executive summaries should: offer an interesting leading story based on robust analysis of quantitative and qualitative evidence, rather than briefly discussing the report chapters in each paragraph; break down information/findings in catchy headline(s); use examples from the report to illustrate the findings to make them more visible to readers and highlight possible good practices; include graphs/data visualisations; a list of sources referred in the summary should be provided in the end. page 6 of 10

The following elements should also be taken into account in preparation of the executive summary specifically stemming from a sectoral skills relevant work to feed the Skills Panorama. Each summary should: have overall a clear skill dimension; make the 3-5 key findings of the report clearly visible by placing them in bullet points and at the top. These findings will feed the Analytical Highlights. As with all information in the Panorama, key findings need to be relevant to skills; where relevant, cover the demand side (requirements for skills, qualifications and workers in different sectors and occupations) but also the supply side (skills and qualifications held by people in the labour market) of the labour market( 3 ). As stands for all EU/European Commission publications, all qualitative deliverables (final reports, abstracts, executive summaries) should avoid any interpretation with a specific political orientation, especially relative to Member States. Also, messages in the summaries should take into consideration equal treatment and no discrimination for or against of any type of group, field or endeavour. In addition to the guidelines above, Annex I compiles key principles that Cedefop follows when conceiving and developing a sectoral skills study. Some of them are relevant to any type of qualitative/quantitative study; but are presented here through the lens of collecting and analysing sectoral skills information. These principles can be used by contributors as basis for relevant future work. Please consult the Skills Panorama team before you engage in the preparation of any material to be published in the Skills Panorama. For any clarification, please contact: skills-panorama@cedefop.europa.eu Useful material for further consultation: Wilson, R.A.; Tarjani, H.; Rihova, H. (2015). Guide to skills anticipation and matching volume 3: Working at sector level. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Jointly published by Cedefop, ETF and ILO. ( 3 )Overall, the demand side of the labour market regards the number of employees that employers are willing and able to hire while the supply side concerns the individuals who are willing to work in a given job position for a certain level of wage. For better understanding on labour market terms, please see the DG ECFIN website: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/structural_reforms/labour/development/index_en.htm (all links accessed 01/12/2016) page 7 of 10

ANNEX I: KEY PRINCIPLES FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPING AND CARRYING OUT A SECTORAL SKILLS STUDY APPLIED BY CEDEFOP The analysis of skill needs can be rather complex and touches upon several interlinked thematic areas. Additionally, it is a constantly evolving field that needs to be quite focused on to pace up with developments. Some main points to be taken into consideration when carrying out a sectoral skills study are outlined below. The list is not exhaustive and offers general guidance. Additional guidelines can be drawn from existing literature ( 4 ) as well as a forthcoming publication by Cedefop, ILO and ETF: A Guide to skills anticipation and matching volume 3: Working at sector level, 2016. The Guide targets a wide range of countries, EU and beyond, that come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Nonetheless, it provides useful information, for example on tools and methods for running sectoral skills studies, as well as useful resources from the literature. Key principles to follow for a sectoral skills evidence study are reviewed below. Planning stage When planning a sectoral skills study, there are some issues to be reviewed to facilitate decision-making and highlight the process to be followed. These points for consideration are: Do we need to do it? Avoid duplication: it is advisable to carry out a review of already available quantitative and qualitative information, sectoral and national sources to help ensure that the study will lead to new results/data not covered elsewhere. As Cedefop aims to centralise and provide access to available evidence through the Skills Panorama, Cedefop can help in making this review. If the review shows a number of diverse studies, carrying out a meta-analysis and synthesising information from all relevant and existing studies can be a very useful way to add value to existing knowledge. Carrying out such a review will help promote synergies among various relevant projects and highlight gaps and opportunities to expand existing skills intelligence to other types of skills or other (sub) sectors Objective of the study: What is to be achieved from this sectoral work? Which is the specific audience to be addressed? Which are the research questions you wish to answer? Defining the sector or the sub-sector: Use the ESCO classification (once finalised) ( 5 ) to ensure comparability among results of the ( 4 ) For example, on sampling techniques you can advise http://www.rgs.org/ourwork/schools/fieldwork+and+local+learning/fieldwork+techniques/s ampling+techniques.htm ( 5 ) https://ec.europa.eu/esco/web/guest/escopedia/-/escopedia/development_of_esco page 8 of 10

various sectoral studies. Take into consideration emerging subsectors that may not be included in the existing classification Map the value chain: Does this (sub-)sector touch upon other sectors? Are you interested in exploring only the specific sector or also have information on the value chain(s) that this sector belongs to? Defining skills and stakeholders: Which skills should be investigated: e.g. qualification levels; basic skills; generic skills/key competences (e.g. digital skill), jobs-specific skills etc. Based on the sector, the objectives of the study and the skills to be included identify the key stakeholders that may be approached/involved or at whom the conclusions will aim. Type of data to collect: Decide on the balance between qualitative and quantitative data, depending on the type of study, goals, contextual factors etc. Collect quantitative data, to the extent possible Use established databases/surveys (e.g. LFS/Eurostat) When using national data, try to include data collected on a regular basis, to develop time series and ensure future updating If national data are gathered on ad hoc basis, provide a link to the data for the Skills Panorama Consider qualitative data (e.g. from surveys, research, experts opinions); they are important in providing a comprehensive view of trends in a sector When using results from existing surveys or when designing a new one, take notice of the sampling size and its representativeness; check for methods used to improve data (e.g. eliminate self-selection bias) to include only qualitative and meaningful information in the study Regional/local data: - explore possibility to focus analysis on regions, especially so in countries with strong regional governance (e.g. Italy, Germany) - even for national/european level analysis, explore the availability and validity of regional or even local level data: depending on the country or sector, skill evidence may be collected on a regional/local level by relevant bodies; while national level data/organisations may not be that well-informed/updated Have a bird s view : to understand and analyse results, it is useful to also collect information on key legal, economic and policy developments in the sector (e.g. recent/anticipated changes in legislation/legal requirements, development affecting trade, etc.); environmental changes, demographic changes as well as other contextual factors. page 9 of 10

Development and dissemination stage Engage stakeholders: Including key stakeholders from the sector and/or of the respective value chain (e.g. Sector Skill Councils) in the development stage can uplift any challenges regarding ensuring interviewees, additional data, better understanding country specificities etc. Quality assurance: Given the complexity of some skills-related data, it is advisable to add specific quality assurance elements to sectoral skills studies. These elements are different depending on the type of skills data collected, actors involved, type of analysis etc. For example, quality check of the quantitative data from non-established sources/databases is necessary. For stakeholders surveys, quality assurance will focus on terminology, which can sometimes be challenging in a multi-lingual environment and for non-experts. In case of surveys and/or interviews with stakeholders and experts, especially if run by external contractors, interview write-ups should be collected and record of relevant contact details kept to allow for follow up, validation of findings and clarifications, if needed. Critically assess data: information may not be complete (e.g. for all occupations or regions; or if you run a sectoral survey across Europe, not all countries may have responded); or the source available for quantitative data may not offer a complete time series. The data and data sources used should be critically assessed to promote transparency and support the liability of conclusions. It is preferable to highlight any limitations of data to allow readers to contextualise and understand the conclusions drawn. Dissemination of results: Stakeholders who are involved in the study can function as proxies for information collection and results dissemination To boost awareness of the Skills Panorama, contributors could include the web-link to the Panorama in their webpage. page 10 of 10