Local Employment and Skills

A skilled workforce represents a key marketing chip for local economies to attract investment. Local policies are essential to better connect people to high quality jobs, while also preparing existing workers for changes in the future of work.

What's the issue?

Automation, digitiastion and the green transition create challenges, but also new opportunities for local labour markets. Across the OECD, there is increasing labour market polarisation with a decline in the demand for middle-skilled workers and an increase in the demand for high- and low-skilled workers. At the local level, these trends have an uneven impact across regions.

Some regions will be in a position to take advantage of greater integration into global labour markets and to transition to digital production, thereby attracting firms and workers, while other regions will lag behind and struggle to create quality jobs.

What can the OECD offer?

We examine the role of megatrends, such as automation and digitalisation, the green transition, and demographic change on local labour market, in order to support the definition of policies and skills strategies that can foster economic development and quality job creation.

We support countries with tailored policy advice on local employment and skills policies, including on how to engage employers in developing and using skills, ensuring employment services are effectively matching people to jobs and addressing the needs of specific target groups (economically inactive, disadvantaged populations).

We offer to countries support on driving reforms and piloting, implementing and evaluating local employment and skills policies.

LESI Skills Week 300

OECD Local Skills Week (15-17 February 2022) explored how local communities can overcome local skills gaps and mismatches by helping people reskill and upskill throughout their working lives.

Find out more

AREAS OF WORK

Reforms and policy implementation

Check out our work to support job creation, skills development and social inclusion in cities in the Netherlands and our work on the reform of the Swedish Public Employment Service.

Employers and Skills Development

This OECD-ILO project provides guidance on how local and regional governments can foster employers engagement in skills development and quality apprenticeships.

Jobs and Skills in Southeast Asia

The aim of the OECD’s Southeast Asia Regional Policy Network on Education and Skills is to support growth and regional integration.

Adult Skills Systems in Cities

The OECD, in collaborationwith the JP Morgan Chase Foundation and Eurocities, is helping cities design, manage and implement adult learning programmes.

RECENT work