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Rapidly changing society we are living in and the World’s transformation observed in the last decade are providing new educational trends, increased needs and demands of the labour market and adaptivity of educational opportunities, especially during biosecurity emergencies such as COVID-19 pandemic. The new reality require skills and knowledge that goes beyond a specific profession itself and leads to the emerging need of development of high level of possession of transversal skills in the current educational options, including the ones for youth development. “Transversal skills are those typically considered as not specifically related to a particular job, task, academic discipline or area of knowledge but as skills that can be used in a wide variety of situations and work settings” (IBE 2013). “These skills are increasingly in high demand for learners to successfully adapt to changes and to lead meaningful and productive lives” (UNESCO UNEVOC). Specific problem, managed by the present project is to empower the development of transversal skills in young people through specifically designed e-learning tools that will underline the importance of transversal skills that is critical to the effective and goal-oriented personal and professional development of young people in the EU.

Today people need to be equipped with a variety of skills ranging from basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy and digital, to vocational or technical skills as well as entrepreneurial skills and transversal skills, such as foreign languages or personal development and learning to learn.

Europe today faces a number of challenges:
•Green and digital transitions are reshaping the way we live, work and interact and call for a shift in skill sets to reap their full potential.
•Demographic change requires Europe to draw on all of its talents and diversity. At the same time, it will also generates new job opportunities in the silver and care economies.
•The COVID-19 pandemic has made telework and distance learning a reality for millions of people in the EU, and revealed the limitations of our digital preparedness. The pandemic has also negatively impacted job opportunities for many.
•Too many people cannot find a job because they do not have the right skills or they are working in jobs that do not match their talents.
•At the same time, 40% of employers cannot find people with the right skills to fill their vacancies; and too few people have the skill sets and support to see setting up their own business as a realistic route.
•An unacceptably high proportion of Europeans – one in five – struggle with reading and writing, and even more have poor numeracy and digital skills.
•While everyone should have the chance to upgrade their skills on a regular basis – only 4 in 10 adults take part in learning.
The European Skills Agenda of 1 July 2020 sets out a five year action plan with 12 actions to help equip people in Europe with better skills. Country specific recommendations related to skills development are addressed to a high number of Member States each year to guide their national policy making and EU funding helps to put policy designs into practice (EC).

In the present section you can find different articles, researches, policies, analysis and perspectives, related to Transversal skills development: