Europe’s challenge is not simply to produce more STEM graduates. To deliver the green and digital transitions and strengthen long-term competitiveness, the EU needs a coordinated framework that makes technical competencies visible, comparable and mobile. This is the core message ANE has delivered in its submission to the European Commission’s Skills Portability Initiative.
Why Europe Needs a STEM Skills Upgrade
“STEM” is often treated as a single category, but Europe’s strategic sectors depend on highly specialised capabilities. The skills required for quantum engineering, battery production or secure software development are not interchangeable — yet recognition and mobility systems still treat them as if they are. At the same time, technological change is accelerating. In AI-intensive roles, skill requirements shift 66% faster, making timely upskilling even more critical.
A more differentiated understanding of STEM is essential if Europe is to identify real capability gaps, plan education and lifelong learning systems effectively, and ensure specialised skills are visible and recognisable across all Member States.
Why STEM Skills Must Become Truly Portable
Even when Europe has the skills it needs, too many remain locked within national systems. Micro-credentials are unevenly recognised, workplace learning is often invisible, and professionals face inconsistent rules when moving between countries — slowing mobility in exactly the fields where technologies evolve the fastest. Workplace learning builds the practical understanding, context-specific insights and ability to solve real-world technical challenges that only come from experience — and these competencies deserve the same recognition as formal qualifications.
To address this, ANE calls for:
- Interoperable, cross-border micro-credentials recognised by education providers, employers and professions
- Formal recognition of workplace learning, on equal footing with degrees
- Modular, flexible lifelong learning pathways for mid-career transitions into strategic sectors
- EU-level tracking of STEM mobility to help Europe design smarter attraction and retention strategies
You can read our full submission here.