Preparing the Basque Country, Spain for the Future of Work
COVID-19 is testing the Basque Country’s (Spain) resilience. Before COVID-19, employment indicators were recovering from the 2008 crisis, while automation of production was underway. Job quality remained low despite rising educational attainment in the region. COVID-19 is likely to accelerate structural changes in the labour market, including automation and digitalisation. Firms may increasingly look to technology as a way to pandemic proof their operations, while individuals may develop preferences for automated services as opposed to face to face contact. This OECD report sheds light on the potential impacts of automation on the Basque labour market, including which types of jobs and groups of workers are most likely to be impacted, in light of COVID-19 and other labour market changes. The report also highlights the critical role to be played by employment services, training policies and social dialogue to help people and firms make labour market transitions while upholding social cohesion. The report delves into how the Basque Country’s employment and skills system can continue to be at the front line as the crisis evolves.
Skills in the Basque Country
The Basque Country has achieved a high level of educational achievement. Low job quality and the demand for skills, however, are contributing to over-qualification in the region. The region benefits from a strong VET system and a host of active labour market programmes tailoring training and labour market insertion to job demand. Firms, meanwhile, could better utilise the skills of the workforce, while adult learning could help bridge gaps between worker skills and firm demand later in life. A renewed social dialogue roundtable is supporting these workplace changes. Dual education, meanwhile, is taking a more prominent role in the region, constituting an opportunity to expand to higher skill levels and vulnerable groups.