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Skills, employment and sustainable livelihoods
Economic growth depends on people being able to access high-quality jobs, develop relevant skills and adapt to changing labour markets.
In many EBRD economies, employers face skills shortages, demographic shifts and workforce participation challenges. At the same time, some groups continue to face barriers to employment, training and career progression.
The EBRD works with private-sector companies, state-owned enterprises, municipal companies, governments and training providers to strengthen workforce capabilities, improve access to employment and support sustainable livelihoods.
Our work helps clients to:
- address skills mismatches and labour shortages
- tackle challenges relating to workforce diversity and inclusion
- manage transitions linked to digitalisation and the green economy
- combat youth unemployment and develop skills
- support women's economic participation and leadership
- boost workers’ resilience in times of economic or political disruption
What we do
We support:
- work-based learning and apprenticeships
- vocational and technical training
- national occupational standards
- equal opportunity employment practices
- workforce planning and skills forecasting
- reskilling and upskilling programmes
- career pathways for women and other underserved groups
By helping people to develop relevant skills and enter productive employment, we contribute to stronger businesses, more resilient labour markets and improved economic outcomes.
Key programmes
Initiatives aimed at enhancing the diversity of leaders and the workforce in general – with a particular focus on women, but also people living with a disability, migrants, refugees and other underserved groups
Measures to strengthen business-critical skills and the forecasting and management of future skills, including work-based learning and partnerships with training providers
Policy and legal reforms aimed at developing resilient and inclusive human capital and gender equality at sectoral and national level, including the establishment of occupational standards, active labour policies, sector skills councils and labour code reforms
Case study
Bridging the skills gap in Tunisia's telecoms sector
The EBRD’s partnership with Tunisie Telecom will strengthen Tunisia’s digital infrastructure while expanding access to skills development opportunities, enabling women and men to build the advanced technical capabilities, digital competencies and emerging skill sets demanded by the rapidly evolving ICT sector. This project combines a development-linked EBRD loan of up to €190 million with an EU-funded transformation programme that revolves around human capital development.
One of the central elements is a comprehensive human resources and skills transformation programme at Tunisie Telecom, which covers skills development, talent management, career progression and performance systems. Alongside internal training, the operator will support the development of national occupational skills standards for the ICT sector, helping to align training provision with employers’ needs and improve the quality and relevance of digital skills across Tunisia.
The project’s inclusive transition impact is designed to benefit both existing employees and new labour market entrants, including graduating students. The skills development programmes and human resources policies will be inherently inclusive, with a particular focus on increasing the representation of women in technical and leadership positions where they remain underrepresented.
