Welcoming the launch, Isabelle Barthès, Deputy General Secretary of IndustriAll Europe, said:

"The Commission has recognised that workers cannot be left alone to face industrial transformation. That is an important step forward. But training alone will not deliver a just transition. Without industrial policy, strong social dialogue, enforceable training rights and public investment linked to quality jobs, this initiative risks becoming little more than a drop in the ocean."

The launch marks an important recognition of what trade unions have argued for years: workers cannot be expected to navigate industrial transformation alone.

IndustriAll Europe has long called for a European Skills Guarantee that gives workers facing industrial change access to publicly supported training, anticipates future skills needs and supports quality employment through upskilling and reskilling. The Commission's announcement is an important first step towards delivering on that demand.

Backed by €14.5 million from the European Social Fund+, the six pilot projects will collectively support around 1,000 workers in the automotive industry and its supply chain who are at risk of unemployment. Through tailored training and career guidance, the pilot will test new ways of helping workers move into new employment opportunities, with the lessons learned feeding into the design of a permanent European Skills Guarantee under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

But the scale of the challenge demands a much more ambitious response. According to Eurofound, around 100,000 job losses have been announced in the European automotive sector in 2024, while thousands more redundancies have been announced in recent months. Against this backdrop, supporting around 1,000 workers is only a first step.

Isabelle Barthès said the future scheme must match the reality facing Europe's industrial workforce:

"Workers are ready to embrace change, but they need security to do so. When around 100,000 automotive jobs have already disappeared across Europe, supporting just 1,000 workers is simply not enough. The future European Skills Guarantee must match the scale of the industrial transformation taking place across our industries."

IndustriAll Europe is also concerned that the Commission's announcement makes no mention of the role of social partners in designing and implementing the pilot projects. Experience consistently shows that industrial transitions are most successful when trade unions and employers work together to anticipate change, identify future skills needs and negotiate fair transition pathways.

The pilot should now become a permanent European Skills Guarantee, extended beyond the automotive sector to cover all industrial workers affected by the twin transition. It should be embedded in the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act, guaranteeing every worker the right to quality training, free of charge and during working hours, alongside meaningful involvement through information, consultation and collective bargaining.

A stronger Skills Guarantee must also go hand in hand with robust social conditionalities. Companies benefiting from European funding should commit to maintaining quality employment and investing in workers over the long term. Effective claw-back clauses are essential to ensure that public money supports quality jobs and responsible employers.

Looking ahead, Isabelle Barthès said the Quality Jobs Act must turn today's pilot into tomorrow's right:

"Skills are only one part of the solution. Every worker facing the twin transition should have a genuine right to training during working time, backed by strong social dialogue and quality jobs. The Quality Jobs Act is the opportunity to make that right a reality."

IndustriAll Europe now calls on the European Commission and Member States to build on this pilot by turning the European Skills Guarantee into a permanent scheme covering all industrial sectors. As work begins on the Quality Jobs Act, the right to quality training for workers facing industrial transformation must become a cornerstone of Europe's industrial policy.