ETRMA joins European auto industry call for ‘exclusive skills pact’ 

Brussels – The European Tyre and Rubber Manufactures’ Association (ETRMA) has joined more than 40 European automotive value chain organisations in a call for developing a strategy for a dedicated skills pact for the automotive ecosystem.

To contribute to the European Commission Pact for Skills, the strategy, presented 15 Oct, is claimed to offer “clear roadmap towards skills transformation as well as contributes to post-Covid recovery in the sector.” 

Drawn up in view of a recent EC decision to launch “sectorial pacts for skills”, the strategy aims at grouping key public and private stakeholders to continue delivering the work started by the Erasmus+ DRIVES* Partnership through deploying regional pilot projects. 

“These could be launched immediately under dedicated public-private partnership for education and training in automotive,” said the industry bodies.

Voicing ETRMA’s support for the move, secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp sad the tire and rubber industry is undergoing a core transformation, from digitalisation, to greener transport and circular economy.

The drivers of change, she said, will influence the kind of skills that the industry will need and that are key to accompany its transformation. 

“The Covid-19 crisis made this process all the more urgent and up/re-skilling our workforce will be essential to support the recovery and the competitiveness of the industry,” said Cinaralp in a 15 Oct statement.

According to ETRMA, the work of DRIVES has helped “tremendously” by defining the new skills and job roles needed to prompt the future of automotive value chain.

The initiative, it said, connects and brings together industry and training providers as well as the most appropriate formats to deliver them across the EU. 

“ETRMA welcomes and supports the steps taken by European Commissioners Thierry Breton (internal Market) and Nicolas Schmit (Jobs and Social Rights) concerning the development of such a [dedicated skills] Pact in the form of a private-public partnership to support the automotive value chain in retaining and developing the jobs, skills and competences,” the ETRMA statement said. 

The move, it said, will help “multiply the effects” of the investments made today by ETRMA members to support workforce and be prepared for the industry of tomorrow. 

* The Development and Research on Innovative Vocational Educational Skills project (DRIVES) is funded by the Erasmus+ Sector Skills Alliances Programme and, started in 2018, will finish in December 2021.