The European Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations classification (ESCO), is an initiative by the European Commission to create a common language for labour markets and education across the EU. ESCO’s primary aim is to enhance the transparency of job and skill requirements across Europe, thereby facilitating mobility for workers and learners, and improving the alignment between education systems and labour market needs.
This data structure serves as a multilingual and harmonized framework across different sectors and countries and is organized into three pillars: Occupations, Skills and Competences, and Qualifications. As a digital resource, ESCO is constantly updated to reflect the evolving nature of work and education, making it a crucial tool for stakeholders across sectors to stay informed about current and emerging trends.
Furthermore ESCO was designed to be interoperable with other classification systems, such as the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). This ensures that the ESCO framework can be applied not only within the EU but also in a broader international context.
The Occupations pillar is constructed on the ISCO-08 (International Standard Classification of Occupations), assigning one ISCO-08 code to each occupation for the top four levels (corresponding to categories) and then one extra code per occupation (five codes in total).It has a register of 3,039 occupations where the user can view:
The Skills and Competences pillar provides a comprehensive list under knowledge, language skills and knowledge, skills and transversal skills categories relevant to the European labour market. It has a register of 13,939 skills where the user can view:
The Qualifications pillar builds a stronger bridge between the world of education and training and the world of work, reducing skill mismatches and supporting the better functioning of the labour market. Information on qualifications at the European level is displayed in Europass, and comes from databases of national qualifications reflecting the National Qualifications Frameworks that are owned and managed by the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) countries and ESCO, through the Qualification level, supports describing and understanding of learning outcomes of a qualification.
Mobility enhancement
More people change occupations and companies and professional mobility is expanding. Digital channels like job boards and social media are changing recruitment so employers and job seekers increasingly use digital platforms to post and apply for jobs and find and give training. To better manage talent and solve skills shortages in Vocational Education and Training programs, companies and VET providers require clear and updated skills and qualification information and ESCO is crucial for facilitating labour mobility within the EU, as it provides a common language for describing skills and occupations, enabling better understanding between workers and employers from different countries.
Competence recognition
With accurate and comprehensive sectoral monitoring, ESCO’s detailed breakdown of competencies and job roles helps to identify current skills gaps, but also to recognize and validate skills and competences acquired in various contexts, including those from non-formal and informal learning experiences.
Education-Industry alignment
ESCO facilitates better alignment between VET programs and the specific needs of the Habitat sector by mapping qualifications to the skills and occupations. This not only enhances employability for learners but also ensures that the sector has access to a skilled workforce equipped to meet current and future challenges.
By referencing ESCO’s skills and occupations data, VET providers can design programs that address current skills gaps and prepare students for emerging roles in the Habitat sector. This ensures that graduates are equipped with the competencies that employers are actively seeking, thereby enhancing their employability.
Companies and SMEs can utilise ESCO to refine their recruitment processes and workforce development strategies. By understanding the specific skills and qualifications associated with different occupations, companies can more accurately define job roles, identify training needs, and plan career development pathways. This is particularly useful for SMEs, which may lack the resources to develop detailed HR frameworks internally. ESCO helps them tap into a broader pool of talent that meets their precise needs.
For policymakers, ESCO provides a valuable tool for labour market analysis and the development of informed policies, identifying trends, forecasting future skills needs, and designing interventions that support the sustainable growth of the Habitat sector.
Sectoral Organisations could standardise skill requirements across the Habitat sector, facilitating better communication and collaboration between stakeholders. This standardisation supports the development of sector-wide initiatives, such as certification programs or industry-wide training schemes, which can drive innovation and quality improvements across the Habitat sector.
ESCO is also integrated into several HABITABLE tools such as the Micro-credentials Certification Center and the SMART Career Guidance Assistant, which are nurtured with information and data from the Training Offer Panel and the Sector Map of Jobs and Skills, both built on the basis of the ESCO structure. In this way:
European Commission official ESCO website
Video tutorial on the use of ESCO and the Application Program Interface (API): how to use the ESCO API to query the ESCO classification
Video tutorial on how a jobseeker can compile her CV using the ESCO classification
Video with testimonials on the difficulties in recruiting the right people with the right skills for the changing digital labour market, and how ESCO offers an effective solution to the current job matching skill challenges
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Unión nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project Number:
101104680-HABITABLE-ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PEX-COVE
