“Skills aren’t just a social issue—it’s a competitiveness issue.”
On March 5, Amazon joined senior officials and economists from leading European institutions to discuss how large employers can help address Europe’s growing skills gap while navigating simultaneous digital, green and demographic transitions.
As part of a weeklong Amazon Expo held at The Bump Policy Experience Space in Brussels, the Future of Work and Skills roundtable brought together Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL); Marcin Wolski, Economist at the European Investment Bank (EIB); and Stefano Perego, Vice President for International Operations and Global Ops Services at Amazon.
The discussion focused on three interconnected challenges facing European employers and workers: developing digital skills for an AI-enabled economy, supporting workers through overlapping transitions and ensuring technology creates quality jobs.
Addressing Europe’s skills mismatch
Opening the discussion, Olsson highlighted the scale of the challenge facing European labour markets. “We’re working with public employment services across Member States, and we’re seeing the same number of unemployed people as open positions—it’s a mismatch problem,” he said. “The way training is done today needs to be very different. Large businesses are providing for this, but it’s tougher for SMEs.”
The Commission is encouraging Member States drive toward more market-oriented training, and long-term investments through the European Semester process, providing EU funding and supporting over 3,200 organisations participating in the Pact for Skills. “We’re trying to be innovative with micro-credentials and vocational schools working directly with businesses through centres of excellence,” Olsson explained. “Skills aren’t just a social issue, it’s a competitiveness issue.”
Wolski presented findings from recent EIB research showing that AI adoption doesn’t happen in isolation. “There’s growing evidence that digital adoption and the triple transition go hand in hand,” he said. “When companies adopt digital technologies like AI, they’re more likely to innovate not just in one specific area but across multiple dimensions, including in the green direction.”
The EIB research also challenges common fears about AI-driven job displacement. “Our findings show that productivity gains from AI adoption come rather from larger output than from lower employment,” Wolski noted. “What matters most is learning at work. If companies invest in training alongside technology adoption, that’s what brings the real productivity gains.”
Amazon’s approach to workforce development
Perego, who is responsible for the operational aspects of our international logistics facilities, shared how Amazon’s experience operating technology-intensive logistics facilities has shaped the company’s approach to upskilling its 150,000 employees across the EU.
“When you’re introducing new technology at this pace and scale, the skills your workforce needs are constantly evolving,” he said. “Upskilling isn’t just a social good—it’s a business imperative. Our ability to innovate depends on our people being equipped to work with new tools and take on new responsibilities.”
Amazon’s Career Choice programme, which has helped more than 50,000 employees across Europe grow their careers since 2014, exemplifies this approach. The programme pre-pays up to 100% of tuition costs for courses across more than 40 career paths, with classes held during work hours in partnership with local institutions.
“We have many employees who started in entry-level fulfilment roles and retrained as data technicians, robotics specialists, and operations managers through Career Choice,” Perego explained.
An interactive exhibit at the Amazon Expo featured three employees who have grown their careers through internal training opportunities, including Career Choice, highlighting the individual impact of workforce development programmes.
Addressing youth unemployment and educational reform
The discussion concluded with audience Q&A and shared concerns about opportunities for young people entering the job market. Olsson highlighted the challenge of high youth unemployment despite labour shortages. “It’s a new phenomenon—highly educated people without employment,” he said. “We don’t have a good response yet. It’s happening across the globe.”
Perego pointed to a fundamental mismatch between educational systems and evolving career paths. “We need people capable of maintaining robots and mechatronics experts, but the traditional engineering degree doesn’t always align with where we’re heading,” he said. “Educational institutions need to help shape where we’re going rather than preparing students for where we’ve been.”
The panellists agreed that curriculum must evolve more rapidly to keep pace with technological change—a challenge requiring closer collaboration between industry, education providers, and policymakers.
“These transitions are inevitable and necessary for European competitiveness,” Perego said. “The question isn’t whether they’ll happen, but whether they create quality jobs and shared prosperity for the next generation.”
The Amazon Expo ran from March 2-7 at The Bump in Brussels, featuring additional sessions on sustainability, innovation, and Europe’s digital future.