Harnessing Talent Platform

The Harnessing Talent Platform (HTP) is a newly formed knowledge-building and experience-exchange platform, which seeks to support regions in addressing the consequences of the demographic change and in mitigating the challenges associated with the decline of tertiary educated populations across the EU. It ensures that impacted regions receive the guidance, information and knowledge they need to elaborate, consolidate, develop and implement tailored and comprehensive strategies to train, attract and retain talents.

Via this platform, the European Commission shares relevant information and promotes events, best practices as well as access to technical assistance and advice to regions in need, including a dedicated helpdesk. It can therefore be considered as a catalyst for collaboration, enabling the exchange of ideas, knowledge and resources among stakeholders.

Europe's got talent. But talent needs to be nurtured, especially as the EU is going through important demographic transition, as highlighted by the 2023 Report on the Impact of Demographic Change.

The Commission has published a Communication on Harnessing Talent in Europe's Regions and is launching the Talent Booster Mechanism, which aims to bring a fresh impetus for reskilling and upskilling as the first key initiative in 2023 to contribute to the European Year of Skills.

This Mechanism will support EU regions affected by the accelerated decline of their working age population to train, retain and attract the people, the skills and the competences needed to address the impact of the demographic transition.

It proposes place based and multi-dimensional solutions, including the use of existing EU funds and initiatives to support regions most affected by the ongoing demographic transition and its side-effects and prevent the emergence of new and increased territorial disparities in the EU.