ESSA Midterm Conference         

Last update, 9th August 2021

ESSA Midterm Conference

On 27 and 28 May 2021, the European Steel Skills Alliance (ESSA) conducted its online Midterm Conference under the motto “Skills and Jobs in the Future-Proven Steel Industry” represented by more than 30 speakers . A total of over 150 interested participants from 36 (not only European) countries had registered for the event.

The conference stressed the need for the European Steel industry to focus on skills and human resources improvement to move forward with digitisation and decarbonisation to achieve the digital and green transition by adding the social component. European Commission, steel companies, trade unions, vocational training provider, research and education centres have contributed very effectively to design strategies, methods and objectives in order to cooperate and work together for an even more competitive EU steel industry, including social and environmental sustainability.

The event was divided into two half days and was moderated by Scott Chubbs (worldsteel).

The first day was dedicated to the question "How to define and adjust skills and jobs for a future proven Steel industry?" and included welcome notes from European Commission representatives Gabriele Morgante (DG GROW) and Felix Rohn (DG EMPL), a statement from thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG as well as a final debate involving Klaus Peters (ESTEP), Milan Elkerbout (CEPS), Jakub Stolfa (Drives), and Michael Kohlgrüber (TUDO). The second day was dedicated to the further Implementation and Rollout of the European Blueprint. Under the topic “Shaping the Future Steel Transformation together” a high level roundtable discussion between Gabriele Morgante (DG GROW) and Klaus Peters (ESTEP), Martin Kunkel (CIELFFA), Angels Orduna (A.SPIRE), Axel Eggert (EUROFER), and Elspeth Hathaway (industriALL) the sustainability and support for ESSA was examined from the different involved perspectives. In both conference days the results of ESSA so far and relevant aspects from outside the project were presented in several sessions.

The full programme can be assessed here. All presentation and speaker biographies are available on the ESSA website. It also includes video recordings of in total 6 separate sessions were different relevant topics were discussed.

ESSA is an EU-funded project with other 40 full and associated partners that addresses future skills needs in the light of the digital transformation in the European steel industry. During the project period from the beginning of 2019 until the end of 2022, a blueprint is to be developed that contains an agenda for new skills in the steel industry.

The Midterm conference was an intermediate step, about halfway through the project, where preliminary results were discussed and suggestions were taken on board.

 Speakers BIO&Presentations