Building skills and jobs for the future: UfM conference unites regional actors shape inclusive employment policies
- The UfM High-Level Policy Conference on Employment and Labour embodied the multi-stakeholder mindset that guides collective regional efforts under the umbrella of the UfM to build consensus on sectoral regional agendas a co-design and co-deliver concrete value with the aim of unlocking the regional potential in terms of human capital.
- The UfM Region faces several employment-related challenges in the aftermath of major socio-economic and geopolitical disruptions, but several initiatives and best practices from the region can inform our collective efforts going forward.
Valletta, 13-14 October 2025. The UfM High-Level Conference on Employment and Labour was held on 13 October 2025 in Valletta, Malta, with a focus on two interrelated thematics, namely the future of skills and the future of jobs in the region, and was followed-back-to-back on 14 October 2025 by the 19th UfM Regional Platform on Employment and Labour, which saw a presentation of the cross-countries report on monitoring, the new UfM Community of Practice on Supporting Transition from Education to Employment (STEER), as well as the Action Plan on Employment and Labour 2026-2028.
The UfM High-Level Policy Conference brought together 200+ participants including Ministers, experts, representatives of the Private Sector, Academia, Social Partners, as well as young entrepreneurs that shared their success stories and insights from their respective experiences. The Conference was inaugurated by Byron Camilleri, Minister of Home Affairs, Security and Employment of Malta, who welcomed the participants and stressed the importance of the role assumed by the Union for the Mediterranean in promoting sustainable and inclusive employment practices and skills for the future.
The Conference saw interventions by Ministers of Labour from Lebanon, Malta and Mauritania, and had a dedicated slot for young entrepreneurs that shared success stories from around the region, coinciding on the crucial role of a conducive environment to support startups as they scale up into economically viable businesses and social initiatives. The takeaways from the Conference will guide the strategic compass of the UfM going forward as it delivers on the recommendations together with its partners and stakeholders.
The regional Team Europe Initiative (TEI) “Jobs through Trade & Investment” hosted a session showcasing progress three years after its launch. Bringing together over 100 programmes and a collective investment of around EUR 3 billion by the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, EIB and EBRD, the TEI exemplifies joint European action for inclusive growth. The discussion highlighted concrete results and innovative approaches to foster youth employment through labour market reforms, access to finance and impact investment, and education-to-employment pathways, reaffirming the shared commitment to create real opportunities for young people across the Mediterranean.
In parallel, the UfM “From Research to Business: Turning Knowledge into Jobs, Innovation, and Growth” conference (13–15 October 2025), organised in collaboration with the European Commission and Xjenza Malta, underscored the importance of research commercialisation and innovation as key drivers of employment creation and sustainable growth.
