- Hybrid skillsThe most robust profiles combine technical, digital, quality and transversal skills.
- Digital gapA moderate-or-higher digital skills gap reaches 69.5% in 2026, up from 60.5% in 2025.
- Green urgencyEco-design regulation leads urgent training needs at 63.8%.
- Quality bridgeQuality skills connect technology, operations, product and management roles.
- Fragmented marketThe 10 publishable profiles cover only 35.6% of the analysed job ads.
- Evidence transparencyEvery figure shows its source, base N, cycle and method — with no single score across projects.
Signal volume, by country
How many skill mentions the collected job ads contributed, per country — dot size is volume. Click a country for its leading skill category.
| Country | Leading skill category | Share of that country's mentions | Skill mentions collected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | Transversal skills | 70.8% | 192 |
| Italy | Transversal skills | 65.5% | 148 |
| Portugal | Transversal skills | 64.5% | 110 |
| Germany | Transversal skills | 66.0% | 103 |
| Belgium | Transversal skills | 72.9% | 96 |
| Spain | Transversal skills | 56.8% | 81 |
| France | Transversal skills | 61.7% | 81 |
| Sweden | Transversal skills | 76.1% | 67 |
| Slovenia | Transversal skills | 70.6% | 51 |
| Czechia | Transversal skills | 62.5% | 32 |
| Romania | Technical & vocational skills | 58.8% | 17 |
Skills4Circularity job ads. Counts are skill mentions, not unique ads — one ad can mention several skills. Samples are uneven across countries (17 to 192 mentions in this release); read "leading category" as directional, not a statistical ranking (2025).
Observed demand from job ads and declared gaps from surveys, kept as separate signals.
Job ads mentioning English (ESCO)
30.8% (96 / 312)
snapshot
Skills4Circularity job ads · Partner-collected sample; count per unique ad.
Job ads mentioning teamwork principles (ESCO)
29.5% (92 / 312)
snapshot
Skills4Circularity job ads · Count per unique ad.
Job ads mentioning solve problems (ESCO)
19.9% (62 / 312)
snapshot
Skills4Circularity job ads · Count per unique ad.
Moderate-or-higher digital skills gap in the workforce
69.5% (157 / 226)
+9.0 pp vs 2025 (60.5% to 69.5%)
METASKILLS4TCLF · Valid base differs from the total N; independent samples.
Problem-solving named as a gap among graduates
64.9% (61 / 94)
+16.9 pp vs 2024 (48.0% to 64.9%)
AEQUALIS4TCLF · Multi-select question.
AI rated high impact on the future of the sector
60.7% (164 / 270)
+13.4 pp vs 2025 (47.3% to 60.7%)
METASKILLS4TCLF · Part of a four-technology matrix.
Perception indicators only — the harmonised matrix carries no employment or headcount data.
High / very high impact of an ageing workforce
66.7% (180 / 270)
+3.0 pp vs 2025 (63.7% to 66.7%)
METASKILLS4TCLF · Cross-section; 2026 comparable to the 2025 question, independent sample.
Negative / very negative perception of career opportunities by young people
55.6% (150 / 270)
+7.6 pp vs 2025 (48.0% to 55.6%)
METASKILLS4TCLF · Cross-section; independent samples.
Education / training providers that collect industry feedback
76.6% (72 / 94)
+26.6 pp vs 2024 (50.0% to 76.6%)
AEQUALIS4TCLF · Base = providers who answered.
Urgent training needs
Share of valid responses that rate each topic an urgent training need, with the share that finds it relevant.
| Topic | Urgent | Relevant | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco-design legislation and regulation — urgent training need | 63.8% | 96.0% | 111 / 174 |
| Sustainable manufacturing legislation — urgent training need | 63.6% | 96.5% | 110 / 173 |
| Life-cycle assessment / environmental footprint — urgent training need | 60.6% | 93.7% | 106 / 175 |
| Efficient production — urgent training need | 58.8% | 92.9% | 100 / 170 |
| Digital Product Passport — urgent training need | 51.7% | 89.0% | 89 / 172 |
Skills4Circularity survey. Urgency among valid responses per topic (2025).
Year-on-year change, same instrument
Each line connects two cycles of the same question. The samples are independent — read this as change between snapshots, not a trend line.
| Indicator | Earlier cycle | Later cycle | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| High / very high impact of an ageing workforce | 2025: 63.7% | 2026: 66.7% | +3.0 pp |
| Negative / very negative perception of career opportunities by young people | 2025: 48.0% | 2026: 55.6% | +7.6 pp |
| Moderate-or-higher digital skills gap in the workforce | 2025: 60.5% | 2026: 69.5% | +9.0 pp |
| Significant / complete sector transformation expected | 2025: 59.8% | 2026: 70.0% | +10.2 pp |
| AI rated high impact on the future of the sector | 2025: 47.3% | 2026: 60.7% | +13.4 pp |
| Education / training providers that collect industry feedback | 2024: 50.0% | 2025: 76.6% | +26.6 pp |
| Problem-solving named as a gap among graduates | 2024: 48.0% | 2025: 64.9% | +16.9 pp |
| Workforce trained in new technologies is 30% or less | 2025: 74.2% | 2026: 71.0% | -3.2 pp |
Comparisons within one instrument only; independent cross-sections (2024–2026).