LEUVEN, Belgium – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and European Commission (EC) Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager concluded the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Talent for Growth Task Force’s final meeting and brought to a close the work announced in December 2022. The Talent for Growth Task Force consisted of fourteen members appointed in April 2023 from government and private sector leaders from business, labor, and organizations that provide training. The goal of the Task Force was to build collaboratively on each other’s experiences and to serve as a catalyst for innovative skills approaches that can be pursued in the private sector after the term of the Task Force concluded.  

“With the TTC, Executive Vice-President Vestager and I – along with our co-chairs – are helping to set the rules of the road for the technology that will determine our global economic competitiveness and our national security – both in the U.S. and in Europe. Today marks a milestone in that approach with the conclusion of the Talent for Growth Task Force,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Through this Task Force over the last year, which included leaders in business, labor, education and government, we have put workers at the center of our efforts to ensure that technology benefits society.  This Task Force wasn’t formed just to write a report; it was created with the intention of fostering an environment to learn from each other and from the best programs and systems in both the U.S. and Europe. I believe we achieved that goal and that we will all benefit from these efforts and research for many years come.”  

“Skills are essential for us to succeed with our digital transition. And with the Talent for Growth Task Force, we have combined valuable experiences from Europe and the U.S. alike,” said Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. “Technology offers vast opportunities if we use it well, including for and by the workforce. Our cooperation has helped us learn and identify best practices on developing talents and skills needed for existing and emerging technologies and the opportunities it represents.” 

In establishing the Task Force, the TTC recognized the challenges that the rapid development of technology – in particular, AI – poses to our workers and companies. The TTC is dedicated to continuing to equip the United States’ and European Union’s workforces with the skills necessary to meet the needs created by that rapid development. To address this need, the Task Force focused on four key areas: training workers to meet business needs; including women, youth, and underrepresented groups in technical jobs; using skills-based hiring; and upskilling through credentials, including micro-credentials.  

The Task Force was Co-Chaired by Zoë Baird, Senior Counselor to Secretary Gina Raimondo for Technology and Economic Growth, and Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director General, EC Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion. 

The Talent for Growth Task Force issued a Task Force Statement of the Members from the United States and EU. The Statement highlights the work that the Task Force has done to catalyze businesses, labor, and organizations that support training to act to build lifelong training for working-age populations. At today’s meeting, the Task Force members highlighted how they are carrying this work forward through actions catalyzed by the Task Force. 

About the Task Force 

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) announced the establishment of the Talent for Growth Task Force on December 5, 2022. The TTC is committed to collaborating to build middle-income careers for millions of workers in both the U.S. and EU. The Talent for Growth Task Force brought together government and private sector leaders from business, labor, and organizations that provide training, building on existing initiatives on both sides of the Atlantic. The goal of the Task Force was to exchange experiences and to serve as a catalyst for innovative skills approaches. 

The Task Force’s members are:  

U.S. Section Members 

• Zoë Baird, Senior Counselor for Technology and Economic Growth to Secretary Raimondo, U.S. Department of Commerce, Co-Chair  
• Gregory Haile, Director, Achieving the Dream    
• Sal Khan, Founder & CEO, Khan Academy   
• Michael Lynton, Chair, Snap Inc.   
• Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco 
• Ameenah Salaam, Secretary-Treasurer, Communications Workers of America     
• Elizabeth H. Shuler, President, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) 

EU Section Members 

• Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, Co-Chair  
• Markus Beyrer, Director General, BusinessEurope  
• Esther Lynch, General Secretary European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)  
• Giulia Meschino, Secretary General of the European Vocational Training Association (EVTA)  
• Claes-Mikael Ståhl, Deputy Secretary General, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)  
• Marloes de Vries, Head of Zadkine Vocational Education College, Rotterdam  
• Véronique Willems, Secretary General, SMEunited  

For more information about the Task Force, please visit the website.