22nd PES Board Meeting adopts the Work Programme 2025-2026 and discusses new European Commission initiatives

During the 22nd Meeting of Board Members of the European Public Employment Services Network, hosted by the Hungarian presidency on 5-6 December 2024 in Budapest, Heads of PES came together to discuss PES priorities and challenges including the Network’s new Work Programme and initiatives to tackle economic and fiscal challenges ahead.

Following a presentation from Sandor Czomba, Hungarian Minister of State for Employment policy, Board Members reviewed the PES Network’s key achievements in 2024, which included the adoption of a PES Network Memo to the next European leadership, and celebration of the Network’s 10th Anniversary. Further milestones included the completion of the first half of the 4th cycle of Benchlearning assessments, which highlighted common challenges in PES performance (such as channel management, as services are increasingly digitalised) and areas of progress (e.g. cooperation within the PES ecosystem).

Initial findings from a survey on PES cooperation with private employment services were shared. Heads of PES highlighted the need to establish quality partnerships built on trust, and make use of technology to improve in areas such as data quality and AI based approaches for skills matching and training. The issue will be further explored via the PES Network’s Annual conference 2025.

The Commission presented priorities of the new College of Commissioners 2024-2029 as well as the mission letter to Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness. Board members joined parallel workshop discussions that explored the Network’s contributions to upcoming initiatives including the European Pillar of Social Rights’ Action Plan Review as well as the Union of Skills.

On Day 2, Board members exchanged on employment related work of the Hungarian EU Presidency, and continued discussions during parallel workshops on “Support to those underrepresented on the labour market”.

The Board adopted the Network’s Work Programme 2025-206. Priorities will include addressing labour market transitions (via career guidance, skills-first approaches and recruitment of third country nationals), services to jobseekers (including those furthest from the labour market) and employers, ethical use of AI and PES digitalisation, closure of the 4th cycle of Benchlearning, PES network cooperation with enlargement countries.

The PES Board Meeting closed after a hand-over from the Hungarian to the Polish PES, who presented priorities of the upcoming Presidency.