Programme

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Registrations and lunch
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1:30 PM - 1:40 PM

Introduction
by Masters of Ceremony
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1:40 PM - 1:50 PM

Welcome speech
Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
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1:50 PM - 2:10 PM

Fireside chat: Europe thrives when citizens thrive
Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister, Finland

Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
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2:15 PM - 2:30 PM

A European workforce for the future: AI, skills, and the next chapter of growth
Ryan Roslansky, Chief Executive Officer, LinkedIn
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2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

The EU perspective
Li Andersson, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, European Parliament
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2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

The national perspective
Niki Kerameus, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Greece
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3:30 PM - 4:50 PM

Investing in people and modern labour markets
Celeste Drake, Deputy Director-General, International Labour Organization

Cillian Nolan, Executive Director, Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Europe

Dominique Hermans, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Randstad

Patrick Benammar, Learning and Development Vice-President, Renault Group
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4:50 PM - 5:15 PM

Union of Skills Presentation
Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission
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5:15 PM - 5:30 PM

Fireside chat: the Union of Skills in action
Chuck Robbins, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Cisco
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5:30 PM - 5:35 PM

Closing remarks
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5:35 PM - 7:30 PM

Networking reception
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Thursday, 6 March 2025

8:15 AM - 9:00 AM

Registrations and welcome coffee
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9:00 AM - 9:05 AM

Welcome
by Master of Ceremony
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9:05 AM - 9:30 AM

Opening remarks
Andriana Sukova, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
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9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Can Europe be both competitive and inclusive?
Shaping the next Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan
Julia Olofsson, Director Human Rights & Social Impact, Ingka Group

Irene Wennemo, Director General, Swedish National Mediation Office

Riikka Åstrand, Deputy Mayor, City of Vantaa of Urban Culture and Wellbeing

Eric Thode, Senior Advisor Labour Markets and Employment, Bertelsmann Stiftung
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9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Developing hidden talents
How work integration social enterprises (WISEs) support people from disadvantaged groups in developing their skills
Ruth Paserman, Director for Funds, Programming and Implementation, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Patrizia Bussi, Director, ENSIE, European Network of Social Integration Enterprises

Krista Krieviņa, Deputy head, Association “Cerību spārni”, social enterprise "Visi Var"

Lieven Bossuyt, Head of Lichtwerk (the organisation provides digital technology to assist and train workers)

Gaëtan Herinckx, Partner & Investment Director, Phitrust
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9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Train, Grow, Succeed
Boosting adult learning through Individual Learning Accounts
Manuela Geleng, Director for Jobs and Skills, DG EMPL

Cécile Bertrand, Head of the PCF division, DGEFP

Jeļena Muhina, Senior Expert (adult education policy), The Ministry of Education and Science, Latvia

Tatjana Babrauskiene, Member, EESC

Andrew Aquilina, COO, Malta Chamber of SMEs

Willem De Klerck, Senior policy advisor, Flemish department for Work, Economy, Science, Innovation and Social Economy

Johnny Sung, Professor and Honorary Fellow, Centre for Skills, Knowledge, and Organisational Performance, University of Oxford
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11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Skill needs for future jobs and the digital, green and demographic transitions – new evidence
Matthias Weitzel, Team Leader, European Commission - Joint Research Centre

Nora Wukovits-Votzi, Economic Analyst, European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Andrea Garnero, Labour economist, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs of the OECD

Mikkel Barslund, Research Manager, HIVA KU-LEUVEN

Konstantinos Pouliakas, Expert on Skills and Labour Markets, Cedefop

Michael Stemmer, Economist, European Investment Bank

Elva Bova, Head of Unit, European Commission
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11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Social Climate Fund
Ensuring no one is left behind in the green transition
Ruth Paserman, Director for Funds, Programming and Implementation, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Beatriz Yordi, Director, Carbon markets and Clean Mobility, DG CLIMA

Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Senior Policy Advisor, POLIS Network

Juliana Santos Wahlgren, Director, EAPN - European Anti-Poverty Network
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11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Digital tools helping you to move within the EU
Cosmin Boiangiu, Executive Director, European Labour Authority

David Pascal DION, Acting Director for Labour Mobility and International Affairs (DG EMPL), European Commission

ALESSIA VETERE, EURES Adviser & CBP Coordinator, Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia

Sacha Garben, Professor of EU law, College of Europe
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2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Bridging the Skills Gaps: Success stories from the ESF and Social Innovation programmes
Success stories from the ESF and on Social Innovation
Ruth Paserman, Director for Funds, Programming and Implementation, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Austė Vaznonytė, Policy analyst, Applica

Aļona Tutova, The Ministry of Welfare, Latvia

Lien Warmenbol, Founder and Director, #SheDIDIT, Belgium

Belén Sánchez-Rubio, Director International Department, Deputy Direction for Advocacy, Fundación Secretariado Gitano

Federico Lucidi, Head of Unit, European Commission, DG EMPL
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2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

The changing roads to retirement
Financial skills, awareness and flexibility
Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion, The European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Slavina Spasova, Director, OSE (European Social Observatory)

Yves Stevens, Professor, KU Leuven

Claudia Wegner-Wahnschaffe, Head of International, Chairperson of Board of Directors, VBL, ETS Association

Lina Salanauskaite, Researcher, European Institute for Gender Equality

Hans Dubois, Senior Research Manager, Social Policies Unit, Eurofound
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2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Thriving together: building robust labour markets with fair wages and work for all ages
Highlights from the 2024 Labour Market and Wage Developments in Europe report
Barbara Kauffmann, Director, European Commission

Wolfgang Modery, Head of Division, European Central Bank

Andrew WATT, General Director ETUI, ETUI

Maxime Cerutti, Director, Social Affairs Department, BusinessEurope

Ilze Zvidrina, Deputy Director of the Labour Market Policy Department, Ministry of Welfare Latvia

Maria Jepsen, Deputy Director, Eurofound
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3:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Closing remarks and networking drink
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