Fremtidens kompetanser – vi bygger bro over kompetansegapet

The project “Future Skills – Bridging the Competence Gap” is based on a shared Nordic need to strengthen the connection between labor market demands and the population’s skills in light of the green and digital transition. The Nordic countries face structural challenges in ensuring access to a qualified workforce in both urban and rural areas. At the same time, the systems for competence matching vary significantly between the countries, highlighting the need for joint analyses and knowledge sharing.

How can we ensure that the Nordic labor markets have the competencies needed to meet the green and digital transition? In this project, researchers from Norway and Denmark explore how different Nordic countries match workers’ skills with the needs of the labor market.

The project focuses on comparing the systems used for competence matching. The researchers will examine how these systems are structured, what purposes they serve, and what challenges and opportunities they present.

The aim is to gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences across the countries, and how the systems can help secure access to the right skills in both urban and rural areas.

The work will consist of a review of existing knowledge and analyses, combined with interviews and concrete examples from working life.

The research will start in autumn 2025 and continue until summer 2026, followed by a final conference in 2027.