EARLALL and the Trøndelag European Office are pleased to invite you to our side event during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026.

Building strong regions means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in society and the labour market. Across Europe, regions are facing major demographic and economic challenges, including ageing populations, shrinking workforces and persistent skills shortages. At the same time, many individuals remain excluded from employment opportunities.

In line with the 2026 motto 'Strong regions, strong Europe', this workshop will highlight how inclusive labour market policies are key to regional resilience, competitiveness, and social cohesion.

The session will present concrete examples from European regions that are developing innovative, place-based solutions to integrate people currently outside the labour market. These include approaches targeting young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), persons with disabilities and adults with low levels of qualifications.

Speakers will showcase initiatives such as:

• Regional strategies to address demographic change and labour shortages
• Upskilling and reskilling pathways for low-qualified adults
• Inclusive employment models for persons with disabilities
• Mobility and integration programmes supporting disadvantaged youth

The workshop will emphasise the role of lifelong learning systems, regional ecosystems and stakeholder cooperation in building inclusive and future-ready labour markets.

The registration is available here.
 

AGENDA

16:00 –16:05: Welcome

Håvard Tangvik, Trøndelag European Office Director 

16:05–16:15: Opening keynote: From skills policy to inclusive labour markets – the European perspective.

Andreea Diana Spiridon from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 

16:15–16:25: Keynote: From Ukraine to Belgium – building opportunities through entrepreneurship

Anna Ponomarenko, Founder, Beercrackers

16:25–16:55: From Skills to Inclusion: What Does a Regional Strategy Look Like in Practice?

Regional examples of how skills strategies, employment pathways and partnerships can help people at different distances from the labour market — from acquiring basic skills and digital literacy to accessing training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

• Trøndelag County (Norway): Geir Gran, Senior Adviser at Trøndelag County Authority, Trøndelag and Bjørn Leo Finanger, Senior Adviser at Trøndelag County Authority (Norway)
• Schaarbeek (Brussels, Belgium): Christophe Marthoz, Senior Adviser – Partnerships and Projects, Department of Social Emancipation, CPAS de Schaerbeek - OCMW van Schaarbeek (Brussels, Belgium)
• Baden-Württemberg, Germany: Andrea Bernert-Bürkle, Head of EU Projects at Volkshochschulverband 
• EHLABE (Basque Country): Tentative

16:55–17:20: Building inclusive labour markets: What happens when skills are no longer enough?

All speakers

17:25–17:30: Closing: from good practices to policy lessons

EARLALL

17:30–18:30: Networking cocktail