The European health industry faces an unprecedented tailwind of rapid technological, economic, environmental and societal change. A resilient ecosystem relies on a trained, competent and committed talent force with the relevant skills, proficiencies and technical savviness to thrive in the post-COVID workplace and shifting sectoral landscape amidst the twin green and digital transition.

The ‘Boosting Resilience, Innovation and Growth in the HealTh industry through skills development’ (BRIGHTskills) project aims to address the training and skills gaps in the health industry. A comprehensive, concerted, multi-stakeholder and cross-border approach will be deployed to undertake robust, continuous and forward-looking analysis of urgent and emerging skills needs in the workforce.

Training programmes will be curated, designed and piloted through innovative pedagogical methodologies, while certification, accreditation and recognition frameworks will be put in place to promote wide acceptance in line with educational and industry standards and best-practices. The project will develop and deliver an actionable EU Health Industry Skills Strategy, setting a clear roadmap for expansive implementation of talent development efforts, thereby driving transformation of regional, national and European ecosystems.

BRIGHTskills brings together a consortium of 19 beneficiaries and 6 associated partners from 11 countries in Europe, altogether representing the voice of higher education institutions, VET providers, labour market actors, health industry enterprises, SMEs and intermediary network organisations across various disciplines and subsectors including MedTech, Digital Health, pharmaceuticals and biomanufacturing. The project will accordingly solidify the ambitions of the newly established Large-Scale Skills Partnership for the European Health Industry under the Pact for Skills.

OBJECTIVES

The BRIGHTskills project strategically targets the skills shortages and the promotion of a reskilling and upskilling mindset in Europe; particularly in the aspects of green and digital transitions for the health industry ecosystem. Its specific objectives are to:

• Map in-demand health industry profiles, address talent attraction challenges, analyse existing training programs, and explore cross-sector best practices to meet current and future workforce needs.
• Create a Health Industry Future Skills Observatory to track emerging skill needs and trends driven by green and digital transformation.
• Develop and establish a skills strategy for the European health industry, addressing emergent needs through skills intelligence and mapping.
• Design Competence Matrices defining role-specific skills for health industry professionals, building on established frameworks like DigiComp, EntreComp, and the European e-Competence Framework.
• Collaborate with industry representatives and SMEs to co-design industry-driven training programs, using design thinking to create modules, courses, and leadership initiatives that address urgent needs and emerging skill gaps in the evolving health ecosystem.
• Pilot and deliver training programs addressing urgent skills gaps and future skill needs in the health industry, integrating environmental, digital, and entrepreneurial competencies, and enabling rapid upskilling through collaboration with HEIs, VET providers, and industry partners.
• Establish quality assurance and certification for training programs, integrating micro-credentials aligned with EU standards to ensure industry relevance, boost cross-border mobility, and enhance confidence in acquired skills for both workers and employers.
• Ensure long-term sustainability and impact by sharing project outcomes, expanding stakeholder networks, addressing emerging skill needs, and developing a sustainability model through commercialisation opportunities and further funding strategies.