Three tools to facilitate online job matchingthroughout Europe

ESCO, EURES, Match & Map

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Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010

ISBN 978-92-79-15980-0

doi: 10.2767/70301

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ESCO, EURES, Match & Map – Making online job matching easier

In creating an open, flexible, and adaptable

labour market, several factors are vital:

The accurate and effective matching of the

demand and supply of skills;

Anticipation and monitoring of the

requirements of the labour market;

The identification of the skill sets required

to enhance the long-term employment

prospects of jobseekers;

Relevant and responsive education and

training.

To help European citizens enhance their skills and

meet the demands of tomorrow’s labour market,

two new online tools have been developed.

Created with the aim of improving and facilitating

skills matching, these tools can increase

the efficiency with which jobseekers will find

vacancies and employers will find candidates.

ESCO : The European multilingual

taxonomy2 of Skills / Competences,

qualifications and Occupations

Match & Map : The automatic matching

and geographic mapping of job offers and

jobseeker profiles

These tools will be supported by the improved

EURES portal.

EURES : The platform for the exchange of

vacancies, CVs, and learning opportunities

This leaflet will introduce you to ESCO, the

EURES portal, and Match & Map and show

you how they can be used for the benefit of all

European citizens.

Matching skills with vacancies is a priority

for achieving efficiency in the labour market.

The ability to quickly identify redundant skill

sets and emerging skill demands is key to

improving the quality of advice for jobseekers

and employers.

The European labour market will face

a number of challenges in the coming

years1. New technologies are improving the

effectiveness of production and changing

the way employees work. Companies are

now operating across a wider geographical

area and there is a greater emphasis on, for

example, multitasking and teamwork, thereby

increasing the need for higher-skilled workers.

Europe’s population is ageing, which will have

a considerable effect on the supply of labour

and skills, and certain sectors, such as health

and social care, are increasingly demanding

more workers than others. Also, there is an

undeniable and ongoing shift to a low-carbon

economy which will necessitate education and

training for new professions.

A skilled and adaptable workforce not only

benefits both employers and workers, but can

boost the competitiveness of the European

economy. Possessing the necessary skills

and having the ability to move between jobs is

therefore becoming more and more important.

1‘New Skills for New Jobs: Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs’, European Commission, 2009.

2A particular classification arranged in a hierarchical structure.

Efficient matching between skills, jobs, and learning opportunities on the European labour market can only be achieved if there is a common multilingual classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations.

The European Commission is coordinating, in collaboration with

stakeholders, a multilingual classification, or taxonomy, of skills,

competences, and occupations called ESCO. It is the only European

multilingual taxonomy linking skills and competences to occupations

and it will be available free of charge to all labour market and

education institutions, and other interested parties in 30 EEA (European Economic Area) countries. All

interested parties are encouraged to actively contribute throughout its development.

The first version of ESCO, based on the structure of ISCO and ISCED, and introduced in the course of

2010, contains 6 000 skills and 5 000 occupations. Over time, this collection will be enriched to include

new occupations and skills, including ‘soft skills’ and competences such as team work, communication,

and interpersonal skills. ESCO will continually evolve, in order to remain up-to-date with current labour

market situations.

ESCO is disseminated using state-of-the-art technology. Cutting edge

technologies, such as RDF, SKOS, and LOD, guarantee that ESCO

will be easily accessed, and that the potential of the Semantic Web

can be fully exploited by all interested parties.

ESCO is simple, open, and flexible. The taxonomy can be readily

used by countries or organisations that do not have their own

classification system, while any existing taxonomies can be linked to it.

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For more information: http://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/

ESCO – A multilingual classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations

ISCO is the International Classification of Occupations.

ISCED is the International Standard Classification of Education.

The Semantic Web is a development of the World Wide Web into a ‘Web of data’ where information can be automatically interpreted and ‘understood’, exchanged, and distributed. RDF, SKOS, and LOD are important components of the Semantic Web.

RDF (Resource Description Framework) is a method to describe or model the format of information available as resources on the Web.

SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) is a standard format for building ‘controlled vocabularies’, such as taxonomies, and making them available as RDF. SKOS guarantees exchangeability and interoperability with other taxonomies.

LOD (Linked Open Data) is a method of exposing, sharing, and connecting data on the Web.

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This diagram shows how ESCO can be used to facilitate interoperability between two or more taxonomies by ‘mapping’ them to a common term. In this case, Taxonomy A and Taxonomy B each have different names for the same occupation; by using elements of ESCO they are not only linked to ESCO, but also indirectly with each other.

1. Professionals (2)

2. Accounting, Legal, Social Science and Artistic Professionals (24)

3. Social Science and related Professionals (244)

4. Philologists translators and interpreters (2 444)

5. Translator: Occupation nameESCO

ISCO

Why is ESCO important?

The creation of this multilingual taxonomy enhances the quality

and transparency of vacancy information, not to mention

improving matching between jobseekers and vacancies, and

between skills and labour market needs.

The efficient and accurate online matching of jobseekers

with vacancies depends on the quality and reliability of

the information exchanged. To achieve perfect semantic

interoperability all communicating systems involved must use

identical terminology. However, valuable results can already

be obtained if the various systems are ‘mapped’ to a common

terminology, such as ESCO. Improved interoperability between

European Employment Services facilitates easier and more accurate matching between jobs and

candidates. This is true not only for the information exchanged via the EURES portal, but in all

situations involving the exchange of this kind of information – including between private employment

services, and directly with employers.

ESCO will help to describe qualifications in terms of learning outcomes in line with the European

Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs), which are

being developed. ESCO will be sufficient to broadly meet the needs of Member States who do

not have their own classifications system, and to enable those with existing national and sectoral

classifications to link with each other.

Semantic interoperability refers to the ability of two or more computer systems to automatically interpret any information exchanged meaningfully and accurately. To achieve semantic interoperability, both sides must use a common standard for information exchanged.

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What can a skills, competences, qualifications and occupations taxonomy be used for?

Jobseekers can use it to describe their skill set

when developing a CV, that can then be easily

used for various automatic matching purposes;

Employers can use it to define a set of skills

and competences required when they are

developing a job description to be advertised

with public or other employment services;

Learners can use it to build personal skill

profiles and to record their learning outcomes;

Bodies developing and/or awarding

qualifications can use it to express learning

outcomes in more operational terms;

Education and training institutions can

use it to improve planning and curriculum

development related to emerging skill needs,

and to facilitate the recognition of foreign

qualifications;

Human resource managers and guidance

providers can use it to enhance planning

and enrich aptitude or ability tests, skills, and

interest inventories or tools.

Once fully developed, the ESCO classification will consist of three main pillars, linking skills,

occupations, and qualifications.

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ESCO in practice.

ESCO – Supporting job matching on the European labour market

ESCO will help to significantly improve

matching between labour demand and labour

supply at all levels, from local or sectoral to

national and European.

ESCO has the potential to become the

European standard classification for skills

and competences, building a bridge between

labour markets and the world of education and

training. It has the potential to complement, or

even replace, existing national, international,

and sectoral occupational classifications.

ESCO enables players on both the labour and

educational markets to create standard tools

that respond to the latest market developments

and provide more and better options for

matching, interoperability, and up-skilling.

ESCO was created to be a common

language and the ‘backbone’ of Europe-wide

semantic interoperability.

ESCO facilitates the creation of dynamic labour

markets that are characterised by smooth

transitions – between employment sectors,

between education and employment, and

between training and the return to work.

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The EURES Job Mobility Portal is built on a platform for the exchange

of vacancies, CVs, learning opportunities, and information on

European labour mobility. The portal represents more than 1/3 of all

vacancies on the European labour market. At the end of 2010, the

portal hosted over 1 000 000 job vacancies, 500 000 CVs and over

20 000 registered employers. It is a central information point for both

jobseekers and employers, and members of the EURES network.

In addition to hosting innumerous jobseeker CVs and job vacancies, the

EURES portal provides a platform for syntactic interoperability. This

means that vacancy information can be exchanged between Public

Employment Services in a standardised way; ensuring that clear material

is presented to jobseekers and thereby eliminating skills mismatches.

Further developments to the portal exchange platform will mean improved quality. Companies and

private employment services can also avail of the standardised format for job vacancies and CVs.

Additionally, the use of a common set of documents including a European CV format, provided

by Europass, allow the skills and qualifications of a jobseeker to be clearly and easily understood

throughout Europe. In combination with the use of the ESCO taxonomy in the development of

vacancies and CVs, the EURES portal therefore has the potential to be the sharing point for all

European vacancy information. Jobseekers’ qualifications can be widely recognised and identified, and

posted vacancies understood and answered.

The EURES portal is facilitating the more accurate and efficient matching of jobseekers to jobs, and

employers to candidates. It allows standardised vacancy information to be presented in the context of

a more flexible and adaptable labour market.

EURES – A platform for the exchange of vacancies, CVs, and learning opportunities

Syntactic interoperability occurs when two or more systems are capable of communicating and exchanging data. For systems to exhibit syntactic interoperability, standardised formats are fundamental.

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Europass opens doors to learning and working in Europe by helping people to make their skills and qualifications easily understood. Europass consists of five documents for the presentation of skills, qualifications, and competences, and is supported by a network of national Europass centres. For more information visit http://europass.europa.eu

The main areas of the EURES portal that have undergone improvements are:

For Jobseekers

My CV: enables jobseekers to create up to five online

CVs, publish up to 10 linguistic versions, and export CVs

to the standard Europass format if needed. My CV also

offers jobseekers the opportunity to create a personalised

presentation with an online video – so they can showcase

their personalities, as well as their qualifications.

For Employers

My Candidates: makes it considerably easier for

employers to find the right candidates. Registered

employers can check out useful hints and tips, run

searches based on the desired location and occupation

of the jobseeker, and view a candidate’s CV in all available

languages. Once potential candidates have been found,

employers can send them short enquiry messages from

their personal EURES accounts.

For Everyone

My Forums: provides a platform for interaction, and

allows users to join discussions on topics related to labour

mobility and working abroad. Exchange hints and tips,

form connections, maintain relationships, and participate

in debates.

The Virtual Job Fair: exactly like a Job Day – only virtual!

The fairs act as an online space where jobseekers,

employers and EURES Advisers can meet, chat, and

arrange appointments. Employers can present their

companies and job offers, jobseekers can view job

opportunities, and EURES Advisers can meet and greet

the visitors and provide expert advice.

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The creation of Match & Map on the EURES portal is a vital

step towards the realisation of better matching between

skills and labour market needs. It answers the question all

jobseekers and employers are asking simply and efficiently:

‘Where are the jobs and where are the workers?’

Match & Map, to be implemented in several steps from

2011 onwards, goes a long way towards limiting skills

mismatches, while ensuring a widespread and efficient

job-matching and support service for all European

citizens. It is a user-friendly, transparent online service,

providing comprehensive and accessible information on

occupations, skills, and learning and training opportunities

across the EU.

Match & Map requires interoperability between many

different operators and systems. This can only be

achieved successfully if information is standardised, and at

a high quality. The standards already exist, from Europass

CVs to country classifications, but if not all actors use

them the quality of the information provided is affected.

Match & Map is therefore developed with the use of ESCO

to ensure a high quality of information.

Match & Map automatically matches information provided

in a jobseeker’s online CV with the available job vacancies.

It evaluates the jobseeker’s profile, professional and

educational background, skills, interests, qualifications,

and desired occupation.

The result? A graphical map of Europe, showing the

jobseeker where they can find the opportunities they are

looking for, and the employer where they can find the

available jobseekers and skills they need.

Match & Map also recognises the necessity of skills

upgrading, for all jobseekers. Should a job search reveal a

skills gap, Match & Map will show the user where to find

information on learning opportunities that will bridge the

divide between desired occupation and skill set.

Match & Map – The geographic mapping of jobs and opportunities

PLOTEUS is the Portal on Learning Opportunities throughout the European Economic Area, providing information on studying in Europe for students, jobseekers, workers, parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors. For more information visit http://europa.eu/ploteus/

EURAXESS is the ‘Researchers in Motion’ portal providing information on European mobility tailored specifically to mobile researchers. For more information visit http://ec.europa.eu/EURAXESS/

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Users also have the option of widening the search criteria to find vacancies that are not an exact

match with their profile. If this leads them to a vacancy for which they lack the required skills, they

will be directed to information on further learning opportunities and skills upgrading.

Information on education and training opportunities is presented in cooperation with PLOTEUS.

Match & Map bases its results on vacancy information provided by EURES and other mobility

network resources such as EURAXESS.

European Commission

Three tools to facilitate online job matching throughout Europe - ESCO, EURES, Match & Map

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

2010 — 9 pp. — 14,8×21 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-15980-0

doi: 10.2767/70301

This publication is available in English, French and German.

KE

-31-10-454-EN

-C

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The online tools ESCO, Match & Map and the improved EURES portal, were created

with the aim of improving and facilitating skills matching and increasing the efficiency

with which jobseekers will find vacancies and employers will find candidates. This

publication serves as an introduction to these three online matching tools developed

by the European Commission.