On 8 September 2026, Skills4Retail brought together representatives from the European Commission, retail, education and training in Bucharest to discuss the changing skills needs of the retail sector and how to better prepare young people for the world of work.
The meeting highlighted the rapid changes taking place in retail, particularly around digitalisation, sustainability and technology. Participants stressed the importance of stronger cooperation between businesses and education providers so that training reflects real labour market needs.
Skills4Retail has already trained more than 2,000 people and supported over 260 internships and job placements, alongside the development of training programmes, occupational profiles and micro-credentials.
A key message from the discussions was that retail offers many career opportunities beyond shop-floor roles, including e-commerce, digital marketing, data, IT, sustainability, logistics and management. Internships and practical workplace experiences can help young people discover these opportunities and better understand possible career paths.
Looking ahead, Skills4Retail will focus on sustainability, scaling up and wider adoption of its results across Europe, while continuing to strengthen cooperation between education, employers and other stakeholders.
Skills4Retail – Building sustainable growth
www.skills4retail.eu