On 13 September, EURASHE member Aix-Marseille University (AMU) hosted the international seminar “Knowledge or Skills: What do university graduates (and economies) need?”. Participants discussed current skills gaps in Europe and a possible way forward, with speakers from Marseille (FR), Huelva (ES) and Edinburgh (UK) giving their perspectives on the topic.
Universities have traditionally been seen as centres of knowledge, while vocational education and training (VET) institutions focus on skill development. However, this division no longer reflects the realities of modern education. Today, university degree programmes blend both knowledge and practical skills to better prepare graduates for the evolving labour market. As industries rapidly transform due to economic and technological change, universities are playing a crucial role in building a workforce ready to meet these new challenges. This is especially important in countries without specialised vocational universities, where institutions must adapt to bridge the gap between knowledge and skills.
After a short introduction by Eric Berton (President of Aix-Marseille University) and Hannes Raffaseder (President of EURASHE), Professor Ellen Hazelkorn, Expert in Tertiary Education Systems (BH Associates – Education Consultants) delivered a keynote speech on the macro-trends reshaping higher education and skills. She highlighted how globalisation, demographic shifts, and technological advancements are creating an urgent need for continuous upskilling and reskilling. Hazelkorn stressed three areas: demographic changes, future skills, and society’s evolving relationship with public institutions. She called on universities to embrace flexible, lifelong learning models and build stronger partnerships with regional and industrial stakeholders. This approach would better align educational programmes with labour market needs, providing personalised learning pathways that can bridge the gap between education and employment.
The topic of the seminar is particularly interesting for a university like ours because of its size […] I don’t think we should systematically oppose these two terms, even if it’s true that for a long time there was this commonly accepted idea that universities were generally considered to be institutions responsible for generating and transmitting knowledge, and nothing else. Of course, this is no longer the case, and we need to combine the two, because competence is about putting knowledge into action.
Three case studies from France, Spain, and Scotland demonstrated different national approaches to these challenges. Ariel Mendez and Edina Soldo (Aix-Marseille University) discussed how the French education system, through initiatives like CISAM, integrates research, education, and industry to meet labour market needs, particularly in Cultural and Creative Industries. Reyes Alejano (University of Huelva) explored Spain’s focus on balancing theoretical knowledge with practical skills through close collaboration with local industries and hands-on learning initiatives like dual degrees. Finally, Naomi Graham (Edinburgh Napier University) explained how Scotland works to overcome its skills-related challenges by embedding work-based learning into students’ learning paths.
The seminar concluded with discussions on how universities can improve their role in skill development and knowledge generation. Participants agreed on the growing importance of work based learning and employability in all types of Higher Education Institutions, including traditional comprehensive universities. If they wish to keep up, tertiary education systems must work to adapt and align their educational models with the needs of rapidly changing regional economies.
