Gathering from different countries, sectors and organisations, participants had the chance to get a first-hand experience of the ESCO taxonomy and the ESCO portal. The participants provided valuable feedback on the potential of ESCO for bridging the world of employment and the world of education and training. In an interactive game and in live demonstrations, they had the opportunity to experience the practical advantages of ESCO for achieving better job matching on the European labour market.

On top, the ESCO Goes live conference offered a unique opportunity to explore and discuss the practical implementation of ESCO in the EU Member States. Although this was an informal discussion, participants had the chance to voice their concerns, provide useful information from their national context and suggest ways for the Commission to support them in the implementation of ESCO at national level. The Commission welcomed such useful input and is currently studying support measures based on the requirements of the Member States.

The conference combined plenary sessions and interactive panels in an inspiring networking atmosphere. The keynote speakers of the conference were Mr Jeremy Groombridge (Chairman of the ESCO Board) and Mr James Calleja (Director of the European Centre for the development of Vocational Training – CEDEFOP). The speech of Mr László Andor (EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) concluded the conference. Re-iterating that the work on ESCO is a continuous task, Mr Andor committed the Commission to maintain and improve ESCO, especially by ensuring that it is regularly updated to keep pace with the changes on the labour markets and in education.

Concluding, Commissioner Andor invited the public administrations for their support in the implementation of the ESCO classification at national and regional level. "Only together we can ensure that ESCO has the desired impact on the labour market and in education" he said.

The conference highlights and all slide decks are already available here.