Europe’s workforce crisis: Ignoring Roma is sabotaging competitiveness

Consider Anca Gheorghe, a 23-year-old Roma woman from Romania. She attended a poorly resourced school with unqualified teachers and faced unfair discrimination, leaving her with limited opportunities. Left with virtually no other options, she joined an EU-funded vocational program to train as a hairdresser, hoping for financial independence. Yet, there are already enough hairdressers in her small town, leaving her without work in her field.

Gheorghe’s experience highlights broader issues. First, many EU training programs are not aligned with the realities of local job markets. Training alone isn’t enough if it doesn’t lead to real opportunities. Draghi recently underscored this, urging the European Commission to improve the efficiency and scalability of skills investments. He argued that Europe needs a “fundamentally new approach to skills,” ensuring all workers have a right to education and retraining, allowing them to move into new roles as their companies adopt technology or transition to good jobs in new sectors.

Second, there are fundamental weaknesses in Europe’s education systems, especially in underserved communities. Draghi’s report points to a general “undersupply of skills” in Europe, partly due to declines in education results. For Roma children, the problem is even worse. Schools near Roma communities often provide substandard education, and those attending better schools outside their neighborhoods frequently face discrimination. To bridge Europe’s skills gap, EU leaders must improve educational quality and address inequities that hold groups like the Roma back.

Besides investing in skills and education, the EU can build on the legacy of entrepreneurship within Roma communities.

Denied the same opportunities as others, the Roma have learned to create their own livelihoods — generation after generation. This entrepreneurial spirit is an asset Europe can’t afford to ignore. Tailored support, such as social impact loan schemes, business incubators and mentorship networks, could empower Roma entrepreneurs to overcome barriers and create jobs within their own communities.

Economic returns of Roma integration far outweigh the costs