Background information

Considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES Network) has published its 2021 work programme. The process for developing the 2021 PES Network Work Programme was based on three main sources:

• Outcomes of the 2020 Work Programme, which included four main thematic clusters, which continue in 2021 with a strong focus on recovery after the pandemic.
• Additional subjects brought up by the PES, including information received in the monthly update of PES responses to the COVID-19 crisis delivered.
• Requests from the European Institutions to the PES Network.

The PES Network was established in May 2014. Its members are the Public Employment Services of all 27 EU Member States as well as Norway and Iceland and the European Commission. The core purpose of the PES Network is to promote modernisation of PES, encouraging optimum use of evolving technology and enhanced data sources, assisting them in adapting their role and function contributing to implementation of EU employment policies and strategies.

Content of measure

In 2021, the quantitative assessment of the PES benchmarking will continue as in previous years. As to the qualitative assessments, the third cycle of adapted assessments started in 2020 but was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue online in 2021 after two pilot online assessments were successfully held in 2020. These assessments will focus on change made since the first two cycles, and a new section on risk and crisis management. Adaptation to and recovery from the crisis will be the guiding topics of this year’s activities. Benchlearning, the core activity of the Network will continue in form of virtual assessments and various online mutual learning activities. Working groups, studies, webinars, surveys, review workshops and a conference will be organised around 4 thematic pillars:

• Recovery and future of work.
• Recovery and PES service delivery.
• PES performance management.
• EU PES initiatives and PES visibility.

Use of measure

n.a.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Unemployed	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Public employment service	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

The was no involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

Reaction of social partners unknown.

Sources

• 15 January 2021: PES Network Work Programme 2021 (www.pesnetwork.eu)