As part of the EBSOMED Project, BUSINESSMED organized the second meeting of the Employers thematic committees in Rome, Italy, on 26 July 2019, with the purpose of creating an environment favourable to Mediterranean growth, promoting full North-South and South-South economic integration and implementing efficient partnership networks.

The objectives of this activity were:

• Ensure the follow up of the structural Macro-Economic progress in the target countries, according to the specific goals
• ensure the internal coherence of this progress with the aim of private sector promotion, sustainable growth, and employment

The topics of the three thematic committees are:

• Women and Youth Empowerment: for cutting-edge, strategic support in women and youth programming in all development contexts.
• Education and R&D, to foster research and support industrial R&D on new energy technologies and hence, improving energy technology policies.
• Vocational Training, to monitor labour market trends and helping the European Commission, Euro-Mediterranean countries and employers’ organisations to match training provision to labour market needs.

During this second meeting, the president and members of each committee reviewed the CVs received following the call for experts launched a few months ago. Skype interviews were later organized to talk in more detail with the shortlisted experts. Each committee will have the task to elaborate a report with recommendations, policy advice for each country and action plan for the upcoming meetings.