The digital transformation and Covid-19 have undoubtedly impacted all industries and enormously challenged many businesses in terms of their workforce and commitment to upskill and reskill. When navigating this new reality, companies are reshaping the way work gets done and reimagining what talent is required. Many organisations claim that human capital is essential for their success and sustained value creation, however, when it comes to costs, many still see it as an expense and not investment. Human capital is also not often a part of board-level discussions or companies’ balance sheets.

In July 2020, the European Commission (EC) presented the European Skills Agenda for Sustainable Competitiveness, Social Fairness and Resilience which sets ambitious, quantitative objectives for upskilling and reskilling to be achieved within the next 5 years. Its Action 12  foresees that the EC will seek to enhance reporting on human capital by large companies, including on the skills development of employees. Furthermore, the Commission will also study other ways of increasing transparency of companies’ expenditure on human capital, for example by presenting them more visibly in their accounts. It also says that the EC will work on statistics on public and private investment in adult skills together with national statistical offices, including by developing ‘satellite accounts’ to improve transparency of reporting on skills in national accounts and budgets.

ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) , Adecco Group, SMEunited and CDSB (Climate Disclosure Standards Board) are delighted to invite you to a lively online event to discuss the possible pathways to increase transparency on what companies are doing to invest in skills, human capital and continuous training, and what are the best ways to reflect skills and human capital in the balance sheet.

                             Draft agenda

3.00-3.08pm Welcome speech Ravi Abeywardana, Technical Director, CDSB

3.08- 3.16pm Keynote speech by Manuela Geleng, Director for Skills, DG EMPL, European Commission

3:16-3:25pm keynote by Dragos Pîslaru, MEP

3:25pm Panel session moderated by Cécile Bonino-Liti, Head of EU Affairs , ACCA

o   Julie Fionda, Deputy Head of Unit, Skills and Qualifications, DG EMPL, European Commission

o   Katharine Mullock, Labour Market Economist, Skills & Employability Division, OECD

o   Kristian Koktvedgaard,  EFRAG’s PTF -ESRS member, Social cluster

o   Luc Hendrickx, Director, SMEunited & EFRAG’s PTF-ESRS member, SME Cluster

o   Andrew Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment, Schroders

4:30pm Q&As

4: 40pm Concluding remarks, Karin Reiter, Global Head of ESG/Sustainability, the Adecco Group

4:45 End