Ponentes

Kathleen deLaski

Laboratorio de Diseño Educativo (Fundadora), Asesora Principal, Proyecto Harvard sobre la Fuerza Laboral, EE. UU., Profesora Adjunta, Universidad George Mason

Asesora Sénior, Fundadora de Empresas Sociales, Profesora Adjunta

Kathleen deLaski es diseñadora de educación y fuerza laboral, además de futurista. Fundó el Laboratorio de Diseño Educativo en 2013 para ayudar a las universidades a emprender el camino hacia la reinvención de la educación superior hacia el futuro del trabajo. Su organización sin fines de lucro ha ayudado a 1200 universidades, organizaciones y regiones económicas a diseñar vías de acceso más cortas y asequibles para que los estudiantes alcancen sus metas económicas.

Terrence Hogarth, Universidad de Warwick, Reino Unido.

Investigador Académico/Profesor

Terence Hogarth cuenta con 40 años de experiencia en investigación sobre formación profesional en el Reino Unido y la UE. Es responsable de la serie de estudios "Costes y Beneficios Netos de la Formación para los Empleadores", que se ha realizado periódicamente desde mediados de la década de 1990. Además, ha llevado a cabo numerosos proyectos de investigación sobre aprendizajes, mano de obra y escasez de personal cualificado.

Konstantinos Pouliakas

CEDEFOP

Experto sénior en competencias y mercados laborales, CEDEFOP

Experto en Competencias y Mercados Laborales del Centro Europeo para el Desarrollo de la Formación Profesional (CEDEFOP) y Profesor Honorario de la Escuela de Negocios de la Universidad de Aberdeen. Es el experto principal de los proyectos de Cedefop sobre desajuste de competencias y futuro del trabajo, así como líder del equipo de Competencias y Trabajo. Ha diseñado y dirigido la recopilación de datos de las dos ediciones de la Encuesta Europea de Competencias y Empleo.

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Àngels Fitó

Rectora, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

President Àngels Fitó has a PhD in Business and Economics from the University of Barcelona and is a full professor at the UOC. She was dean of the UOC's Faculty of Economics and Business between October 2010 and February 2019 and has been Vice President for Competitiveness and Employability between 2019 and 2023. Fitó was inaugurated on April 2023 as the new rector of the UOC.

Her research interests focus on financial reporting harmonization processes, management control systems and the transformative power of higher education for employability given the complexity of labour market dynamics. She leads a number of different local and international initiatives in this field to reconfigure higher education and provide a response to the challenges for lifelong learning arising in the current context of transition.

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Panel Discussion

Carme Pages (Moderator)

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Associate Professor and Director of the Labour Market Research Unit

Dr. Carme Pagès Serra is Associate Professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), where she focuses on aligning education with labor market needs through skills intelligence and research on employment dynamics. She previously served as Chief of the Labor Markets Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Her work centers on skills demand, labor policy, and the future of work. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston University and has published extensively on labor markets and public policy.

Stuart Andreason

Executive Director of Programs, Burning Glass Institute

Stuart Andreason leads the Burning Glass Institute’s research and engagement on workforce innovation, higher education, and economic mobility. He spearheads initiatives like Jobs that Mobilize, which aligns talent development with economic strategies, and contributes to projects on skill-based hiring and the green economy. Previously, he founded and directed the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, overseeing major initiatives such as Investing in America’s Workforce and Workforce Realigned. Andreason holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Fellow at the Penn Institute for Urban Research.

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Ummuhan Bardak

Senior specialist on Labour Markets and Migration, European Training Foundation (ETF)

Ummuhan Bardak is a seasoned expert in labour market analysis, skills development, and migration, with over 20 years of experience at the European Training Foundation (ETF), an EU agency based in Turin. Her work focuses on skills anticipation, employment policies, and human capital development strategies. She has led country- and sector-level skills needs assessments—and promotes evidence-based, context-sensitive approaches to skills intelligence.

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LinkedIn

Joanna Napierala

Expert in Labour Market and Skills Research, CEDEFOP

Joanna Napierala is a labour market and skills researcher at the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP). She specializes in analyzing the impacts of digitalization and the green transition on employment and skill requirements. Napierala contributes to the European Web Intelligence Hub, focusing on online job advertisement data analysis. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Warsaw and has previously worked as a policy analyst at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.

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Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin

Deputy Head, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), OECD

Dr. Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin is Deputy Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He leads initiatives on digitalization in education, including projects on artificial intelligence, learning analytics, and fostering creativity and critical thinking in schools. His work supports policy innovation across OECD member countries, focusing on the future of learning and education systems.

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Gianni Anelli

Research Fellow, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick

Gianni Anelli is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Research (IER), University of Warwick, and a PhD candidate. His research focuses on skill shortages, vocational education and training (VET), and the role of labour market information systems in shaping education and employment policy.

He applies quantitative methods alongside data-driven approaches, using natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLMs) to analyse unstructured labour market data—such as job advertisements and occupational descriptions—to support skills intelligence and policy development.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannianellilopez/ 

University profile: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/people/ganelli/

Kamarul Adha

Kamarul Adha specializes in data science and artificial intelligence with a focus on educational technology and skills development. His expertise spans data engineering and large language models (LLMs), which he applies to create innovative solutions that bridge education and workforce needs.

At Knowledge Innovation Centre, Kamarul explores how data-driven approaches can enhance learning pathways and career development across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. His work combines technical expertise with a global perspective gained from experiences in both European and ASEAN environments.

LinkedIn Profile

Liga Baltina

Head of Labour Market and Skills Research Unit, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini

Liga Baltina is a seasoned expert in labour market analysis, skills intelligence, and innovation policy. As the Head of the Labour Market and Skills Research Unit at Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini (FGB), she leads initiatives that bridge education, employment, and technological innovation across Europe.

Her work encompasses foresight studies, big data analytics, and policy advisory roles, particularly in the context of digital and green transitions. Baltina has co-edited publications like Re-Thinking Europe’s Skill Needs and has contributed to projects such as ASSETs+, focusing on aligning skills frameworks with Industry 4.0 demands.

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Natalí Basilico

Natali Basilico holds a PhD in Economics. Her professional background includes research and teaching in the fields of sustainable development economics and applied labour market analysis in higher education, as well as management experience in international settings, both within universities and multilateral organisations.

Dr. Barbara Belfi

Senior Researcher, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA), Maastricht University

Dr. Barbara Belfi is a senior researcher at the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) within Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics. Her research focuses on socio-economic, ethnic, and gender inequalities in education and the labour market. Additionally, she investigates how educational institutions can equip students with 21st-century skills essential for the evolving job market. Dr. Belfi has published extensively in journals such as the Educational Research Review, British Educational Research Journal, and Oxford Review of Education.

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Tony Bonen

Director of Economic Research, Conference Board of Canada

Tony Bonen leads the economic research practice at the Conference Board of Canada, bringing deep expertise in designing and managing complex economic analyses. He previously served as Executive Director at the Labour Market Information Council and led housing and macroeconomic forecasting at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. His past work spans climate and economic forecasting, U.S. pension research, and geopolitical analysis for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Tony holds a PhD in Economics from the New School for Social Research, an MA in International Political Economy from the Brussels School of International Studies, and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Carleton University.

Carles Bruguera

Carles Bruguera is a researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), working with the Labour Market Research and Analysis Unit (UPAL) and the Management and Learning (MeL) research group. He holds a PhD in Education and ICT and focuses on micro-credentials, soft skills, and online learning innovation.

Chantal Clerc Soto

Internal Coordinator, Department of Employment Intermediation and Labour and Skills Anticipation

Chantal Clerc is a sociologist from the University of Chile and currently serves as Internal Coordinator of the Department of Employment Intermediation and Labour and Skills Anticipation at Chile’s Ministry of Labor. She is part of the coordinating team of the Labor Observatory Program, which serves as the main instrument for implementing the National Labor Market Foresight Strategy. Her work focuses on aligning public policies that promote employability and territorial development through the analysis and monitoring of labour market dynamics in Chile.

Carla Cisternas

Coordinator of Research and Statistics, Department of Employment Intermediation and Labour and Skills

Carla Cisternas is an economist from the University of Chile, where she also earned a master’s degree in management and public policy. She currently serves as Coordinator of Research and Statistics in the Department of Employment Intermediation Labour and Skills Anticipation at Chile’s Ministry of Labor. She is responsible for the National Survey of Labor Demand, leading its design, implementation, and analysis. Throughout her career, she has specialized in the study and implementation of labour market statistics to support evidence-based policymaking and the development of employment and training strategies in Chile.

Dr. Andrew Dean

Senior Manager and Director of Marchmont Employment and Skills Observatory, University of Exeter

Head of Regional Engagement in Exeter Innovation (EI) at the University of Exeter. He is a senior manager and a specialist in the topics of civic engagement, employment, skills, the labour market, and regional impact. He also leads the University of Exeter’s Marchmont Employment and Skills Observatory, a research centre dedicated to supporting real-world interventions in local and regional labour markets. His main interests include: local and regional higher education impact; labour market and employment policies; vocational education and training; regional and local labour market monitoring; the role of social partners in employment and skills policy; and linking policy with practise.

Gonzalo Cubillos

Research Assistant, Labor Market Research and Analysis Unit (UOC)

Gonzalo Cubillos is a research assistant at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), working with the Labour Market Research and Analysis Unit (UPAL) and the Management and Learning (MeL) research group. He holds an MSc in Public and Social Policy. His work focuses on the alignment between education and labour market intelligence, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of online job advertisements (OJAs).

Zane Čulkstēna

Zane Čulkstēna, founder of ERDA, has played a pivotal role in advancing human capital development in the Baltics. She has organized the “Future of Jobs” (“Nākotnes Darbs”) conference for four consecutive years, establishing it as a leading regional event focused on the evolving employment landscape. In 2023, she led the launch and coordination of the Education Accelerator in Latvia, part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Accelerator Network. In 2024, she introduced a new AI-powered career coach for high school students, based on real-time labor demand data, and established the Baltic Institute for the Future of Work – the first non-profit in the Baltics dedicated to advancing human capital by providing data-driven insights, tools, and strategies to promote lifelong learning, workforce adaptability, and sustainable employment growth. Since 2022, she has also served as a government-appointed board member of the Art Academy of Latvia and is the founder and chair of the board of Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, which she has led since 2008. She is a graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (BSc), the University of Sussex (MA), and Columbia University in the City of New York (MA), where she has returned as a visiting research scholar. She is also a Fulbright Fellow.

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Deborah Everhart

Chief Strategy Officer, Credential Engine

Deborah Everhart serves as Chief Strategy Officer at the non-profit Credential Engine, leading credential and skill transparency initiatives that enable more effective connections between education and career opportunities.

Deborah has pioneered open technology standards for competencies, learning and employment records, and open badges. She led nationally-recognized experts authoring the American Council on Education publications “Quality Dimensions for Connected Credentials” and “Communicating the Value of Competencies.” Her business expertise includes leadership roles in technology architecture and product strategy at Cengage and Blackboard. Deborah holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine.

Michael Gaebel

Director, Higher Education Policy Unit, European University Association (EUA)

Michael Gaebel is the Director of the Higher Education Policy Unit at the European University Association (EUA), where he leads initiatives on learning and teaching, digital transformation, internationalization, and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Since joining EUA in 2006, he has been instrumental in shaping policies related to MOOCs, lifelong learning, and global university collaboration. With a strong commitment to fostering innovation and cross-border cooperation, Michael has led EUA’s work on micro-credentials, quality assurance, and the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

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Mark Goffart

Policy Officer, DG EAC of the European Commission 

Marc Goffart is policy officer for Higher Education at DG Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (DG EAC) of the European Commission. He is currently monitoring the preparation and implementation of the European Higher Education Sector Observatory as well as coordinating the European Graduate Tracking Initiative. Following an Erasmus traineeship in Teacher Training at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1990, Marc started his professional career at the European Education Projects’ Office of the University of Ghent. Marc joined the European Commission since 1995, working primarily in the research and education environments and practicing mobility also in his professional life (DGs INFSO, EMPL, RTD & EAC).

Marc Goffart | LinkedIn

Gillian Golden

Analyst, Higher Education Policy Team, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Gillian Golden is an Analyst within the OECD's Higher Education Policy Team, where she contributes to shaping international education strategies that align higher education with evolving labour market demands. Her work focuses on fostering digital and green innovation, enhancing teacher education, and advancing policy evaluation frameworks across OECD countries.

Gillian has co-authored several key OECD publications, including "Building Competencies for Digital and Green Innovation in Higher Education" and "Cultivating the Next Generation of Green and Digital Innovators".

Her expertise supports OECD member countries in developing responsive higher education systems that equip learners with the skills necessary for the future of work.

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Stefan Humpl

Managing Director, 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH | Chair, 3s Research Laboratory

Dr. Stefan Humpl is Managing Director and partner at 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH and Chair of the 3s research laboratory. With over 20 years of experience in education and labour market research, he has led national and EU-level projects, advising institutions such as CEDEFOP, the European Commission, ETF, ILO, and the UN.

He holds doctoral and master’s degrees in Social Geography and Applied Ecology, and has lectured in Applied Market Research at Technikum Wien since 2006. His expertise spans employability, curriculum development, policy evaluation, and skills intelligence. He has supported the development of Austria’s Social Dimension Strategy and contributed to the European Parliament's first evaluation of the European Universities Initiative.

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Strac Ivanov

Director of Data Analytics and Engineering at the Conference Board of Canada

Strac Ivanov serves as Director of Data Analytics and Engineering at the Conference Board of Canada. He founded Vicinity Jobs in 2006, creating one of North America´s first job aggregators and pioneering the use of job posting analytics in Canadian labour market research. Under his leadership, Vicinity Jobs became Canada's leading provider of real-time labour market data, serving universities, colleges, provincial governments, non-profits and industry associations before its acquisition by the Conference Board of Canada.

Strac earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Vienna University of Economics and Business, where his Masters thesis explored using Artificial Intelligence to collect and categorize online news articles—foreshadowing his career at the intersection of technology and data analytics.

Aljaž Leben

IT Project Manager at Knowledge Innovation Centre

Aljaž Leben specializes in software development with a focus on skill system development and educational technology, which he applies to create digital solutions that support education and workforce development.

At Knowledge Innovation Centre, Aljaž serves as the main network administrator, IT expert, and software development lead, where he manages the technical infrastructure and develops online tools for skills innovation. His work combines technical skills with educational insight gained from experiences at the University of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport.

LinkedIn Profile 

Kerry McKittrick

Co-Director, Harvard Project on Workforce

Kerry McKittrick is Co-Director of the Harvard Project on Workforce, an interdisciplinary initiative between the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this role she leads the Project's policy, strategy, and partnership agenda to increase its impact in the field. She also directs multiple research initiatives focused on building more effective and equitable education pathways to economic mobility.

Prior to this, Kerry served as a senior manager at Jobs for the Future, overseeing strategic projects and publications. She also worked as a Senior Policy Advisor on education, labor, and workforce development for Congressman Jim Langevin.

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Marina Muñoz Martínez

Research Project Manager, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Marina Muñoz is an economist and expert in data analysis. She serves as the lead project manager of the Professional GPS at the Labour Market Research and Analysis Unit of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). With a strong focus on employability and skills alignment, Marina plays a key role in developing innovative tools that connect educational pathways with labour market trends.
LinkedIn profile

Patricia Navarro-Palau

Labour Market Economist, OECD

Patricia Navarro-Palau is a Labour Market Economist at the Skills and Future-Readiness division of the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Directorate at the OECD, where she contributes to defining strategies to ensure that adults have the skills they need to succeed in the labour market. Her work focuses on analysing adult learning systems and supporting member countries in implementing adult learning reforms, including reforms aimed at increasing the alignment of their education and training systems to labour market needs. Patricia holds a PhD in Economics from Columbia University in the City of New York, and an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

 

LinkedIn: Patricia Navarro-Palau | LinkedIn

OECD websites: Changing skill needs in the labour market | OECD and Adult learning | OECD 

Mitchell Peters

Mitchell Peters, PhD, is a Senior Researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), where he leads initiatives within the Unit for Skills Foresight and Labour Market Intelligence (UPAL). His research and development work focuses on aligning lifelong learning strategies with emerging labor market needs, leveraging digital education, micro -credentialing, and skills intelligence to enhance employability and educational innovation. With over five years of experience coordinating European educational innovation projects, Mitchell's research integrates interdisciplinary approaches from educational technology, public policy, and labor economics. Mitchell has presented internationally on themes such as lifelong learning for employability, digital transformation in higher education, teacher digital competence and institutional strategies for micro-credentials.

Anastasia Pouliou

Expert in Qualifications and Credentials, CEDEFOP

Anastasia Pouliou is a Cedefop Expert in qualifications and credentials - Future of VET. She is currently leading the Agency’s research on Microcredentials for labour market education and training,  learning outcomes and VET excellence and inclusion for the 21st century in Europe. She is involved in other Cedefop activities (including the coordination of developments on national qualifications frameworks and the TVET-Interagency group on the Future of TVET). Before joining Cedefop she worked as an Educational Consultant in the Ministry of Education and Religious affairs and as a head of the European Affairs Unit in the Organisation for Vocational Education and Training (Greece). She has performed senior management and national coordination on Europass and Leonardo da Vinci projects and has published influential articles in academic journals. She has represented Cedefop as keynote speaker at high-level international events in Europe, USA and South Africa.

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Don Presant

President at Learning Agents, CanCred.ca

Don Presant has been an innovator in recognition for lifelong learning since 2003. He wears three professional hats: advocate for opening up lifewide recognition of lifelong learning, consultant for digital credentialing initiatives and technology provider of CanCred, a leading digital badge and micro-credential service in Canada.

In 2021 Don served as expert advisor for the UNESCO micro-credential definition initiative led by Beverley Oliver. Don currently serves on the board of the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA), as international advisor on Europe’s Lifelong Learning Partnership (LLLP) Validation Task Force and as co-producer of the annual ePIC conference on open recognition.

See Don's working badge portfolio to learn more.

Simone Ravaioli

Simone Ravaioli is an internationally recognized expert in digital credentials, learning mobility, and edtech policy.

As Director of Global Ecosystem and Innovation at Instructure, he leads strategic initiatives advancing learner-centric recognition systems, data interoperability, and global credential portability.

Simone operates at the nexus of academic strategy, technology and international collaboration.

His passionate advocacy is to turn micro-credentials into macro-opportunities and shift the narrative from life-long learning to Life-Long Recognition

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Graciana Rucci

Lead Specialist, Labour Markets Division, Inter-American Development Bank

Graciana Rucci is a lead specialist in the Social protection and Labor Markets Division at the Inter-American Development Bank. She joined the institution in 2005 as a junior professional, collaborating with the Office of Evaluation and Supervision, the Social Division for Andean countries, and the Health and Social Protection Division. Her areas of expertise include labor and education economics, applied econometrics, impact and outcome evaluation, development economics, and social protection. Currently, Graciana is working in skills for work and productive development, both in field projects and in analytical and research work. She holds a degree in economics from the National University of La Plata and a Ph.D. in Economics from UCLA.

Professional Links

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Jeff Strohl

Research Professor and Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW)

Dr. Jeff Strohl is the Director of Research at Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), where he leads investigations into the intersection of education, labor markets, and public policy. As a founding member of CEW, he has been instrumental in shaping its research agenda since 2008. His work focuses on analyzing how education and training systems align with workforce demands, with particular attention to socioeconomic diversity and equity in postsecondary outcomes.

Prior to his tenure at CEW, Dr. Strohl served as a senior analyst and project director at Westat, Inc., where he conducted program evaluations and developed models to assess occupational risks and employment discrimination. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from American University, with his dissertation examining how education enhances economic flexibility during periods of structural change.

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