The share of the European Union (EU) population aged 65 and over is expected to rise to 29% by 2080, which will substantially increase the demand for both formal and informal long-term care (LTC). In a sector already facing significant challenges, particularly in retaining qualified staff and addressing skills gaps within the workforce, it is clear these projected increases require advance action.
The European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030 is an encouraging start. It outlines steps toward the European Care Deal, focusing on working conditions in what has long been a female-dominated sector marked by low salaries, precarious contracts and a lack of training, among other challenges. The Care Deal will outline measures designed to improve working conditions and career development, assess investment in care, and explore opportunities from digitalisation.
Addressing challenges in the older people care sector
One promising step in the right direction has been the Eldicare 2.0 project, which aims to support professionals caring for older people. The project’s Blueprint report and stakeholder workshops, conducted over the past two years by the project, are proving to be particularly timely. They emphasise the challenges faced by both formal and informal caregivers, as well as the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling across the sector.
The report highlighted a lack of societal recognition and public awareness of the work carried out by care workers, something that negatively impacts motivation and career development. This, in turn, contributes to low retention of qualified staff. Skill needs have evolved and diversified, driven by the growing adoption of emerging technologies and the rising demand for green skills, such as waste reduction and management, in the LTC sector. Although carers acknowledged the importance and relevance of green skills to their work, there remains a clear knowledge and training gap that needs greater attention. European Social Network (ESN)’s proposal for an updated European Framework for Quality in Social Services provides a structure for assessing service quality, aligning with the findings of the Eldicare Project. It suggests including sustainability standards, policies to reduce the carbon footprint, environmentally friendly facilities, and other approaches such as staff training on environmental awareness.
Trends show a growing number of care workers with a migration background and this has heightened the need for diversity and inclusion-related skills, including language proficiency. There are an estimated half a million formal mobile EU Nationals or migrant LTC workers in the EU. They frequently encounter significant challenges in having their qualifications and skills recognised, and in receiving language support, as highlighted by workshops’ participants.
Rectifying the skills gap in older people’s care
Digitalisation in the care sector plays a crucial role in reducing administrative burdens and enhancing the quality of life for older people through assistive technologies and AI-driven tools that support home-based, personalised care. The rapid expansion of digitalisation requires carers to adopt new technologies for which many are not fully prepared. This challenge is further compounded by constraints related to time, cost, accessibility, and data privacy. Stakeholder consultations under Eldicare 2.0 also stressed the growing need for AI literacy among care workers.
One example of addressing several of these challenges is the Telecare for All project in Germany. This project supports the integration of migrant care workers through a structured upskilling programme that combines language training, socio-educational support, and professional qualification pathways. It also strengthens digital competencies by integrating telecare and telenursing modules, enabling healthcare professionals to deliver and manage care practices remotely.
Furthermore, self-care is a prominent skill often overlooked. As noted by a stakeholder in an Eldicare project workshop: “It is very important for care workers to have some knowledge of how to take care of themselves. Employers should not forget the wellbeing of care workers, otherwise there is even higher turnover.” A good example of this in practice is the School of Caring in Amposta (Spain), which offers training and mutual support for informal carers of individuals with cognitive impairments or dementia, equipping them with tools and skills to help prevent mental health issues associated with the work.
To address the skill gaps identified, targeted training programmes, especially in digital, green, and soft skills, should be integrated into professional development for carers. Given the high number of migrant care workers, special policies need to be developed to ensure recognition of qualifications and support their training, especially in language proficiency. Stakeholders emphasised that these skills should be developed to support continuous up/reskilling, thereby increasing the sector’s attractiveness to prospective care workers.
Forthcoming discussions on the European Care Deal should focus on a wider strategy to alleviate workforce pressures in social services. Importantly, public expenditure for LTC should be seen as an investment. The focus should be on lifting the pressure on informal caregivers, improving the sector's competitiveness, attracting qualified workers by improving working conditions and training opportunities, and expanding technology-enabled care and assistive devices to increase independence among older people.
As ESN’s CEO, Alfonso Lara-Montero, highlighted last year, we need to back the people who make care happen every day, starting with decent working conditions, quality training, and accessible opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge.
