21st November, 2025
Written by Tiska Ikking
In late November, key representatives from the four Harnessing Talent Platform (HTP) working groups gathered in Brussels, Belgium for a high-level in-person meeting. Lisa Wetzlmair-Kephart has been an active online contributor to the Health Working Group from November 2023 onwards. Lisa and Anu Söderström attended previous in-person meetings in November 2023 and November 2024.
November 2023 meeting:
During the first HTP Health Working Group meeting in November 2023, members identified three priority sub-topics for the mandate and agreed on the organisation and governance model of the group. The session also focused on networking and establishing the working structure for activities running until May 2026.
November 2024 meeting:
At the December 2024 meeting, members reviewed progress made over the first year, refined the sub-topics based on new evidence, and aligned next steps for 2025. The group also exchanged updated practices and coordinated contributions to upcoming HTP outputs and recommendations.
November 2025 meeting:
Panel discussions
The three panel discussions highlighted how European regions can strengthen their talent ecosystems through coordinated action. Panel 1 underscored that high-quality essential services, such as healthcare, education, housing, and transport, are fundamental for attracting and retaining talent, especially in regions facing demographic decline. Panel 2 focused on the role of digital innovation, showing how digital tools, data-driven planning, and improved digital infrastructure can enhance talent readiness and create more inclusive opportunities for learning, working, and mobility. Panel 3 explored how regions can build place-based innovation capacity by investing in skills assessment, anticipating future labour-market needs, and aligning training pathways with regional strengths and emerging sectors. Together, the panels highlighted that talent attraction, digital readiness, and innovation-driven skills development must be integrated for regions to remain competitive and resilient.
Self-assessment tool to evaluate regional talent readiness
This tool is developed to help regions evaluate how well they are positioned to attract, develop, and retain talent. It provides a structured analysis of strengths and gaps across key areas such as education, skills, innovation, labour market dynamics, and quality of life. By identifying priority challenges and opportunities, the tool supports regions in designing targeted strategies and action plans to improve their overall talent ecosystem.
Open discussion about integrating the tool
The open discussion focused on how regions can practically integrate the tool into their existing planning processes, including data collection, stakeholder involvement, and follow-up actions. Participants exchanged experiences, challenges, and suggestions to ensure the tool is user-friendly, adaptable, and capable of supporting long-term strategic talent development.
Takeaways morning session:
- strengthening talent attraction and retention through better services and quality of life
- identifying collaborative governance models to improve essential services
- designing place-based solutions to enhance service delivery and tackle demographic challenges
Health Working Group: Recommendation paper on improving service models and working conditions
Data for this paper was gathered through a survey in spring 2025. During the meeting and in accordance with Lisa I emphasised the importance of advocating for allied-health care professions in general and occupational therapists in special within the broader talent ecosystem. In the Health Working Group of the Harnessing Talent Platform, we focused on key challenges such as cross-regional recognition of qualifications, clearer career pathways and mobility opportunities, improved working conditions, and the need for regional talent strategies to include the full health workforce, not only doctors and nurses, but also the wide range of allied-health care professionals. While HTP’s public documentation does not yet highlight these professions in depth, the session achieved several commitments: a policy brief by early 2026 with recommendations for allied-health care professions a mapping exercise to collect good practices on mobility, upskilling and retention; a pledge to integrate a dedicated allied-health care perspective into future toolkits and advocacy messages; strengthened collaboration with the Digital and Research & Innovation Working Groups; and plans for peer-learning activities in 2026 pairing regions with shortages in allied health professions with mentor regions demonstrating strong training and retention pathways.
Benefits for COTEC Member Associations and Occupational Therapists
- Recognise and enhance transferable skills across EU countries.
- Access mentorship, training, and continuing professional development opportunities.
- Enable cross-border mobility and international collaboration.
- Support workforce planning and policy alignment with EU retention strategies.
Direct Actions
- Explore the Good Practice Catalogue to adapt successful programs locally.
- Participate in EU mentorship, training, and networking initiatives.
- Advocate for cross-border recognition of OT qualifications.
- Collaborate with national authorities and peers to implement talent booster measures.
Looking ahead
Outputs like the Self-Assessment Tool, the Recommendation Paper and Good Practice Catalogues are being published to showcase successful approaches and inspire other regions. The official activities of the HTP and its working groups are expected to continue until around the end of 2026.
Find more information at https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/harnessing-talent-platform/working-groups_en#wgs-3rd-in-person-meeting
