The European Commission has launched a skills passport for the hospitality sector to enable employers to compare workers’ skills and fill vacancies.

The European Hospitality Skills Passport is an online tool designed to facilitate contact between jobseekers and employers in the hospitality and tourism sector.

It is the first in a series of passports aimed at high-mobility sectors of the European economy and will be extended to other sectors in the future.

The passport, which is hosted on the European Job Mobility portal, is available in all EU official languages, therefore enabling employers and workers to overcome language barriers during the recruitment process.

Designed to complement a traditional CV, it allows jobseekers to record their skills and competencies gained from education, training and work experience, enabling employers to quickly find and recruit the skilled workers they need, from all over Europe.

"The European Hospitality Skills Passport is an important practical tool to promote mobility of European workers, especially young people, in a sector that has high growth potential,” said László Andor, EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion.

“This initiative is also a good example of the outcome of social dialogue between employee and employer organisations at European level, and we look forward to seeing this cooperation expand into other sectors of the labour market."

According to the European Commission, over 5 million people under 25 were unemployed in the EU in April this year, with an overall youth unemployment rate of 22.5%.