In our rapidly changing world, new challenges are brought not only by constant technological advances, but also, for example, by individuals who are obliged to collaborate at the workplace, who belong to different generations and have different values, different work cultures, different communication and conflict management strategies. In order to adapt, adult learners need to be aware of the expectations of the labour market and the society, whether they are involved in community activities, learning or integrating into a new workplace organisation. Equipping the employees with the skills sought contributes to sustainable growth, boosts innovation and improves the competitiveness of economic operators. The EU aims at achieving that at least 60% of adults participate in some form of training each year and that the employment rate reaches 78% of the working age population by 2030. To achieve this goal, a number of comprehensive measures have been taken, most notably the need to develop social and digital skills. This is backed up by the underlying statistics that 4 out of 10 working adults in Europe, and one in three persons in society as a whole, lack basic digital skills (Eustat 2021). In addition, already in 2021, there were 28 occupations showing labour shortages, from construction and health to engineering and IT, with an increasing demand for both high-skilled and low-skilled workers. It is also important to mention that the participation rate of women in technology professions and in the same fields of study is low: only one in 6 IT professionals is a woman, and only one in 3 graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics belong to the group representing the “weaker sex”. In order to encourage lifelong learning, Member States have endorsed the EU’s social objectives for 2030. In the context of the European Year of Skills, the EU will build on a number of initiatives launched earlier. Some of them are presented and mentioned marginally below, without going into their detailed content: The European Skills Agenda is the EU’s framework for cooperation on skills development, helping individuals and businesses in developing and using their skills. Within the framework of the Skills Pact, which has already 1.000 members and is regrouping 14 large-scale strategic sectoral partnerships, a committment has been taken for the upskilling of six million people, resulting in an increase in skills levels as well. Council recommendations on individual learning accounts and micro-credentials will help people to update their knowledge and to add new skills to their existing knowledge by providing more flexibility and by setting specific targets. In the context of these EU initiatives, the knowledge on this subject will be further enhanced by the presentation of the findings of a previous international study. According to a research conducted by the World Economic Forum, published by Hays in 2020, 75 million jobs will be lost by 2022 as a result of automation in various sectors. This gives rise to concerns for many groups of workers, frustrating especially those who perform repetitive work. It should be stressed, however, that these same processes have also led to the likely creation of up to 133 million new jobs on the global labour market, as new specialisations have been emerging from year to year, and despite the fact that it is almost impossible to list the existing development trends in industries, it can be stated that the so-called soft skills are key to newly created positions. It is therefore important to state that the monitoring of labour market changes supports the definition of skills which may increase work efficiency and may contribute to the achievement of the objectives of strategic businesses active in different fields. Research shows that the following skills are in demand. Networking and communication skills: The skills that are valuable in our private lives are also becoming increasingly valuable during work. Nothing works without efficient communication. Changes in the labour market also mean that there is an increasing need for communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds, of different ages and with different experiences, not only face-to-face but also online. Therefore, good speaking skills, the ability to understand and transmit information, are becoming increasingly valuable. Employers check these skills already at the interview. They test how intelligently the candidates express themselves, how engaging they are, whether they understand the interlocutor’s intentions, and whether they are interested and open-minded. These competences will certainly allow the worker to gain a competitive advantage in areas that require interaction with others. Adaptability: Dynamic changes require a rapid response to any emerging challenges. Intuitive approach and flexibility are required in all areas, at all levels of the organisation, so as to be able to manage unprecedented situations. As the pace of change is progressively accelerating, adaptability is becoming an increasingly important aspect for both selection processes and job retention. Readiness to acquire knowledge: The greatest value of a company is not constituted by its real properties or tangible assets, but the knowledge and experience of its workers and its human capital. However, it is difficult to predict what knowledge will be needed in the future, so it is worth building on candidates who possess the willingness to acquire new knowledge and to continuously develop their capabilities. A person who is able to obtain, process and learn relevant information irrespective of changes, and who is open to active capability development, will contribute to the long-term success of the organisation. Independence and readiness to cooperate: If we look at current labour market trends, it is apparent that the future favours workers who are able to work effectively both independently and in teams. It will be necessary for the workers to be able to carry out their tasks without others’ assistance and detailed guidance, but also to work towards common goals and to actively participate in teamwork as well. The combination of independence and readiness to cooperate as an expectation is already a very common element in selection procedures, regardless of the sector or even the size of the organisation. (Hays, 2021) Another analysis, the PIAAC survey (PIAAC, Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) is a comprehensive international research which measures the various basic competences used in everyday life and work by the adult population in the participating countries. The survey’s results in our country support the above. The scientific study, which was carried out on a sample of several thousands of persons, shows that (basic) skills have a prominent role in labour market success. In other words, even among people with the same educational attainment, age, household situation and living in districts with a similar level of development, those with higher skills levels are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages. In the context of the need to develop digital skills, the PIAAC indicates that problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments and the performance of ICT activities have significant job-market returns. While among middle-aged and older people there is a wide gap in problem-solving skills between those with a secondary school-leaving certificate and those with lower levels of education, among younger people, those with primary school education are particularly lagging behind in this area. This is why it is a priority to further develop the digital knowledge and problem-solving skills of young people in the group of vocational school graduates (who already have appropiate knowledge base) in order to keep up with technological changes. In the context of the development of social skills, Waters (1983) states that a socially competent individual is able to make efficient use of his or her environmental and personal resources and is able to achieve good results in the course of his or her development. According to Schneider (1993), social competence enables a person to perform appropriate social behaviours and facilitates the enrichment of interpersonal relationships in a way that does not harm the interests of others (Konta-Zsolnai 2002). Social competence is the component system that realises social interactions, which can best be modelled on the basis of the component systems theory. "Social skills realise our social activity (behaviour) according to basic rules, by activating social skills and by creating new components. Social skills are the organisers and implementers of social activity and interaction. In contrast, social skills and all other social components are the conditions and tools for the effective functioning of social skills" (Zsolnai-Józsa 2002). Among the various components resulting from an individual's personality, positive self-esteem, positive attitudes and acceptance of others are explicitly positive determinants of the development of social competences. These three components help to ensure that the individual is successful in his or her interactions. Overall, it can be established that in the area of skills and competences a number of expectations have emerged from the analysis of labour market trends. Digital competence, flexible adaptability, social skills can be cited from all those expectations, as they are present in most areas, regardless of the sector of employment in which workers, EU citizens, are present.