• The SHERPA project has identified specific recommendations on how to reverse this trend and revitalize rural areas while retaining or attracting people.
• The study responds to the public consultation conducted by the European Commission on the migration of skilled people in rural areas

The European Commission launched a public consultation in March, which concluded last June, on "Brain Drain: Mitigating the Challenges Associated with Population Decline ." The aim is to gather initiatives that analyze the drivers of brain drain, its long-term consequences for the European Union (EU), and possible solutions to halt or even reverse it. "Brain drain" refers to the emigration of qualified individuals whose talents and training are not appropriate in their place of origin. The negative effects of this emigration are felt at the local or national level and can exacerbate problems in regions suffering from depopulation.

The SHERPA project ( Sustainable Hub for Engaging into Policy with Rural Actors ) is a HORIZON 2020 project that gathers knowledge to contribute to the formulation of recommendations for future policies relevant to rural areas in the EU, by creating a science-society-policy nexus that empowers rural stakeholders with knowledge and autonomy.

Within this context, SHERPA has outlined the challenges posed by depopulation, aging, and labor force loss in rural areas. To this end, it outlines a series of specific recommendations for selected areas in Europe.

Depopulation in Spain

SHERPA maps three rural areas in Europe where it proposes solutions to combat brain drain:

1. Southern Europe

• SHERPA has identified that in Spain , specifically in Aragon, the lack of skilled labor adapted to the area's rural needs is being addressed through policy instruments. Thus, the regional government of Aragon is working on legislation to prioritize family farming to facilitate young people's access to land. Likewise, the Government of Aragon is managing programs that offer financial support to initiatives that generate employment, particularly for women. It also encourages investments to increase and diversify the cultural offerings to attract and retain young people in rural areas.
• Regarding Portugal , SHERPA notes that immigrants are a source of labor that meets the demand in rural areas.

2. Northern Europe

• Finland: It is committed to ensuring secondary education for young people in rural areas. This is achieved through: the use of digitalization in teaching to combine blended and distance learning; cooperation between schools, training centers, and companies; the transfer of good training practices; strengthening local resources, skills, and approaches for teachers; and promoting smooth labor migration to meet employment needs.
• Denmark is decentralizing its educational offerings beyond the four largest cities. The new legislation spreads educational opportunities throughout the country as a way to accommodate young people who lack the interest or resources to move to a major city. By establishing educational institutions outside the four main cities, young people will be given the opportunity to pursue an education closer to their hometowns and, therefore, remain in the area and also meet the labor market.

A recent study shows that if rural areas want to secure a skilled workforce, they must ensure that there are students locally, as young people tend to stay in the area where they received their education.

3. Eastern Europe

• Bulgaria : Agriculture is the most important sector in rural areas. However, given that digital technologies, precision agriculture, and the bioeconomy will drive the rural economy in the coming decades, the sector needs updating, requiring investment to improve population skills and attract highly skilled people to rural areas to fill emerging jobs.

Poland : In the coming years, the demand for highly qualified experts will increase significantly in the region, while the demand for farmers and less-skilled workers will decrease. In this regard, training is needed to boost entrepreneurship and innovation.