Skills2Capabilites: Interview guide and data from WP4 Interviews in Estonia

This repository contains the qualitative interview dataset and methodological documentation for Work Package 4 (WP4) of the EU-funded Skills2Capabilities project. The research investigates the dynamics of skills acquisition, retraining, and workforce development within the context of the Green Transition in the carbon-intensive region of Ida-Virumaa, Estonia. The database comprises analytical summaries from 27 semi-structured interviews conducted in April – June of 2025. The study targeted key actors within the regional skills ecosystem, utilising a sample that includes national and regional policymakers, employers, trade union representatives, and stakeholders from educational institutions. Participants were recruited through a combination of publicly available information and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted in Estonian and Russian; the uploaded data have been processed into standardised summaries in English. The methodology employed an interview guide structured around four thematic blocks: (1) the relationship between skills demand and Green Transition policies; (2) the impact of demographic trends and labour market structures; (3) socio-technical and cultural changes; and (4) the role of historical post-socialist experiences in shaping future regional visions. Data collection with the same instrument was carried out in the framework of Skills2Capabilities in the Pernik region in Bulgaria. This dataset offers empirical evidence on the challenges of the Just Transition, documenting critical issues such as the phasing out of the oil shale industry, the barriers posed by language proficiency requirements in retraining, and the resistance to cultural and economic restructuring.