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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 5.11.2026 COM(2026) 805 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

on a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 2026-2030

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A European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 2026-2030

1. Why Europe needs to act

1.1 Challenges for Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and social and territorial cohesion depend on a skilled

workforce. Major transitions, from digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and decarbonisation to

demographic change and the need to strengthen Europe’s security and defence, are reshaping production

value chains, services and occupations, and with them the skills people need throughout their lives, at

work and in society. These transformations create new opportunities but they also intensify the labour

and skills shortages that already hold back investment, productivity and growth. For VET, this means a

twofold challenge: ensuring high-quality and inclusive provision of education and training while

adapting provision quickly enough to keep pace with changing technologies, occupations and labour-

market and societal needs.

A large part of Europe’s economy depends on people with vocational qualifications. Yet many

vocational occupations are already facing shortages. VET-intensive occupations1 account for close

to 60% of EU employment. More than 10 million learners participate in initial VET across the Union,

and 52.7% of learners at medium level2 were enrolled in vocational programmes in 2024. Almost 70%

of the occupations with the highest shortage scores are VET-intensive3. Shortages weigh most heavily

on SMEs, 80% of them reporting difficulties in finding qualified workers.

The dependence on VET professionals – people with vocational qualifications - is particularly

strong in sectors central to Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and essential services. As key

industries transition to more sustainable practices, demand for technical expertise is rising faster than

supply. Resulting shortages in green skills are becoming a major obstacle in sectors such as energy,

construction, and transport, making it harder for the EU to meet its climate and environmental goals. To

reduce fossil fuels dependence, expanding electricity grids and clean homegrown energy capacity

requires electricians, technicians and construction professionals. For example, the workforce in the

energy sector is projected to increase by 50% by 20304, while the EU needs 500 000 skilled workers in

relation to its ambition on heat pumps, a key renewable electrification technology in the building and

industry sectors5. The overall demand in the building construction sector to produce residential

dwellings and affordable housing could require 3.6 million additional employees by 2030.6 Industrial

and defence capacity relies on mechanics, machine operators, welders and engineering technicians,

while transport, water infrastructure, healthcare, care services and civil protection all depend heavily on

a wide range of vocational professionals. The agricultural sector too depends significantly on skilled

professionals, however over 70% of the farm mangers in the EU only have practical experience, and

only one in ten has full agricultural training. VET skills development also supports wider EU policy

priorities, for example, those related to preparedness, resilience and crisis response.

1 VET-intensive occupations can be defined as those professions in which the required skills and competences are

typically acquired through initial or continuing vocational education and training pathways (IVET or CVET),

rather than through general or purely academic education. In view of data constraints, which require the focus to

be limited to upper secondary qualifications, VET-intensive occupations are identified by a prevalence of workers

holding medium-level vocational qualifications as their highest level of attainment. 2 ISCED levels 3 and 4, source: Eurostat educ_uoe dataset. 3 European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) analysis. 4 Union of Skills 5 IEA World Energy Employment 2025 6According to the European Construction Observatory, the construction sector is among those with most acute

shortages – see EU construction skills: gaps, trends and what comes next | BUILD UP

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Shortages are further exacerbated by persistent gender imbalances across VET fields: women are

underrepresented in engineering trades, transport, ICT and farming, while men are strongly

underrepresented in health and welfare, which means that the pool of available talent is further restricted.

Women account for only 15.9% of VET learners enrolled in STEM in 2024, against a 2030 EU objective

of at least 20%.

Demographic change substantially increases this pressure. The recent 2026 report “Demographic

transformation in the EU: understanding change and adapting to its consequences” highlights how

investments in education, training and adult learning can boost productivity and innovation, potentially

offsetting the impact of lower birth rates on the workforce. Around nine out of ten job openings in VET-

intensive occupations up to 2035 are expected to result from the need to replace workers leaving their

jobs rather than from employment growth. Competition between sectors will therefore intensify.

Replacement needs in VET-intensive occupations are estimated at around 3.6 million workers per year

in the EU between 2026 and 2035, accounting for around 64% of total replacement needs in the EU

economy.7 At the same time, almost a fifth of the EU working-age population is outside the labour

market, while almost 8 million people aged 15-29 are not in employment, education or training (NEETs).

In disadvantaged regions, shortage of VET professionals could have a negative knock-on effect on the

provision of essential services, quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities and the

competitiveness of local areas. This effect results in a diminished attractiveness of regions as places to

live, work and thrive.

Given the scale and pace of change, the capacity of VET systems to provide high-quality and up-

to-date skills is therefore critical. The situation differs substantially between and within Member

States, but several common challenges remain. Skills intelligence does not systematically translate into

revised curricula and training offers. Cooperation between public authorities, social partners, businesses

and VET providers remains uneven. Almost half of social partners report little or no influence over

initial VET curricula. Shortages of qualified teachers and trainers, differences in the quality of

apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning and insufficient access to modern equipment

and technologies can further limit the quality and responsiveness of VET. Only 36.5% of medium-level

VET learners were enrolled in STEM programmes in 2024, against an EU-level target of at least 45%

by 2030. Only 18% of VET teachers consider that their profession is valued. Companies, notably SMEs,

receive insufficient support to prepare in-company trainers. Participation in continuing VET also

remains insufficient and uneven despite the growing need for workers to upskill and reskill.

The challenge is not only to train enough vocational professionals but first and foremost to train

them well. Technological change, including AI and automation, is changing the content of jobs and the

mix of skills required, as digital, cognitive, and communication tasks become increasingly important

alongside occupational expertise. Strong basic skills – literacy, mathematics, science, digital and

citizenship skills – and transversal competences are essential for learners and workers to acquire new

occupational skills, use emerging technologies and adapt as tasks and working environments evolve. An

analysis of PISA 2025 data on VET learners covering 14 EU Member States, for which comparable data

on upper-secondary VET are available, highlights relatively weak levels of basic skills in mathematics,

reading and science, with performance declining compared with 2022 and remaining below that of

learners in general secondary education. As PISA assesses learners at the age of 15, these findings

largely reflect skills acquired before entering VET programmes, highlighting that many learners already

start their vocational pathways with relatively weak basic skills. The OECD Survey of Adult Skills

(PIAAC) reveals that these challenges extend well into adulthood, with around one in five adults in the

EU having low proficiency in both literacy and numeracy.

These challenges also affect the attractiveness of VET, although the underlying picture is more

complex. VET has considerable strengths on which to build. Vocational pathways at medium level are

7 Cedefop analysis

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associated with strong labour market outcomes: in 2025, the employment rate of recent medium-level

VET graduates reached 80.2%, compared with 66.8% for recent graduates from general education who

do not continue their studies at tertiary level. However, outcomes vary considerably between Member

States, with employment rates of recent VET graduates ranging from 91.5% in Germany and 89.0% in

Denmark to 58.0% in Greece and 63.4% in Romania.8 The Eurobarometer on VET attractiveness

published in July 2026 shows that a majority of respondents regard VET as offering high-quality

learning and good job opportunities. Half of EU citizens (50%) would recommend VET to a young

person and 67% of Europeans believe that VET enables progression to higher education.

Europeans value VET, but they do not necessarily choose it. VET does not yet enjoy parity of esteem

with general education, for several reasons. According to the same Eurobarometer, 75% consider that

general education at upper-secondary level has a more positive image than initial VET in their country.

Three in ten Europeans (30%) also believe that young people about to choose their upper secondary

education do not receive enough information on VET opportunities. Familiarity with VET makes a clear

difference: those who have themselves attended VET are more likely to recommend vocational upper-

secondary education (59% compared with 42%) and to view its learning quality, teachers and

infrastructure positively, while positive perceptions of VET are almost twice as widespread among those

who consider that enough information is available (81% compared with 42%). Improving quality is

therefore necessary but not sufficient: the strengths of VET also need to be made more visible. Low

attractiveness also has consequences beyond reputation as it reinforces shortages by making it more

difficult to attract learners into occupations and sectors where demand is highest.

Lack of access to high-quality career guidance makes it more difficult for young people and adults

to make informed learning and career choices throughout working life. In addition, relatively high

drop-out rates in VET can lead to labour-market exclusion at a substantial economic cost. For instance,

each NEET is estimated to cost around EUR 14,600 a year in foregone output and public transfers, close

to EUR 100 billion (0.62% of GDP) across the EU.9 Challenges in understanding and recognising

qualifications and skills form an obstacle to labour mobility and contribute to shortages and mismatches.

The recent proposals under the Skills Portability initiative aim to address these barriers.

Perception and practice also diverge when it comes to international opportunities. According to

the Eurobarometer on VET attractiveness, 64% of Europeans believe that VET learners have

opportunities to study abroad as part of their studies. Yet only an estimated 5.3% of VET learners

benefited from learning mobility abroad in 2023, far below the 12% target set for 2030. Learning

mobility can contribute to the development of occupational, basic and transversal skills, highly valued

by employers. Demand for EU funding support under the Erasmus+ programme exceeds available

budget, while providers, employers and learners continue to face barriers in organising and accessing

high-quality VET mobility.

1.2. Future demand for vocational skills

The demand for vocational skills is expected to remain strong in the next ten years, but it will

evolve as Europe’s economy and investment priorities change.10 Projections to 2035 indicate that

VET-intensive occupations will remain the largest part of the European workforce. Employment in these

occupations is projected to remain broadly stable, increasing slightly from 131.2 million workers in

2023 to 131.6 million by 2035. At the same time, more specialised technical occupations are gaining

importance while some routine occupations (e.g. retail, administrative and support services) are

expected to decline.

8 Eurostat. (2025), Employment rates of young persons not in education and training by educational attainment

level and years since completion of highest level of education [edat_lfse_24]. Recent medium-level VET 9 European Commission (2025), Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2025, Box 2.2 (Eurofound

estimates for 2023, age 20–29) 10 Cedefop Skills Forecast (2026)

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AI and automation are accelerating these changes. They can simultaneously raise productivity, create

demand for new technical skills, and reduce labour demand for other skills. Recent vacancy data already

point to a changing pattern of labour demand: since the advent of generative AI tools in late 2022,

occupations relying on physical presence, manual expertise and applied technical skills – including

engineering technicians, machinery mechanics, construction trades and transport workers – have

increased their share of vacancies11. This recovery of VET-related vacancies coincides with the

widespread use of generative AI tools, showing increased demand for certain VET-related occupations

in recent years.

In addition, there is concrete evidence that AI adoption is accelerating in several VET-intensive sectors,

although its effects remain uneven. In manufacturing, the share of enterprises using AI increased from

6.8% in 2023 to 17.3% in 202512. In construction, AI use more than tripled from 3.2% to 10.8%13 over

the same period, with applications including site monitoring, hazard detection and quality control, but

renovation and affordable housing needs will nonetheless sustain strong demand for construction skills.

Also, AI represents an important potential for innovative off-site construction and renovation products

and methods.14 Healthcare increasingly integrates AI15, increasing the need for digital and AI-related

competences among healthcare workers, including vocationally trained staff. Together, these

developments suggest that AI may not simply determine the creation or loss of certain occupations, but

increasingly change the tasks and skills required within existing vocational profiles.

These technological effects interact with Europe’s investment choices. Additional investment in three

areas central to Europe’s competitiveness and strategic resilience – digitalisation and AI,

decarbonisation, and defence - will reinforce the shift in demand towards industrial, technical and

technology-intensive activities. Digitalisation and AI investment particularly support electronics,

computer-related activities, data and digital infrastructure while at the same time accelerating

automation and changing skill requirements within these and other sectors. Investment linked to

decarbonisation particularly increases activity in electrical equipment, electronics, machinery and motor

vehicles. Higher defence investment also supports manufacturing, notably machinery and equipment,

motor vehicles and other transport equipment.

Under a scenario combining these investment drivers, the strongest positive contributions to VET-

intensive employment are projected in manual and technical occupations, stationary plant and machine

operators and metal, machinery and related trades workers, suggesting a strengthened role for advanced

manufacturing and automation-enabled production. Employment demand also increases notably for

science and engineering associate professionals, pointing to rising needs for mid-level technical and

applied STEM skills. Several craft and manual occupations – such as food processing, woodworking

and other craft trades, assemblers, and labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport –

also record an increased demand. This indicates that, alongside high-skill technical roles, this scenario

generates employment opportunities throughout the broader value chain. More modest but still positive

employment gains are observed for electrical and electronic trades workers and information and

communications technicians. In this scenario, sectoral expansion mitigates part of the job losses

generated linked to automation.16

11 Cedefop (2026), Reverse gear: how AI is bringing vocational occupations back. Between 2019 and mid-2022,

the share of EU online vacancies in VET-related occupations had been declining steadily, from over 36% to below

33%. Since late 2022, however, the trend has reversed. The VET share of vacancies has recovered gradually,

returning to over36% by early 2025. 12 Eurostat (2026), The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the European Union – Key results,

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 13 Eurostat. (2025), Artificial intelligence by NACE Rev. 2 activity [isoc_eb_ain2]. 14 The construction sector ranks last among all 14 EU industrial ecosystems in both recent and long-term expected

investments in digital transformation (Annual Single Market Report 2022, European Commission) 15 OECD (2025), Digital and AI skills in health occupations: What do we know about new demand? OECD AI

Papers No.36, OECD Publishing. 16 Cedefop Skills Forecast 3D Scenario

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Figure – Main drivers of VET-intensive employment by 2035

Source: Cedefop Skills Forecast (2026) and 3D+ Scenario exercise.

The analysis above illustrates that stronger investment in Europe’s digital, green and defence priorities

could shift part of future labour demand towards industrial and technology-intensive activities. The

health and care sectors also remain an important source of demand: health associate professionals are

projected to increase their share of total EU employment from 3.07% to 3.42% in 2035.17

For VET, these changes require both sufficient training capacity for occupations facing growing or

persistent demand and the rapid updating of skills and education and training content as AI changes

existing jobs. This also raises the importance of continuous upskilling and reskilling of the existing

workforce. Evidence on the integration of AI in VET points to the importance of teacher and trainer

skills, digital infrastructure, governance capacity and cooperation with businesses18. While the

integration of AI in education and training carries certain risks, such as widening gap in access and

reproduction of inequality, it can increase the adaptability and accessibility of VET19. It can enhance

VET provision itself, including through labour market analysis, skills anticipation and the development

and updating of curricula20. At the same time, given the uncertainty surrounding the longer-term effects

of AI, VET systems will need to remain agile and responsive as technologies, tasks and occupational

profiles evolve.

2. A common direction for VET

Europe needs more agile, strategic, open and connected VET. It should support successful transitions

into employment, provide opportunities for upskilling and reskilling throughout working life, respond

17 Cedefop. (2026). Skills forecast 2026 18 Herrero, C., Portillo Berasaluce, J., Arce Alonso, A., Te Hennepe, E., Wisniewski, D. et al. (2026), Analysis of

the integration of Artificial Intelligence in VET systems - Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Spain and The Netherlands,

Herrero, C. (ed.), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. 19 OECD. (2026), AI to support neurodivergent learners in vocational education and training. OECD Publishing. 20 OECD. (2026), Developing vocational education and training with artificial intelligence. OECD Publishing.

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rapidly to technological and labour-market change and contribute directly to Europe’s competitiveness,

preparedness and social fairness. This Strategy is a key initiative of the Union of Skills. It builds on the

2020 Council Recommendation on VET and the Herning Declaration, endorsed in September 2025 by

the Member States, European Economic Area and candidate countries, European social partners,

European Commission and other stakeholders. The Herning declaration sets out the priorities and

national-level actions on VET for 2026–2030 through shared objectives to strengthen its attractiveness,

quality, inclusiveness and labour-market relevance, support the green and digital transitions and expand

mobility and international cooperation.21 The Strategy also responds to the European Parliament’s

resolution of 21 October 2026 on boosting skills in the Union.22 The actions below are also in line with

priorities of the second cycle of the European Education Area.

The Strategy focuses on key measures at European level to support Member States in strengthening

VET, under three mutually reinforcing objectives:

1. Promote agile and high-quality VET systems, powered by innovation and strong basic skills so that

provision keeps pace with changing technologies, occupations and the needs of the labour market

and society.

2. Mobilise VET for Europe’s strategic sectors and labour-market transitions through closer

partnerships with business and investment.

3. Create open and connected European VET through learning mobility, support for candidate

countries and mutually beneficial partnerships with priority partner countries.

The Strategy has been informed by an extensive consultation process. A call for evidence was organised,

complemented by dedicated webinars and meetings with key stakeholders in the months preceding its

preparation to discuss needs, challenges and possible policy responses. These exchanges involved,

among others, social partners, representatives of VET learners and VET providers, Member State

representatives, businesses and other relevant stakeholders.

European action will focus on areas where cooperation creates added value: mobility, skills intelligence,

peer learning, sectoral partnerships, common tools, policy experimentation and the scaling-up of proven

approaches, respecting the national responsibility for education and training systems and qualifications.

Public authorities, social partners, businesses, VET providers and learners all have a role in its

implementation.

2.1. Promoting agile and high-quality VET systems

Agility is the capacity of VET systems to anticipate and respond quickly to changing skills needs,

technologies and occupations. It requires faster feedback from skills intelligence, timely updating of

education and training content and quicker access to modern technologies and equipment. Relevance

and quality are closely interconnected. High-quality VET is based on responsiveness to current and

emerging labour-market and societal needs and on effective delivery through appropriate training

content and infrastructure, qualified teachers and trainers and quality assurance. Agility enables VET

systems to maintain this relevance as needs evolve while quality delivery reinforces trust.

Teachers, trainers and leaders of VET providers are central to the agility and quality of VET

systems. They need up-to-date occupational and pedagogical skills to respond to technological and

labour-market change, embed basic skills in occupational learning and use new technologies confidently

and responsibly. Continuing professional development, closer cooperation with businesses and social

partners and good working conditions are essential to attract and retain qualified professionals. This

Strategy does not add a separate set of new actions for teachers and trainers, as these issues are being

21 To help address urban-rural divides, the long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas highlights the importance of

access to education and training, including upskilling and reskilling opportunities, to support quality employment

and the diversification of rural economies. 22 European Parliament resolution of 21 October 2026 on boosting skills in the Union – opportunities for vocational

education and training in times of transition (2026/2070(INI)), P10_TA(2026)0358.

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addressed through the proposal for a Council Recommendation on an attractive teaching profession: the

EU Teachers Agenda which is part of the 2026 Education and Skills Package. The EU Teachers Agenda

will support VET teachers and trainers, including by inviting Member States to review their working

conditions, develop flexible pathways into teaching for professionals from businesses, strengthen

partnerships between VET providers, enterprises, chambers and social partners, offer VET teachers

company internships and secondments and support, where appropriate, hybrid employment models

allowing individuals to combine teaching with relevant professional activity.

2.1.1. Piloting a European Sectoral Training Accelerator

A focused sectoral pilot will test a lean process for accelerating the uptake, delivery and

certification of industry-relevant training content as well as monitoring its deployment.

The European Sectoral Training Accelerator will be piloted using existing common training content

developed under the Pact for Skills, Blueprint Alliances for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills, Centres of

Vocational Excellence and EU Skills Academies, or in the context of EU level sectoral skills initiatives

(including European sectoral business associations). It will focus on strategic sectors and involve leading

EU companies to champion the projects. The Accelerator will also draw inspiration from WorldSkills

and EuroSkills occupational standards to foster excellence in VET and industry engagement. The

European Skills Intelligence Observatory will feed sectoral skills needs directly into the Accelerator.

The Accelerator will support VET providers across Europe to top-up national initial or continuing VET

curricula with flexible short-term learning modules (including in the form of micro-credentials in line

with the European Approach to micro-credentials) developed at EU level to ensure that learners can

rapidly acquire specialised, employment-ready skills required in dynamically changing labour markets.

The modules will not replace national qualifications but complement them. Country-specific

certification of the skills acquired will be ensured through a close cooperation of VET providers, social

partners and national qualification authorities and competent bodies with European-level sectoral

associations. The pilot will explore the extent VET providers have the autonomy to design parts of

curricula, how effective and sustainable partnerships with EU sectoral associations can be developed to

complement national qualifications with EU level sectoral certification. Development of quality criteria

will be part of the pilot to ensure trust, transparency and understanding of the skills acquired across the

European labour market.

QUALITY AND AGILITY

Pilot, in 2027, a European Sectoral Training Accelerator, based on existing common training

content, with the aim to increase the uptake, delivery and sectoral certification of flexible modules

in response to emerging skills needs. The Accelerator will bring together VET providers,

businesses, social partners, national authorities and European sectoral business associations to

test how VET providers integrate and deliver common training content developed at EU level,

supported by quality criteria, and to test how skills acquired can be certified within national

systems to increase the trust in, and transparency and understanding of, skills across European

Labour Market.

2.1.2 Strong basic skills in VET

Strong basic skills are indispensable for high-quality VET provision, as well as for occupational

excellence and lifelong learning. In line with the Action Plan on Basic Skills adopted in 2025 as part

of the Union of Skills, they encompass literacy, mathematics, science, digital and citizenship

competences. Together they enable learners to master occupational content, acquire new knowledge,

progress to further learning and participate fully in society and the economy. Their importance becomes

even greater in times of disruptive technological change and rapidly evolving labour-market needs.

Strong basic skills also give people the capacity to continue learning throughout their careers and

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respond to changes that cannot always be anticipated. Solid foundations in basic skills should be

established from early stages of education and where relevant further developed throughout initial VET.

Identifying learners’ basic skills strengths and learning needs on entry into initial VET can help tailor

teaching methods and content and target additional support. Integrating basic skills development into

vocational programmes, including apprenticeships, combines explicit teaching with applications in

vocational contexts, complemented by timely, targeted support to the learners who need it. Support

works better when accessible within the learning timetable and when it avoids additional costs and

stigma.

Citizenship skills enable individuals to act responsibly, including through digital literacy, ethical and

critical thinking, collaboration, or intercultural communication. They benefit individuals at work and as

active participants in democratic life, and they strengthen trust in democratic institutions, which

underpins democratic resilience and the stable environment needed for investment and sustainable

growth. As in general education, there is also a need to develop citizenship skills in initial VET. These

skills can be developed combining dedicated learning activities with occupational and work-based

learning – for both young people and adults.

Quality assurance also plays an important role in strengthening basic skills in VET. A systematic

approach can help VET systems and providers ensure that basic skills are not only included in curricula

but are also effectively taught and assessed. This includes defining clear learning outcomes, monitoring

learners' progress, evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning, including in work-based

settings, and using the results to continuously improve provision. Applying this approach can help

identify weaknesses and target support where it is most needed, thereby contributing to better basic skills

outcomes for learners. Work in this area of basic skills will be implemented in synergy with the other

elements of the Education and Skills Package, notably the proposal for a Council Recommendation on

basic skills. Regarding citizenship competences, this work will take into account the future EU

citizenship competence framework and related guidance aimed at promoting democratic citizenship.

BASIC SKILLS

Reinforce the quality and quality assurance of basic skills in VET, by supporting Member States

in applying the European quality assurance reference framework in VET (EQAVET) to basic

skills through EU grants to EQAVET national reference points and guidance. In cooperation

with the OECD, the European Commission will support, from 2027, the evaluation of innovative

approaches to strengthening basic skills in initial VET, including early identification of learners’

needs, timely targeted support, cooperation between general-subject and vocational teachers,

and coordination between VET providers and training companies. This can include practical

guidance for in-company trainers and smaller companies.

Regarding citizenship competences in VET, the Commission will launch a joint programme in

2027 with the Council of Europe to strengthen citizenship education in VET, including

through capacity-building activities for Member States and the development of tailored support

and learning materials for VET teachers, trainers and learners.

2.1.3. Modern training environments and vocational excellence

The 2025 Herning Declaration invites Member States to ‘maximise the potential, reliability, and

responsible use of AI (in line with the Artificial Intelligence Act)’ and of other technological

advancements - such as large language models, virtual and extended reality. Some evidence shows that

the integration of AI in VET can increase its adaptability and accessibility, as well as enhance VET

provision. However, despite the rapid development and adoption of advanced technologies such as AI

across the labour market, knowledge gaps persist regarding its integration into VET systems. Further

evidence would allow a better understanding and facilitate more solid evidence-based policy responses

for the safe and effective integration of AI in VET. Against this backdrop, the European Commission

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will continue to explore the evolving effects of AI on VET related to technologies such as agentic AI

and robotics while also considering the security risks of integrating such technologies in VET contexts.

Other areas of evidence gathering will cover the effects of digitalisation in specific VET related shortage

sectors. The Commission will also work to support stakeholders by disseminating emerging findings

and facilitating exchange of practices and policy discussions on how VET can best respond to a rapidly

changing technological landscape, including by publishing evidence-based policy pointers for the safe,

human-centred and effective integration of AI in VET in 2027. Moreover, VET stakeholders will also

be supported to benefit from the AI-ready education initiative under the Education and Skills Package,

and for the take-up of the recently developed EU-OECD AI Literacy Framework for primary and

secondary education, as well as the future AI Literacy Certificate.

Vocational excellence depends on strong cooperation between VET providers and their regional

and sectoral ecosystems. Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) are transnational

partnerships that bring together VET providers, employers, social partners, public authorities, research

and higher education institutions to build skills ecosystems and deliver high-quality training that

responds to sectoral and regional needs, including in cross-border regions. Closely linked to regional

and local strategies, including smart specialisation, they have become a model for innovative, agile and

learner-centred VET, addressing quality, relevance and attractiveness together. CoVEs can therefore

respond to the call of the European Skills High-Level Board for stronger regional and sectoral

ecosystems. To achieve systemic impact, however, their results need to be mainstreamed into national

and regional systems. This requires the engagement of policymakers, structured multi-level governance,

closer links with innovation policy initiatives and possible related financing, and support mechanisms

that connect and scale up vocational excellence initiatives at European, national, regional and local level.

MODERN TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS

Set-up a European Vocational Excellence Network in 2027 to help policy makers and other

stakeholders embed vocational excellence policies in national and regional VET systems in a

sustainable way. By facilitating links and synergies between national and regional level VET

reform initiatives and the Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence projects, it will help scale

up successful results and approaches.

2.2. Mobilising VET for strategic sectors and labour-market transitions

2.2.1. Closing the divide between innovation, vocational training and industry

Europe’s global competitiveness hinges on the speed with which research can be turned into

market-ready innovation. In many of the EU’s strategic sectors, companies – and particularly

small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – are hampered by a shortage of skilled personnel and by

limited access to cutting-edge technologies. This slows the commercialisation of breakthroughs,

weakens the resilience of supply chains and reduces the EU’s ability to lead in emerging fields. Closing

the gap between applied research, VET and industry is thus vital for Europe to preserve and boost its

status as a world-class innovator.

VET Business Partnerships can pool investment in equipment, technology transfer,

demonstrations and shared training facilities, to be jointly used by employers, including SMEs,

intermediary bodies, VET providers and applied research organisations. Based on identified needs,

the Commission will support the setup of VET Business Partnerships that offer training opportunities

on innovative equipment and practical work-based learning for apprentices, upskilling and reskilling of

workers and continuous development of their teachers and trainers’ skills. By fostering the link to

applied research and innovation, the partnerships can play a key role in developing new products and

processes and introduce innovation to the market in strategic sectors. For example, this support can help

deploy electrification technologies by transnational partnerships between companies and vocational

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schools to share equipment for training installers.23 VET-business partnerships will be complementary

to CoVEs which have a broader scope linked to VET systems and qualifications, and will build on the

existing Pact for Skills partnerships.

Creating local employment and skills ecosystems, including VET institutions responsive to regional

labour market needs, is essential to foster quality employment and innovation opportunities and to

address territorial disparities to ensure the right to stay. Particular attention should be given to sectors

with quality job creation potential in line with smart specialisation strategies.

CUTTING EDGE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

VET Business partnerships will offer joint state-of-the-art training facilities and training modules

developed with industry partners across value chains in strategic sectors such as AI and digital,

electrification and clean tech, health and biotech, agriculture or defence, accelerate technology

transfer and equip the (current and future) workforce with the relevant skills. The European

Competitiveness Fund (ECF), through activities in support of skills development in strategic

sectors, can support VET Business partnerships.

2.2.2 Joining forces with businesses to ease labour market transitions

Quality apprenticeships are a win-win for learners and employers. They equip young and adult

learners with entry into employment, practical expertise and the flexibility to upskill and reskill as

market conditions evolve, thereby enhancing their employability and career resilience. Their

contribution depends on structured learning, effective mentoring, recognised learning outcomes and fair

working conditions in an increasingly dynamic European labour market. Apprenticeships also represent

a key offer under the reinforced Youth Guarantee to facilitate young people’s entry into the labour

market. In addition, synergies will also be built with the EU Skills Guarantee which aims at supporting

workers in sectors undergoing restructuring, by providing reskilling, upskilling, on-the-job training and

support to companies in strategic sectors to recruit workers more quickly.

In a context where labour and skills shortages are tightening across many key sectors of the EU,

apprenticeships become an essential, long-term instrument for stabilising and expanding the workforce.

By linking education and training directly to the needs of the economy, they enable firms to react swiftly

to shifting demand, particularly in strategic and emerging sectors such as green technologies, digital and

data-driven services, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and health-care innovation.

Sectoral apprenticeship clusters can support employers, particularly SMEs, to share training capacity

and respond to changing skill needs, while strengthening the employability of young and adult

apprentices by equipping them with the skills required in the labour market.

These clusters will empower employers to collaborate on shared challenges, leverage new opportunities

for apprentices and deploy industry innovative best practices (for example in STEM apprenticeships).

In border regions, such cooperation can also support cross-border apprenticeships, allowing learners to

combine training in one Member State with work-based learning in a company in the neighbouring one.

WORK-BASED LEARNING

Establish, in 2027, sectoral apprenticeship clusters through the European Alliance for

Apprenticeships, bringing together employers, social partners, VET providers and apprentices.

The clusters will pool training capacity, strengthen mentoring and trainer development, and co-

create and test innovative approaches to apprenticeships for young people and adult learners.

Links with VET Business Partnerships will focus on access to shared equipment and training

23 Electrification Action Plan COM (2026) 595

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WORK-BASED LEARNING

modules. To acknowledge exceptional commitment, the Commission will honour the most

innovative sectoral partnerships, top-performing employers, and outstanding apprentices.

2.3. Open and connected European VET

2.3.1. Making learning mobility an integral part of VET

Learning mobility strengthens occupational, language, personal and citizenship skills. These skills

are needed for acquiring higher-level, specialised and future-oriented competences. Citizenship skills,

developed during mobilities through personal accountability and exposure to different cultures and

learning approaches, are critical for facilitating social inclusion and active participation in democratic

life. Employers also value the exchange of workplace practices and the greater openness to mobility at

a later stage, that a learning period abroad can create. The Council Recommendation ‘Europe on the

Move’ – learning mobility opportunities for everyone (13 May 2024) sets a European target of at least

12% of VET learners benefitting from learning mobility abroad by 2030. However, participation remains

well below this level, in particular due to limited funding in the current programming period. Demand

for VET learning mobility is nearly double the funding opportunities available.

The Recommendation identifies various barriers to learning mobility and how these can be removed,

for example related to quality, preparation (including foreign languages) and recognition of learning

periods abroad. Smaller VET providers and employers face particular difficulties, for example in

accessing funding, finding reliable partners and setting up and organising high-quality mobility

placements, while financial and social constraints, accessibility, administrative, recognition and

information barriers remain significant for learners (including apprentices) and staff. In order to ensure

the implementation of high-quality and impactful learning mobility, mobility activities therefore need

to be treated as an integral part of the learner pathway, with clear arrangements for preparation,

assessment, validation and follow-up24. This approach will be further strengthened through the

Erasmus+ programme, which has a key role in supporting mobility for VET learners and staff, and

cooperation and capacity building for VET organisations. In border regions, short and recurring cross-

border placements can complement longer mobility periods abroad and help prepare learners for a labour

market that extends across the border, thereby fostering the right to stay.

MOBILITY

Set up a dedicated EU marketplace for the mobility of VET learners and apprentices, combining

partner searches, support structures for providers and employers and stronger communication

and awareness-raising to support high-quality and inclusive learning mobility, and help remove

the (practical and systemic) barriers to mobility as identified in ‘Europe on the Move’.

The opening of the Commission’s Blue Book traineeship programme to VET graduates will also provide

new opportunities for VET graduates to gain professional experience within European institutions. This

initiative reflects the needs of public administration to enlarge the pool of talent in terms of vocational

profiles and promotes the parity of esteem with tertiary education graduates.

24 Learning mobility panel - Citizens’ Engagement Platform

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2.3.2. Preparing candidate countries for membership and the internal market

VET reform in candidate countries and potential candidates is an investment in the future

resilience and functioning of the EU. Preparation for the internal market requires qualifications that

are relevant to the labour market, robust quality assurance, effective and wide-spread work-based

learning, transparent skills and qualifications, and strong lifelong learning systems, in accordance with

EU practices and standards. High-quality, attractive and inclusive VET and flexible pathways

throughout the education and training systems also support youth employment, economic convergence

and the capacity to benefit from investment. Intensifying the integration of candidate countries and

potential candidates in the EU policy framework will be of crucial importance to allow a gradual

integration of these countries in the EU systems. The European Training Foundation (ETF) is

contributing to the progressive association of candidate countries and potential candidates with relevant

Union of Skills initiatives and VET cooperation framework.

ENLARGEMENT

Support VET modernisation through the accession process, including, where relevant, through

the Reform Plans and financial instruments as one of the elements for enlargement and economic

competitiveness. This includes, i) ETF’s support in the enlargement process related to education,

skills and labour market reforms, and in identifying priority reforms, technical assistance needs

and opportunities for participation in relevant EU VET initiatives; and ii) the mobilisation of the

TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) and Twinning instruments.

2.3.3. Mutually beneficial partnerships with partner countries

International VET cooperation can strengthen partner-country skills development while

supporting sustainable investment, resilient value chains and local job opportunities. The quality

and flexibility of VET delivery in non-EU partner countries increasingly impact European investment

and value chains, while the EU may also benefit from effective pathways for skilled talent in vocational

occupations. Strategic frameworks such as the Global Gateway, the Pact for the Mediterranean,

including the Mediterranean Youth Skills and Jobs initiative, and Talent Partnerships provide a basis for

more coherent and operational cooperation linked to labour-market needs of partner countries and the

EU and concrete local employment opportunities and investment needs.

Partnerships will create benefits on both sides. Skills intelligence, education and training, employer

participation, quality assurance, certification and employment services need to be integrated more into

strategic investment and reflect jointly assessed needs. When cooperation includes labour and talent

mobility it should further support local employment and training capacity, while assessing the risk of

depletion and providing fair recruitment safeguards. Cooperation on recognition of qualification should

take into account the proposal for a Directive on the recognition of qualifications of third country

nationals.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

A. Support VET delivery and local capacity building for jointly identified employment and

investments needs, including those supported through Global Gateway, and the Pact for the

Mediterranean’s Youth, Skills and Jobs Initiative. The Commission will work with partner

countries, employers and implementing partners to improve provider capacity and quality,

employer support, public-private partnerships, teachers and trainers, labour market needs

assessment and intermediation, quality assurance and pathways to local employment.

B. Connect VET cooperation with partner countries with Talent Partnerships, Legal Gateway

Offices and the EU Talent Pool, focusing onresponsible labour and talent mobility, while

reinforcing local training capacity, monitoring recruitment outcomes and effects on partner

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INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

country skills availability, taking into account the needs and engagement of EU employers and

EU Member States’ policies for skilled workers from partner countries.

C. Use the potential of the Erasmus+ programme international dimension to support cooperation

projects linking European and partner countries’ VET providers aiming to strengthen

learners’ employability and skills, enhance trainers’ competencies and better align vocational

training with global industry trends and labour market needs.

3. How we will make it happen – governance and funding

The implementation of this Strategy should remain centred on the needs of learners and

businesses, ensuring that VET offers attractive, high-quality and flexible learning pathways that

support successful transitions into the labour market and skills development throughout life. Its

delivery will build on the established European VET governance framework, involving Member States,

social partners, VET providers, businesses, learners and other relevant stakeholders. Existing structures,

including the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training and the European Skills High-Level Board

will support strategic dialogue, implementation and follow-up, with the support of Cedefop and ETF. The Commission will coordinate implementation of the strategy with the work on teachers and basic

skills, distinguishing support for VET under the Education and Skills Package.

Modern VET requires sustained and well-targeted public and private investment. National and

regional resources remain central. VET and skills needs should also be appropriately reflected in the

implementation of relevant EU funding instruments under the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial

Framework, in line with their respective objectives and without prejudging the outcome of the ongoing

negotiations: Erasmus+, National and Regional Partnerships Plans (NRP Plans), the European

Competitiveness Fund, the Global Europe instrument, and other relevant Union instruments can support

mobility, VET reforms, cooperation, provider capacity, combining investment in infrastructure with

teaching, mentoring and learner support as well as policy experimentation. In particular, among their

objectives, the NRP Plans will promote improving education and lifelong acquisition of skills and

specifically require Member States to support youth employment and vocational education and training.

Investment under shared management should be better aligned with identified sectoral, regional and

local needs. Sectoral co-financing is important where businesses benefit directly from shared training

capacity and equipment. Participation arrangements should remain proportionate to SME capacity and

allow pooling of resources through chambers or employer organisations.

Relevant VET reforms and investment will be guided by the annual Council Recommendation on

Human Capital and monitored through the European Semester, strengthening the link between European

priorities and national implementation. Monitoring will rely on analytical work conducted by Cedefop

and existing indicators and policy coordination frameworks. It will include the agreed 2030 objectives

for STEM participation and learning mobility.

4. Conclusion

VET has a key role to play in equipping people with the skills needed in a rapidly changing

economy and society, supporting Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, social and territorial

cohesion. Vocational professionals are essential to Europe’s strategic sectors, infrastructure and

essential services, while demographic change will require millions of workers to be replaced in the

coming decade. This Strategy provides a strategic framework to further strengthen the quality and agility

of VET, better mobilise its potential for strategic sectors and labour-market transitions, and create a

more open and connected European vocational education and training.

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Europe’s ambitions can only be achieved with highly skilled vocational professionals who build,

operate, maintain, care, produce and innovate. By combining quality with agility, national ownership

with European cooperation and investment and reforms with accountability, this Strategy aims to make

VET a first-choice pathway and a source of competitiveness, good-quality jobs and resilience. The

Commission invites the European Parliament, the Council, the Member States and social partners to

support the implementation of the Strategy and actively contribute to delivering its objectives.

List of actions

Action Year of the launch

1. European Sectoral Training Accelerator 2027

2a. Support the development of basic skills in VET through

quality assurance activities in the framework of the EQAVET

network.

2027

2b. Provide capacity-building support and evidence to

strengthen basic skills in VET through cooperation with the

OECD and the Council of Europe

2027

3. European Vocational Excellence Network 2027

4. VET Business Partnerships Preparatory work in 2027 –

ECF starts in 2028

5. Sectoral apprenticeship clusters 2027

6. EU marketplace for the mobility of VET learners and

apprentices 2028 (2027 – IT development)

7. Support VET modernisation in candidate countries From 2027 onwards

8a. Support VET delivery and local capacity building to

respond to evolving job opportunities and labour market

needs, including those supported through Global Gateway and

other strategic investment packages

Ongoing

8b. Connect mutually beneficial Talent Partnerships and

recruitment facilitated through the EU Talent Pool with VET

cooperation

Talent Partnerships – ongoing;

Talent Pool – as from end

2027/early 2028.

8c. Support international cooperation projects linking

European and partner countries’ VET providers with

Erasmus+

2028