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National implementation of 2020 Council Recommendation strengthening the attractiveness of VET monitored by CEDEFOP

In response to the 2020 Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience, along with the Osnabrück Declaration, EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland have launched national initiatives to align VET and skills with the evolving world of work. 

Cedefop’s recent ReferNet thematic perspectives “Implementing European priorities in VET: making national VET agile, flexible, innovative, attractive, inclusive and quality-assured” provide an overview of how countries – 25 EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland – have moved from planning and design to the implementation phase, highlighting key measures taken in 2023. 

Some of the common trends captured across European countries, include:

  • Aligning VET with labour market needs: countries have increasingly tailored VET curricula to meet workforce demands, supporting individuals’ learning pathways and lifelong learning opportunities.
  • Curriculum reforms and modernisation: many countries have updated and introduced new VET programmes incorporating emerging technologies and green and digital skills.
  • Expanding work-based learning: strengthening apprenticeships and other work-based learning models is seen as crucial for bridging education and employment.
  • Flexible and modular learning: more countries are implementing micro-credentials, modular training programs, and recognition of prior learning to enhance learning flexibility. 
  • Investing in VET infrastructure and advocacy: governments are modernising VET facilities, promoting VET careers through success stories, and encouraging participation in national and international skills competitions.

More information on CEDEFOP’s monitoring of the national implementation of 2020 Council Recommendation strengthening the attractiveness of VET available here.

The ReferNet thematic perspectives “Implementing European priorities in VET: making national VET agile, flexible, innovative, attractive, inclusive and quality-assured” is available here.