Reshaping Vocational Education in Europe: The Way Ahead

Despite broad recognition of the social and economic importance of vocational education and training (VET) to countries’ development (as reflected in European education and cooperation policies over the past two decades, particularly since the Copenhagen Process was launched in 2002) this educational pathway has struggled, and continues to struggle, to achieve the same level of academic and social recognition and prestige as general secondary education. This has consequences for its attractiveness to families (e.g., Alves, 2019; European Commission, 2026a).

​

The Current Situation

​

Despite these longstanding challenges, data from the Special Eurobarometer survey released in 2026 (European Commission, 2026a) show that 85% of European citizens recognise the value of VET. Respondents generally consider that VET provides technical skills relevant to the labour market; 82% believe it leads to genuine employment opportunities, and 66% believe those opportunities offer adequate wages. This positive assessment is accompanied by a perception of quality: 73% of respondents believe that VET provides high-quality learning, supported by competent teaching staff (79%) and modern infrastructure (78%).

The same report shows that 66% of recent VET graduates have benefited from work-based learning (above the European target of 60%) and that 80.2% are employed, close to the target of 82%. CEDEFOP adds a particularly relevant indicator: the degree of alignment between acquired skills and job requirements often ranges between 70% and 80%, even when graduates work in roles outside their initial field of study (CEDEFOP, 2026a).

​

Between Social Recognition and System Responsiveness

​

The challenge facing VET today no longer lies primarily in securing social legitimacy, but rather in the system’s capacity to respond to labour-market demand. It is estimated that up to one-third of jobs for low-skilled workers will have disappeared by 2035 (CEDEFOP, 2026b), reinforcing the strategic importance of VET as policy priorities evolve. At European Union level, 22 occupations were identified in 2024 as experiencing shortages of skilled workers, particularly in metalworking, construction, the food industry, transport, healthcare and social work (CEDEFOP, 2026a). These shortages cannot be attributed solely to demographic change (notably ageing) or to a lack of skilled workers. According to the same source, contributing factors on the employers’ side include low wages (despite recognised differences between countries), demanding working conditions and inflexible recruitment practices. On the VET providers’ side, they include mismatches between curricula and actual sectoral labour-market needs, as well as difficulties linked to the low attractiveness of the teaching profession. The latter contributes to a cycle that is difficult to reverse: around 40% of VET teachers in the European Union are aged over 50, while difficulties in attracting and retaining new professionals undermine pedagogical development and innovation and, in turn, the system’s credibility among prospective learners.

​

Limitations and Challenges

 

The same survey that confirms society’s recognition of the value of VET also identifies some of its weaknesses. Around half of respondents believe that VET programmes do not adequately foster basic skills (namely literacy and digital literacy) or transversal skills, such as communication and critical thinking. In addition, 71% of respondents acknowledge gender stereotypes that limit the potential of VET, noting that young women are often encouraged to choose general education over technical pathways (European Commission, 2026a).

Rapid social change and evolving labour-market demands also pose challenges that VET providers will struggle to address without strategic changes developed in collaboration with businesses and employers, alongside greater curricular flexibility and continued teacher training. Continued investment and the expansion of measures are needed to enable VET to keep pace with rapid technological change, automation, the green and digital transitions, and the development of artificial intelligence. CEDEFOP data indicate that occupations associated with VET are, on average, less exposed to the risk of displacement by artificial intelligence than other occupations. This does not, however, remove the need to integrate digital and transferable skills into curricula as a prerequisite for future employability (CEDEFOP, 2026a).

 

A European Agenda Lacking Institutional Ownership

 

None of these challenges can be addressed in isolation at the level of individual Member States. The Herning Declaration (Ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training, 2025), signed in September 2025 by ministers from Member States, candidate countries and the European Economic Area, alongside European social partners, sets out thirteen objectives for the period 2026-2030. It provides a foundation for the future European VET strategy, announced under the Union of Skills; an overarching European Union strategy launched by the European Commission in March 2025 to better align education, training and employment policies with economic competitiveness. The Declaration introduces measurable targets and more detailed national actions, supported by strengthened monitoring mechanisms (CEDEFOP, 2025).

​

As part of the European Commission’s effort to support an evidence-based assessment and timely review of European cooperation in vocational education and training, two recent documents are particularly relevant: the Commission Report (COM(2026) 363 final) (European Commission, 2026b) and the Council Resolution (ST 11196/26) (Council of the European Union, 2026). The Report assesses the first five years (2020–2025) of implementation of the VET policies stemming from the Osnabrück Declaration, identifying both progress and remaining gaps. It highlights, for example, the urgent need to adapt curricula to artificial intelligence and the green transition, strengthen basic skills, and make the teaching profession more attractive.

​

The Council Resolution (ST 11196/26) formally endorses this assessment and updates the priorities of the European cooperation framework for the 2026–2030 cycle, organising them into six strategic priorities. These include the excellence and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) (Priority 5) and strengthening the teaching workforce (Priority 4). In doing so, the Resolution sets out the policy roadmap and objectives to be achieved by 2030, while integrating and reinforcing the political commitment to enhancing vocational education established in the 2025 Herning Declaration.

​

European VET policy, however, is not implemented primarily through direct regulation. Its effectiveness depends both on stakeholders being aware of and understanding the relevant policy framework, and on VET being recognised as a legitimate and socially valued education and training pathway. Social recognition is therefore not merely a by-product of education policy; it is one of the conditions for its effectiveness. Without such recognition, the goals set for 2030 risk remaining little more than statements of intent; with it, they can provide a meaningful foundation for a more competitive and cohesive Europe that is better able to sustain the transitions it seeks to achieve. A strategic framework is now in place, but its success will depend on broad societal commitment to its implementation.

 

Bibliography

Alves, J. (2019). Rever o passado, projetar o futuro. L. Orvalho, J. Alves, J. Azevedo (Coord.). 30 anos de Ensino Profissional: perscrutar as intencionalidades e perspetivar o futuro (pp. 21–23). Faculdade de Educação e Psicologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

CEDEFOP (2025). From Osnabrück to Herning: Ministers endorse ambitious VET Declaration. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news/osnabruck-herning-ministers-endorse-ambitious-vet-declaration

CEDEFOP (2026a). Vocational education and training (VET) occupations in shortage: From evidence to coordinated policy responses. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2801/6410696

CEDEFOP (2026b). Skill development and employment pathways for adults with low skill levels. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2801/4558680

Council of the European Union (2026). Council Resolution on the second cycle of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area (2026-2030) (Council Document ST 11196/2026/INIT). Official Journal of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3720/oj

European Commission (2026a). Attractiveness of vocational education and training – Report. Special Eurobarometer 569. https://doi.org/10.2767/1737362

European Commission (2026b). Report from the Commission to the Council on the implementation of the Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (COM(2026) 363 final). EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52026DC0363

Ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training (2025). Herning Declaration on attractive and inclusive Vocational Education and Training for increased competitiveness and quality jobs 2026-2030. European Union / Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU. https://danish-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/media/23xla4rt/herning-declaration-2025-english.pdf