Inclusive participation in CVET

As Head of Department from 2004 to 2014 in Cedefop, she managed teams of experts working in European VET policy analysis, adult and work-based learning, with specific focus on apprenticeship-type learning and the European tools for recognition and transparency of qualifications, such as the European qualifications framework.

She holds a university degree in Economics and a master in Economics, politics and law of the European Union. Her mother tongue is Italian (born in Perugia) and she is fluent in English, French, Greek and Spanish.

Her team works with Member States, social partners and other stakeholders to help adults across Europe upgrade their skills, and make skills and qualifications more easily understood across borders.

The European Skills agenda includes the flagship initiative ‘Pact for skills’ and a proposal on individual learning accounts – both aiming to open up upskilling and reskilling opportunities for adults.

Alison is also responsible for one of the EU’s best-known tools supporting learning and working across borders, the European qualifications framework.

Cynthia was previously responsible for research activities in the area of social inclusion at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, participating in a working group and studies in civic competence, early school leaving and young people’s career aspirations, and later conducted project work on school leadership in Europe. She holds a BA in Sociology and an MA in International and comparative education.

She gained extensive experience teaching adults, as well as working in projects on intensifying digital learning in Slovenia to increase the quality and accessibility for adult learners.

The Institute of Republic of Slovenia for Vocational Education and Training and the National Education Institute of Slovenia are among the institutions she has collaborated with.

She holds master degrees in Economics from the University of Gdańsk, Poland and the University of Exeter, UK.

He attended Keele University in the UK and holds a PhD in Industrial relations and human resource management, focusing on a comparative study of the demand for EU migrant workers in Sweden and the UK. He also holds an MA in European industrial relations and human resource management, and a BA in Human geography and human resource management.

Prior to joining Cedefop, in 2010, he was Head of Research and Studies at the public services authority of the Municipality of Rome.

Until 2007, he was Head of Area at CLES, an independent centre of studies on labour market and economic development based in Rome. In this capacity, he coordinated several key projects of the organisation, including monitoring and evaluation of large-scale EU-funded programmes, research projects on the green economy, job and enterprise creation, labour market analysis and skills development.

In 1998 he became a civil servant in the European Commission, where he worked in the policy fields of enterprise, higher education, and vocational education and training, before moving to skills and qualifications, his present focus. In DG Enterprise he drafted the first EU funding guide for the tourism sector. In DG Education and Culture he worked for the Tempus programme in eastern Europe, and for the Leonardo da Vinci programme, coordinating the work of national agencies.

Today, in charge of the Blueprint for sectoral cooperation on skills and working in the Pact for skills team, he is at the interface between the skills and qualifications unit in DG Employment and sectoral units in other DGs in the Commission.

She represents the European trade unions in several bodies and groups of the European Commission and agencies, such as the Cedefop Management Board, ACVT, DGVT, EQF, and EQAVET.

Lidia holds a bachelor degree in Political science and a master degree in EU economics and politics, both from the University of Bologna in Italy; she also studied in Australia at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney.

Prior to Cedefop Lidia worked for five years as a research officer in Eurofound, the European Union agency for the improvement of living and working conditions, where she contributed to designing, initiating and carrying out research and comparative analysis in the field of youth employment policies.

Before joining Cedefop, Jürgen served for more than 20 years as an HR manager with global governance or business-partner responsibilities at Siemens.

Jürgen earned his MSc in Economics at the University of Hamburg, and a PhD in Business administration from the University of Vienna.

Ernesto has served in different committees and working groups of the European Commission, the OECD, and UNESCO. He holds a PhD in International and comparative education from Stockholm University and he is on the editorial board of the European Journal of Education

During the 2021 Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, he serves as Chair of the Education Committee and the Working Party on Sport.

Among his many roles in the past in relation to EU affairs, he was also Adviser to the Minister for Education, Science and Sport in 2016 and 2017, advising the Minister and State Secretary in the areas of higher education, research and innovation, as well as EU cohesion policy.