Cedefop newsletter

Simultaneously, jobs that exist today may be automated tomorrow while entirely new roles emerge in renewable energy, artificial intelligence and sustainable manufacturing. Europe confronts a double challenge: fewer young workers entering a labour market demanding constantly evolving competencies.

Ensuring that young people become architects of this transformation is central to building a true Union of Skills — where individuals drive innovation, lead change and build tomorrow's resilient Europe. 

Adapting training to meet digital and demographic demands

This calls for more agile and responsive education and training systems that prepare young people to navigate complexity and change. Cedefop’s research shows the importance of investing in digital skills at all levels of education and training, helping learners build both technical knowledge and adaptive capacity for evolving workplaces.

Demographic pressures intensify this urgency. As workforces age and youth cohorts shrink, ensuring smooth school-to-work transitions becomes paramount. Europe's resilience depends on systems that anticipate the skill evolution and develop both job-specific expertise and broader competencies — including problem-solving, digital agility, and lifelong learning mindsets.

Shortages on the rise: where are the gaps?

Cedefop’s Skills Shortage Index and SkillsOVATE data point to severe shortages in STEM occupations, medical professions and health and care services. These sectors are central to the success of Europe’s green, digital and demographic transitions, but continue to face significant gaps in available talent.

The shortages extend beyond technical expertise. Employers are increasingly looking for staff with teamwork and systems thinking skills, empathy and a growth mindset — essential qualities for thriving amid constant change, particularly in green and digital contexts.

Supporting youth through skills intelligence and VET

Young people are entering a labour market shaped by rapid technological and social change and continuously evolving skills transitions. Their ability to find opportunities and to succeed in this evolving landscape will be vital to Europe’s social and economic resilience.

Cedefop's skills intelligence and vocational education and training (VET) work supports evidence-based reforms by tracking trends and anticipating future needs, providing essential evidence for inclusive, flexible and future-ready pathways. This includes targeted research on NEETs (young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Such analysis focuses on analysing the barriers they face and developing policy recommendations to re-engage disconnected youth through tailored VET pathways and second-chance opportunities.

National responses shaping the path forward

Aligned with the Reinforced Youth Guarantee, countries across the EU are introducing targeted measures to help young people transition into quality employment. Cedefop tracks such measures and analyses how and why they work in their national context. Examples include:

• Preventing early leaving: Flanders launched ESF-funded projects to identify and support at-risk VET students, guiding them into training or qualification pathways before they drop out.  
• Reforms towards flexibility: Czechia introduced a new lyceum pilot that blends general and vocational education, offering students more time to choose their path and easing transitions to higher education or work
• Raising the profile of VET to inspire young talent: Poland’s SkillsPoland competitions raise the profile of VET, engaging youth through national skills tournaments and strengthening links with employers and trainers.

Empowering youth means equipping them not just for jobs, but for active citizenship and lifelong adaptability. Skills intelligence provides evidence-based insight into the jobs and skills of today and tomorrow, guiding Europe to build skills anticipation and training ecosystems that anticipate change and unlock the next generation's potential. 

The implementation gap

Despite widespread adoption across European Member States, a stark disconnect persists between policy ambition and teaching practice. Cedefop's freshly published report "The influence of learning outcomes-based curricula on teaching practices"—culminating a comprehensive three-year study—reveals that while 87% of VET teachers understand learning outcomes and 72% report positive impacts on their teaching, genuine transformation remains elusive.

Among the challenges that need to be addressed:

Teacher preparedness: Insufficient training at institutional and national levels leaves educators struggling to implement learning outcomes effectively. Clear definitions remain absent, and restrictive interpretations stifle classroom innovation.

Classroom reality check: National policies champion learning outcomes, yet classroom practice shows minimal real-world impact. Teachers possess autonomy in methodology but lack the support structure to align with labour market demands.

Communication breakdown: Language barriers and varied interpretations across member states create fragmented implementation, hindering knowledge sharing and best practice dissemination.

The path forward

At Cedefop's recent conference, drawing 300 participants from 55 countries, experts, stakeholders and participants agreed on a clear mandate for change, which demands three fundamental shifts:

1. Align policy with practice: Bridge the gap between education policy, teacher training, and classroom implementation through coherent, evidence-based strategies.
2. Strengthen professional capacity: Embed learning outcomes throughout the teacher education continuum, supported by competitive salaries, attractive working conditions, and relevant continuing professional development.
3. Ensure flexible implementation: Learning outcomes must remain adaptable to diverse contexts while providing clear guidance for teaching and learning.

Political imperative

This is not merely an educational challenge—it's an economic necessity. Europe's competitiveness depends on VET systems that produce skilled workers aligned with labour market needs. Political commitment must drive reform processes, ensuring VET systems integrate seamlessly with learning outcomes frameworks.

The success formula is clear: shared vision among policymakers, social partners, and educational stakeholders will foster coherent strategies and sustainable resource allocation.

Cedefop will continue driving this transformation through targeted research on company-based training and assessment practices. An online repository for learning outcomes design and application will support stakeholders across Europe.

The message is unambiguous: learning outcomes must evolve from policy statements to practical tools that genuinely benefit learners. Europe's VET future depends on making this transition—and the time for action is now.

Video recordings of the conference are available online.

The Union of Skills and EU Talent Pool initiatives both highlight the need to build a workforce ready to move, adapt and contribute across borders and sectors, underpinned by the EU commitment to building cross-border mobility and skills recognition.

Europe’s VET systems have traditionally been rooted in national priorities and shaped by local labour market needs. Yet in today’s interconnected world, that approach is no longer sustainable, and countries are increasingly aware of it. Internationalisation modernises VET, aligning training with global standards, opening opportunities for learners and supporting businesses in a globalised economy.

Member States in the frontline

Several countries across the EU are already embedding internationalisation into their national strategies. Croatia, Latvia and Austria are integrating internationalisation into their national education strategies. These efforts raise the visibility of European VET and boost the ability of EU companies to attract skilled workers.  

International competitions like WorldSkills and EuroSkills raise the profile of vocational pathways by showcasing VET excellence, while national competitions like SkillsPoland align VET more closely with labour market needs, promoting excellence while actively involving employers in training future talent.

“The WorldSkills and EuroSkills competitions put a powerful spotlight on vocational education and training and the importance of skills in Croatia. We not only celebrate the achievements of our competitors, but also use the high standards of these international competitions to continuously innovate and improve our own national skills competitions and VET System” — Nino Buić, ReferNet Coordinator, Croatia

“In Poland, VET is sometimes considered a second choice, but these competitions demonstrate that it is a smart, modern path with real potential. Preparing for these events requires considerable time and effort, as well as strong cooperation between students, teachers, schools and industry. But it’s worth it” —Jerzy Bielecki, ReferNet Coordinator, Poland

Germany’s international cooperation strategy, operational since 2013 and updated in 2019,  offers a strong example of how internationalisation can serve both national skills development and global engagement. Designed to promote excellence within the country while supporting German businesses and VET providers abroad, it stands out for its structured, long-term commitment. As part of this strategy, the following have been established:

• the Federal Government's Central Agency for International Vocational Training Cooperation (GOVET), which is the Federal Government’s central coordination office;
• the Round Table for International Vocational Training Cooperation, managed by GOVET, where Federal ministries, implementation bodies, federal states, chamber organisations, and the social partners regularly exchange information and coordinate their activities;
• iMOVE (International Marketing of VET), a networking platform initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. iMOVE informs interested parties around the world about German competence in the field of vocational training and continuing education, along with ‘made in Germany’ qualifying opportunities. With regard to skills mobility, iMOVE also offers information on networking possibilities between German business associations and internationally active German training providers.

Together, these instruments promote a strategic, demand-oriented and cooperative approach to international VET engagement

“Germany is internationally recognised for its strong vocational education and outstanding craftsmanship – but to keep this tradition alive, we must actively promote and develop it” — Ute Hippach-Schneider, ReferNet Germany.
 

The EU is transforming this challenge into opportunity by making mobility easier, careers more flexible and qualifications more transparent, moving closer to the Union of Skills. 

At the heart of this ambition lies the goal of unlocking the full potential of the single market by fostering seamless connections between Europe's diverse talent pools. This includes modernising recognition practices to better reflect how people actually learn, i.e. through formal, informal and non-formal means. Skills acquired on the job, through vocational training or non-traditional learning pathways, should be validated and trusted across Member States.

Building the infrastructure for a skills Schengen  

Achieving this seamless skills mobility requires both digital infrastructure and policy alignment. To make this vision a reality, the EU is building on existing transparency tools and frameworks — such as EQF, Europass and ESCO — to create a common language for skills and qualifications. In parallel, the Skills Portability Initiative aims to enable both workers and employers to navigate recognition systems more efficiently, while a new framework for the automatic recognition of study periods and qualifications is being developed to facilitate mobility for learners and workers alike.

Central to this European transformation is Cedefop's role in building the evidence base and facilitating dialogue needed to make skills recognition truly borderless.

Advancing European skills recognition

Cedefop is driving progress on skills recognition through its work on comparing and recognising vocational education and training (VET) qualifications and strategic convening. Drawing on ReferNet survey insights and expert interviews across Member States, Cedefop's recent working paper identified key practices and challenges in VET qualification recognition, highlighting needs for consistent methodologies, enhanced EU-level guidance, and better alignment between occupational profiles and learning outcomes.

Building on this research foundation, Cedefop convened over 100 experts from EU institutions, national authorities, employers and trade unions at a recent virtual workshop to forge a more coherent European approach to recognition. The workshop identified three essential pillars for creating Europe's skills Schengen:

• Common criteria development: defining shared standards for comparing qualifications based on learning outcomes, levels, and quality
• Digital innovation acceleration: enhancing citizen and employer access to EU transparency tools through AI and digital solutions that boost visibility and practical application
• Non-regulated profession pathways: establishing clearer recognition routes for VET qualifications in high-demand, non-regulated professions

These technical advances must be underpinned by stronger institutional and cross-country cooperation and clear EU guidelines to help systems converge while respecting national diversity.

As the EU moves forward with the Union of Skills and its vision of the free circulation of skills and qualifications, Cedefop will continue to provide the research foundation and convening platform essential for this transformation, ensuring that Europe's diverse learning landscape is recognised and valued across all borders. 

In the early 2000s, fragmented CV formats and limited transparency in qualifications made cross-border mobility difficult for learners and workers. Twenty years ago, the 2004 Europass Decision and later in 2018 its updated version addressed these barriers by establishing a common framework to communicate skills when looking for jobs and training.

Launched in 2005, Europass was one of the first EU tools designed with citizens in mind. Its widely used CV, Diploma Supplement, and Certificate Supplement improved the comparability of learning outcomes and supported recognition and mobility across borders.

Cedefop's legacy

From its early steps to its digital transformation, Cedefop has been Europass's strategic architect, shaping one of the EU's most recognisable skills mobility tools. Cedefop developed the early Europass documents, managed the first multilingual portal, coordinated National Europass Centre networks, and aligned the platform with crucial EU transparency frameworks—EQF, ESCO, and EURES.

"Cedefop's long-standing support for Europass reflects our core mission: helping people and systems understand and value skills. Europass continues to embody that spirit at European scale" — Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of Cedefop

After the Europass portal moved under the direct management of the European Commission in 2020, Cedefop has maintained its role as a trusted partner supporting developments in guidance, validation, digital credentials and the European Learning Model, as well as by co-developing guidelines for describing qualifications using short learning outcomes in cooperation with Member States and stakeholders.

Digital Transformation 
The 2020 relaunch transformed Europass into a comprehensive digital platform offering personal e-profiles, secure verifiable digital credentials, integration with ESCO and EURES, and real-time labour market intelligence. As the official EQF portal, Europass now provides access to nationally published qualifications whilst facilitating digital credential sharing through the European Digital Credentials for Learning infrastructure.

This transformation has delivered remarkable results:
•    8.2 million total accounts with 1.5 million created annually
•    119 million platform visits overall
•    20 million visits per year on average
•    3.6 million CVs downloaded in the first half of 2025
•    The majority of users are under age 30
•    Strong uptake through Erasmus and mobility programmes

Recent Cedefop research highlights Europass's role in increasing qualification transferability and fostering cross-system understanding, contributing to the European Skills Agenda and the Union of Skills initiative.

Looking Ahead
Twenty years on, Europass has evolved into a dynamic platform aligned with EU priorities on lifelong learning, inclusion, and the green and digital transitions. More than a CV builder, it's a comprehensive ecosystem that strengthens Europe's integrated labour market by enabling flexible pathways and better recognition.
As Cedefop celebrates its 50th anniversary, its commitment to valuing skills, increasing their visibility and mobility remains central to empowering Europeans to learn, work and grow with greater opportunity and recognition across a continent where skills and talent know no borders.

Cedefop's latest Timeline of VET policies tracks this infrastructure modernisation, showing how countries move from policy to practice, investing and integrating cutting-edge digital and green intelligence and technologies to prepare learners for tomorrow's economy.

Clean: building tomorrow's green workforce
Ireland leads the charge with its ambitious National Further Education & Training (FET) Strategy, launched in 2024 as the country's first comprehensive FET framework for climate neutrality. The strategy integrates green competencies across all training programs while retrofitting infrastructure at 16 Education and Training Boards to slash emissions by half within six years.
Denmark takes a more targeted approach, establishing three specialised Climate VET institutions. The Rybners technical school focuses on wind and solar energy, while Herningsholm tackles climate-friendly agriculture and sustainable construction. Technical Education Copenhagen rounds out the trio with green transport and logistics programmes, all backed by substantial funding for cutting-edge facilities and teacher training.
Meanwhile, Estonia's innovative ‘Green Morning’ (Rohehommik) sessions, create a Baltic-Nordic knowledge network, bringing together stakeholders from Ireland to Romania for monthly best-practice exchanges. This collaborative model demonstrates how smaller member states can leverage strategic partnerships to amplify their impact.
Slovenia's dual-project approach yielded concrete results: 15 pilot schools became 'sustainable institutions' under the Climate Goals program, while the Care for Climate initiative developed 34 sector-specific sustainability frameworks now being integrated into national VET standards.

Competitive: filling the skills gap
The numbers are stark — Denmark faces a 70,000 skilled worker shortage by 2030. The country's response? A €67.1 million investment through the 'Prepared for the Future IV' agreement', modernising VET infrastructure in food, agriculture, construction, and transport sectors while funding international exchanges to expose students to European best practices.
Slovenia mirrors this approach under its national recovery plan, targeting health, social care, and sustainable manufacturing — sectors crucial for post-pandemic economic resilience.

Circular: closing the loop
The Netherlands exemplifies the circular economy approach, embedding waste reduction and resource efficiency into VET curricula as part of its National Programme for Circular Economy 2023-30. The Dutch aim high: training 1 million ICT professionals by 2030 with sustainable digital skills while reducing educational infrastructure emissions by 60%.
Crucially, the Netherlands also addresses gender imbalance, actively encouraging women into engineering and STEM fields, recognising that diversity drives innovation in green sectors.

The bigger picture
These initiatives reflect a broader strategic shift. VET systems, traditionally seen as secondary pathways, are emerging as primary vehicles for Europe's twin green and digital transitions. By integrating sustainability across curricula while modernising infrastructure, member states are creating a competitive advantage that addresses both climate goals and economic resilience.
The success of these programs will largely determine whether Europe can meet its 2030 climate targets while maintaining industrial competitiveness, making VET reform one of the EU's most critical policy challenges.
 

                                                                                 Check out the session!

The AI Revolution: futuristic approaches to AI literacy, data

Carsaniga offered a forward-looking view of the Commission’s approach to AI literacy, grounded in its AI Act and supported by initiatives like the AI Pact and a new repository of best practices and learning tools.

“We want to make AI accessible—not just to coders or engineers, but to every citizen navigating the digital world. ”

Empowering people to understand and interact with AI systems responsibly, she argued, is essential to strengthening public trust and democracy.

Cedefop’s Pouliakas brought robust data to the table from the AI Skills survey – a follow-up module to the Agency’s second European Skills and Jobs Survey (ESJS2)—a pioneering study offering a comprehensive look at how many EU workers are using AI technologies as part of their job and how AI is reshaping jobs and training demands across the EU.

“The data shows that AI use is gaining ground in Europe and that it is more about redefining jobs rather than replacing them”, Pouliakas said.

According to the survey, around 1 in 3 European workers is already using or interacting with AI-enabled tools at their workplace. And even though 4 in 10 workers acknowledge the need to further develop their AI skillset, only about 15% have received any AI-related training. This gap is even wider for low- and middle-skilled workers, older workers and females, threatening to deepen inequality unless addressed through targeted, inclusive upskilling efforts.

More than skills: addressing emerging challenges around AI

What’s emerging is an “AI divide,” that is reinforcing pre-existing digital inequalities, with some Northern European countries and high-skilled professionals gaining ground while others risk being left behind. Pouliakas called for modernising vocational education and training (VET) systems to integrate AI-related skills into cross-sectoral curricula, combining technical, ethical, social and adaptive competences. Both speakers agreed:

"Preparing Europe’s workforce for AI isn’t just about boosting digital skills".

On the one hand, digital skills must become truly transversal - enhancing a broader mix of technological, business, and social competences. On the other, it’s about (re)-designing future-ready jobs, embedding learning in the flow of work, and ensuring that AI serves as a tool for empowerment, not exclusion.

With data in hand and policy moving forward, Europe’s real test now is turning ambition into action. The opportunity is huge: to lead globally in shaping an AI-powered future with high EU competitiveness that is anchored in human dignity, inclusion, and shared prosperity. But the cost of missing this moment would be equally great—widening inequalities, eroding trust in technology, and leaving too many behind in a fast-moving digital economy. The choices made today will define whether Europe’s AI revolution becomes a story of shared progress—or of growing divides.