On-going

The project on VET excellence and inclusion, covering the 27 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway and the UK, will support policy makers and stakeholders in strengthening the overall relevance and quality of European vocational education and training in 21st century.

The project provides a better understanding of the role microcredentials play in supporting labour market-related and employment-relevant education, training and learning. The first phase of the project (2020-23)   offered new knowledge about the characteristics of microcredentials, their added value for individual learners and employees, as well as their impact on existing qualifications and recognition systems. The current research phase (2025-27) is looking at microcredentials emerging outside formal education and training systems, focusing on specific labour market sectors and independent initiatives of companies and professional bodies. 

The Future of vocational education and training (VET) project, covering the 27 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway and the UK, will contribute to a better overall understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing European VET in the coming years.

The project aims to find the link between the comparison and recognition of VET qualifications and learning outcomes, clarify difficulties in this process, analyse the tools used and propose solutions. The project builds on previous Cedefop work on comparing qualifications and is closely linked to the ongoing project on the transparency and transferability of learning outcomes, as well as the projects related to the EQF and NQFs. 

Cedefop’s European Skills Index (ESI) measures the performance of national skills systems using a composite indicator approach. ESI monitors countries’ performance over time and provides insights into possible improvement areas. ESI delivers evidence that supports the EU policy framework for VET and skills, in particular the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European  Skills Agenda.

The overall aim of the project is to expand protection and solution opportunities through complementary pathways of admission to Europe and legal intra-EU mobility. For this purpose, the project will design a VET, skills and qualifications supported complementary pathway mechanism; such a mechanism takes from the beginning VET, skills and qualifications into account as a way to support legal mobility of refugees and has the potential of increasing labour market integration possibilities in the medium to long run.

Purely occupation-specific skills are not enough for vocational education and training (VET) learners to adapt to new life situations and career shifts, manage change, take initiative and risk, innovate, and engage in further learning; they also require key competences.

Cedefop’s “AI futures of work” project analyses how fast advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies are affecting skill demands and fostering skill mismatches in EU labour markets. It also examines digitalisations’ implications for new forms of work and learning, such as platform, gig, remote or other types of hybrid work. The insights of the project aim to inform policy regarding the future of vocational education and training and how to achieve the EU digital transition ambitions.

In today’s dynamic labour market, understanding employers’ requirements is crucial for shaping responsive skills formation systems and plays a key role in helping people make well-informed career and training choices. Such information can also vitally contribute to strengthening employment services, facilitate the work of guidance counsellors to assess individual training needs, and support training providers in adapting curricula and training programmes. Policy-makers can benefit from up-to-date insights into current and emerging skill needs and new jobs being created, helping them shape forward-looking employment and skills policies.

The European Company Survey explores the strategies deployed by companies to meet their skill needs, through recruitment, HR development practices and work organisation; with special emphasis will be put on the impact of digitalisation.

The European skills and jobs survey (ESJS) is Cedefop’s own periodic EU-wide survey aimed at collecting information on the skill requirements, skill mismatches and initial and continuing learning of adult workers in EU labour markets.

In 2016 Cedefop launched its first ever opinion survey aimed at investigating European citizens’ opinions on Vocational Education and Training (VET). A total of 35,646 interviews were conducted among the citizens of the Member States. The survey provides unprecedented data on European’s opinions on awareness, attractiveness and effectiveness of vocational education and training in Europe.

To support development of learning at work in Europe there is a need to increase awareness of training and adult learning’s positive impact on enterprise innovation and competitiveness.

The IVET mobility scoreboard is a tool for monitoring developments in IVET mobility policies and the implementation of the 2011 Council recommendation 'Youth on the move' in European countries.