European Vocational Teacher Survey (EVTS)

Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers are the driving force behind Europe's skilled workforce and thriving society. They equip learners with skills and knowledge essential for life and career success, and they lead the implementation of critical education reforms. Yet despite the significant demands of their role, their professional needs and daily challenges remain largely overlooked. It's time to change that.

As Europe's labour markets evolve rapidly, VET teachers need continuing professional development (CPD) to meet the growing demands of our digital, green, and inclusive society. The European Vocational Teacher Survey provides the evidence to make this happen.

Why EVTS matters

While everyone agrees that teacher professional development is crucial, we lack comparable evidence on its effectiveness, drivers and barriers across the EU. The EVTS aims to fill this gap by providing new evidence on the opportunities, experiences, challenges and other factors affecting the CPD of teachers working in initial VET schools, at ISCED level 3, across EU Member States.

For the first time, the data stemming from the EVTS will inform the evidence needed to design better policies—both at EU and national level—to support high-quality, accessible professional development for VET teachers.

Objectives of the EVTS

Five key questions driving our research:

✅Skills development: How do VET teachers across Europe improve their skills and grow professionally?
✅What works best: Which professional development activities are most effective?
✅Closing the gaps: What skills do VET teachers need, especially in digital, green, and inclusive education?
✅Job satisfaction: Are VET teachers happy with their schools, jobs and working conditions?
✅Career appeal: Is VET teaching attractive, and do teachers get adequate career support?

Survey focus areas

The survey covers key areas that shape modern VET education:

Teacher shortages and workload

Teachers in vocational schools are much more than instructors – they are also mentors, career advisors, administrators, and industry liaisons. But increasing workloads, particularly administrative tasks, can strain their capacity to teach and support learners.

Wellbeing of teachers and students

A healthy learning environment begins with wellbeing. Tight schedules, lack of support, and pressure to perform can impact both teacher and student mental health. EVTS seeks to understand these pain points and how to build supportive environments.

Professional and career development

Career development is not a luxury — it’s essential. EVTS explores how IVET teachers access training and development opportunities, and what barriers may stand in their way.

Access to resources

Passion for teaching must be matched with adequate resources. From digital infrastructure to learning materials, EVTS looks at whether schools are equipped to support effective vocational teaching and learning.

Methodology

Who we're surveying

Target group: Teachers in upper secondary VET schools (ISCED level 3)

Geographic scope: 23 EU Member States Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden

How we'll collect data:

Online surveys (primary method)
Telephone interviews
Virtual interviews
Total target: 14,000 teacher interviews

Quality assurance: Random two-stage sampling ensures representative results while protecting participant confidentiality.

Timeline

The survey will be conducted from mid-October 2025 to September 2026, with the first findings expected in 2027.

Stakeholders and partners

EVTS brings together key players from across Europe's education ecosystem, including national authorities, education providers and social partners. To support the planning and implementation of the EVTS, Cedefop has established an EVTS stakeholder group, composed of:

Representatives from the Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL);
Representatives from national authorities from participating EU Member States;
Members of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE);
Members of the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE);
Cedefop experts from the VET4Youth and Skills and Work teams;
The contracted research team Verian and its network of national VET experts.

Why stakeholders support EVTS

National governments: During our 2020-22 feasibility study, education ministries confirmed that EU-wide data will help them design better-informed policies for their countries and regions.
European Commission: EVTS addresses critical research gaps and directly supports key EU education initiatives, including the Osnabrück Declaration, the New Skills Agenda, and the Council Recommendation on VET.
Education social partners: ETUCE and EFEE see EVTS as providing unique insights into VET teaching attractiveness, school leadership, teacher wellbeing, and school-employer relationships.
VET providers: The European associations of VET providers (EURASHE, EVTA, EVBB, EfVET, EUProVET, EUCEN) strongly support the survey as it will provide evidence to improve their programmes and teacher support systems.

Get involved – Your voice counts

If your school is selected to take part in EVTS, we encourage you to participate. By sharing your experiences, you can help shape better policies to support teachers, improve schools, and strengthen vocational education across Europe.