- 2015Design
- 2016Pilot
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The general objective of recent reforms to the National strategy for competences/skills is to provide a comprehensive approach to the national system for 'creating, activating and updating' skills for better lives and jobs. This goal raised the awareness of national stakeholders. Another contribution was a national survey promoted by OECD in 2016/17 with the support of the European Commission, which led to the adoption of a skills strategy diagnostic report highlighting areas for medium- to long-term improvements and identifying key challenges for the country. The report drew on data, analysis and suggestions from Government, and from broad consultation with national stakeholders from the labour market and entrepreneurship representatives.
The country has introduced a series of ambitious reforms to improve the transitions from school to work and from work to work, highlighting the potential and the capacity of the school and VET system to respond to the labour market high speed demand of skills. However, a more progressive and effective approach to implementing the reforms, especially in digitalisation, is needed.
Objectives
Given the results of the analysis, the overall objective of recent policy developments are:
- to provide alignment between skills demand and supply;
- to strengthen skills supply either in the education and training system, improving school-work transitions, or in the labour market, improving continuous training of the workforce, with a view to preventing exclusion from the labour market;
- to implement investments in innovative assets for the skills supply chain, such as 'digitalisation';
- to boost a high, demand-driven approach that can support the outbreak of the low-skill equilibrium data on skills mismatch demonstrated in the last decade.
Description
A National strategy for competences/skills has been launched based on the education and training (Good school) and labour (Jobs Act) reforms. Both reforms aim to improve the competences of young people and adults, including NEETs, and to provide new competences for the (long-term) unemployed and employees. The strategy also links skills with the labour market demand. As a result of the National strategy for competences/skills, cognitive (including basic skills), professional and particularly 'soft skills', have been promoted through the introduction of a national model of 'dual' education and training in 2015. This was achieved by means of reinforced and compulsory work-school alternation schemes and through apprenticeship schemes linked to quality learning pathways leading to the acquisition of qualifications from EQF levels 3 to 8 of the education and training system.
Decree 81/2015 provides the opportunity of benefiting from apprenticeships in IVET systems in order to develop the skills of young people (Article 46, type 1 apprenticeship), so contributing to the implementation of the policy.
For the labour market, the Jobs Act, besides the introduction of a unique framework for a single contract with increasing employment protection (contratto a tutele crescenti), created the a National Agency for Active Labour Market Policies (ANPAL- Agenzia Nazionale per le Politiche Attive), and introduced an important shift from...
A National strategy for competences/skills has been launched based on the education and training (Good school) and labour (Jobs Act) reforms. Both reforms aim to improve the competences of young people and adults, including NEETs, and to provide new competences for the (long-term) unemployed and employees. The strategy also links skills with the labour market demand. As a result of the National strategy for competences/skills, cognitive (including basic skills), professional and particularly 'soft skills', have been promoted through the introduction of a national model of 'dual' education and training in 2015. This was achieved by means of reinforced and compulsory work-school alternation schemes and through apprenticeship schemes linked to quality learning pathways leading to the acquisition of qualifications from EQF levels 3 to 8 of the education and training system.
Decree 81/2015 provides the opportunity of benefiting from apprenticeships in IVET systems in order to develop the skills of young people (Article 46, type 1 apprenticeship), so contributing to the implementation of the policy.
For the labour market, the Jobs Act, besides the introduction of a unique framework for a single contract with increasing employment protection (contratto a tutele crescenti), created the a National Agency for Active Labour Market Policies (ANPAL- Agenzia Nazionale per le Politiche Attive), and introduced an important shift from passive towards active labour market policies, strengthening the welfare system (unemployment benefits and the so-called citizens' subsidy, reddito di cittadinanza) and providing the definition of activation measures in the labour market, personalised and customised by target groups. To complement this national involvement, the implementation of the 'upskilling pathways' recommendation led in 2018 to the adoption of shared national strategy. This provided reform of adult learning, reinforcement of national and local networks for lifelong learning, and adoption of the national qualification framework (NQF) (supporting guidance and validation with the aim of maximising the validation of prior learning). The combination of these measures, in a unique governance framework, multilevel (State-region) and multiple actor (VET providers, schools, companies and districts of local developments) might improve the country's readiness in promoting quick reaction to changing paradigm in education and learning processes, along with better reallocation of workers in the labour market in sectors that may demonstrate structural industrial crisis in the present and future time.
In 2015, a series of reforms (in terms of legislative framework but also operational) began:
- Reform of the school system the Good school;
- Jobs Act;
- reform of apprenticeship contract regulatory framework;
- establishment of the National Agency for Active Labour policies (ANPAL).
The OECD and EU National skills strategy Italy was launched.
In 2017, OECD finalised the Italian diagnostic report.
In 2018, the re-design of adult learning in accordance with the suggestions included in the Upskilling pathways recommendation began.
In 2019, the opportunity to consolidate the dual system was presented by:
- putting into the system pilot phase results of dual education schemes in VET and schools;
- providing structural resources, in terms of benefits and tax reliefs, for companies hiring young apprentices or students in a work-school alternance scheme;
- widening the inventories (regional and national) of VET;
- redefining VET curricula valorising competences acquired in the workplace.
Also in 2019, a national upskilling strategy was adopted relevant to the Upskilling pathways Recommendation. The strategy includes a renewed governance framework within the National lifelong learning network, the launch of adult learning centres at local and at provincial levels, the consolidation of national guidelines for the accreditation of prior learning and the validation of non-formal and informal learning.
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic in March 2020, a New skills fund (Fondo nuove competenze), was launched with the aim of recovering the wide disruption of jobs, positions and opportunities in the professional sectors, linked with the economic crisis of entire parts and branches of national and international economies (including tourism, civil aviation, food and hospitality). This fund supports transitions in the workplace and helps avoiding a massive loss of jobs due to the crisis. The fund was created within the annual budget law (as per article 88 of law Decree No 34 of 19 May 2020) and implemented through inter-ministerial decrees adopted between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. For 2020, the financial resources, amounted to EUR 700 million, and were allocated either from the State budget or from the ESF Operational programme 2014-20 (SPAO). The New skills fund aims to provide financial support for up-re-skilling employees whose working time (shift) was reduced because of the crisis.
In 2021 the following policies were launched:
- National strategic plan for the development of skills of the adult population, outlining a strategic framework for European and national planning for 2021-27, in fulfilment of the Italian strategy for adult skills, launched with Law 92 of 2012, and according to the guidelines of the European recommendation on Upskilling pathways in 2016;
- the New skills plan (PNC), which is developed in line with the National strategic plan. It defines a strategic coordination framework for upskilling and reskilling pathways in order to face the new skills needs created by the digital and ecological transitions as well as dealing with the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, as defined in the National recovery and resilience plan (PNRR) reform and investment initiatives of Mission 5, component 1;
- the Employability guarantee reform programme (GOL), as a pivot of the active employment policies reform action. Related to this reform programme, are PNC's measures that are directed to the vocational training beneficiaries of the GOL. These measures will be funded jointly with the Exceptional plan for strengthening public employment services, largely financed from the State budget (this plan also becomes part of the PNRR). The GOL programme was adopted in November 2021 by an interministerial decree. EUR 4.4 billion were earmarked for GOL plus EUR 600 million for strengthening the Job Centres and EUR 600 million for strengthening the dual system (these funds are earmarked up to 2025).
- the dual system (SD) investment programme, promotes new skills for young people. It favours matching between the education and training system and the labour market through the strengthening of alternation measures, in particular the dual training contract.
For the first year of GOL, EUR 880 million were allocated, of which EUR 120 million was reserved for the dual system.
In the fourth path of the GOL Programme, particular attention is paid to vulnerable (in terms of having difficulties accessing the labour market) target groups (e.g,. disadvantaged people in need of targeted education/training support, people in need of economic and social support people without an income, low qualified people, people who live in remote areas with limited access to education and working opportunities, and people who belong to disadvantaged groups or minorities). At the same time, in GOL's path five, particular attention is paid to those employees who are more likely to lose their jobs and need to be involved in up and/or re-skilling activities.
Since March 2021, the initiatives planned in the New skills fund (for 2021) were implemented. Additional funding of EUR 800 million was decided for 2022, totalling EUR 1.5 billion since the fund was launched.
In 2022, paths one, two, three and four of the GOL programme started being implemented. As a result, a process of coordination and data sharing between the State and the Regions and the PP Register AA (this is a register containing the addresses of certified electronic emails of public administrations pursuant to legislative Decree 179/2012) began aiming to standardise services and improve their quality as the GOL programme envisages. More specifically:
- the Regional implementation programmes (PAR) were approved;
- the operational/legislative documentation of the GOL Programme (Acts, Decrees, Notes) was issued. This framework defines some of the characteristics of the provided services (in particular the Assessment, training and specialist orientation), the Essential Performance Levels (LEP) of the programme and the related standard costs;
- the rules for achieving the 2022 targets were defined and shared with the competent authorities;
- the activities planned for the period were launched (and the relevant programme monitoring documentation assessed that that objectives were achieved)
In 2022, additional functions were taken over by the New skills fund (i.e. to manage skills needs relevant to the digital and green transitions to which the industrial transition was added).
In these terms, the additional functions aim to enhance the skills of employees, as identified within the framework of various international classifications (e.g., for the digital transition, reference is made to DigComp 2.1 for basic digital skills and to the e-Competence Framework 3.0 for specialised skills. For the green transition, the point of reference is the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations - ESCO classification).
The intent is to use skills upgrading and retraining as a lever of development, supporting the active role of companies and workers' representatives in defining the skills gaps and the consequent design of interventions in conjunction with training agencies, reducing the risks for workers related to the processes of change taking place. In addition, it is aimed at the certification of skills acquired by the workers involved, also for the purpose of portability and usability of learning.
In September 2022, the financial resources for 2022 and 2023 amounting to EUR 1 billion were allocated to the New skills fund. Eligible to receive these funds are employers who reformulate the working and training hours, up to a minimum limit of 40 hours of work and a maximum of 200 hours of training after collective agreements to reformulate the working hours, up to a minimum limit of 40 hours and a maximum of 200 hours of training (the maximum limit of training hours is 250).
In February 2023, additional amount of EUR 800 million was allocated to the New skills fund (with the total budget for the years 2022 and 2023 amounting to EUR 1.18 billion).
The Employability guarantee reform programme (GOL), as a reform initiative was included in Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 5, Component 1, aimed at enhancing active labour policy services. The initial financial allocation for the programme was EUR 4.4 billion, increased by an additional EUR 1 billion following the reconfiguration of the NRRP by the ECOFIN Council decision on December 8, 2023, to be invested in workers' skills over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025.
On August 24, 2023, a decree was issued to implement the measures under the GOL. The allocation of resources assigned to the Regions and autonomous provinces for intervention M5C1 '1.1 Active Labour Policies and Training' of the PNRR, amounted to EUR 1.2 billion, an initial allocation of EUR 600 million is designated for 2024 and another EUR 600 million for 2025, to facilitate multi-year planning of interventions.
Since March 1, 2024, ANPAL have ceased operations and ANPAL Services changed status. Sviluppo Lavoro Italia Spa was created to play a proactive and comprehensive role in the development and implementation of national and regional active labour policies. Due to the reorganisation of the labour ministry, labour policy programming and management of related EU funds activities, previously assigned to ANPAL, were transferred back to the ministry.
Another responsibility assumed by the ministry that previously was under ANPAL, is the coordination and monitoring of the GOL programme, oversighting of the implementation of regional interventions, and chairing the steering committee of GOL. This committee serves as the governance body for the programme, bringing together central and regional levels.
The New Skills-Transitions Plan (Decree March 30, 2024) updates the earlier New Skills Plan (2021-2023), as part of the REPowerEU chapter and under Mission 7 of the NRRP. The plan aims to tackle skills mismatches in the labour market by aligning training programmes with labour market needs and promoting work-based learning and micro-credentials. Key aspects of the plan include greater private sector involvement in training programmes' planning and implementation, particularly through Skills Pacts (agreements between the public and private sectors to align training programs with labour market needs) and structural networks for co-design and delivery, as well as technological specialisation courses linked to education and industrial policies (ITS Academy). It emphasises continuing training systems, focusing on work-based learning and improving skills identification and validation processes to enhance the effectiveness of training and measure the impact of interventions, in line with European recommendations for adult skill enhancement. The plan also includes implementing ex ante labour market analysis systems to improve labour market intelligence and monitoring the employment outcomes of funded training, especially continuing training managed by interprofessional joint funds.
The ITS Academies play a crucial role in the 'New Skills-Transitions Plan' as they offer technological specialisation courses linked to educational and industrial policies, promote work-based learning, and facilitate private sector involvement in planning and implementing training programs. Additionally, they contribute to continuous training systems and labour market analysis to enhance market intelligence and monitor the employment outcomes of funded training.
To further address labour market mismatches, the ministry has also approved improvements to the GOL Programme (GOL - Decree March 30, 2024). Following the termination of the Citizenship Income, the decree has introduced new provisions that expand access to the GOL Programme. This includes people receiving income support from the 2023 Labour Decree, specifically those getting Training and work support (SFL) and the Inclusion allowance (ADI), as well as all unemployed individuals, regardless of gender, age, or unemployment period. This integration emphasises the role of vocational training in boosting employment reintegration opportunities, with a focus on short-term training that leads to skill certification, including micro-credentials. A key component of the GOL reform, which is tied to EU funding, is the establishment of milestones and targets. By 2025, it aims to involve 3 million beneficiaries, including 800 000 in training activities, 300 000 of which will focus on digital skills.
According to data from the GOL monitoring until the 30 June nb 2024, over 2.5 million unemployed individuals enroled in the GOL programme, with more than half in Pathway 1 for job reintegration. The rest are in Pathway 2 for upskilling (25.8%), Pathway 3 for reskilling (20.3%), and Pathway 4 for work and inclusion (3.5%). Women represented 55.5% of participants, youth 28.7%, adults aged 55 and over 17.2%, and foreigners 15.3%. Also, 31.4% had been unemployed for over 12 months.
The regulation of services for identifying, validating, and certifying skills, established by the ministerial decree dated 9 July 2024, establishes new ways for collaboration between the regional vocational training system and economic and social partners, emphasising the role of interprofessional training funds and bilateral funds for continuing training and income integration. In the GOL, income integration provides financial support to workers during training or job transitions. This aid, through interprofessional and bilateral funds, ensures participation in continuous training without income loss. It facilitates financial stability and collaboration between vocational training systems and economic and social partners. Additionally, the decree promotes the recognition of skills acquired in non-formal learning contexts, through collaborations with Regions and social partners, awareness campaigns, and incentives for businesses. Interprofessional and bilateral funds financially support these initiatives. The decree facilitates the validation and certification of skills acquired outside traditional educational paths, valuing experiences such as universal civil service, apprenticeship contracts, internships, entrepreneurship support programs, volunteering, and collective benefit projects. This marks a significant step in the reform of the national skills certification system and active labour policies, developed through close collaboration with Regions and social partners.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Labour and Social Policies
- Regions and autonomous provinces
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- National, regional and local authorities
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers to the ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category concerns all developments related to national qualification frameworks (NQFs). As in most countries NQFs are in place and referenced to the European qualifications framework (EQF), the thematic sub-category covers updating and expanding the frameworks, developing new qualifications and using NQFs as catalysts for other reforms.
This thematic sub-category refers to validation mechanisms allowing individuals to accumulate, transfer, and recognise learning outcomes acquired non-formally and informally, including on-the-job learning, or in another formal system. In case they are not automatically recognised, a learner can have these learning outcomes validated and recognised through a particular process with a view to obtaining a partial or full qualification. This thematic sub-category covers such provisions and mechanisms.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing the possibility for individuals who are already in the labour market/in employment to reskill and/or acquire higher levels of skills, and to ensuring targeted information resources on the benefits of CVET and lifelong learning. It also covers the availability of CVET programmes adaptable to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and reskilling needs. The sub-category includes working with respective stakeholders to develop digital learning solutions supporting access to CVET opportunities and awarding CVET credentials and certificates.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET agile in adapting to labour market challenges
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
- Sustainability - a green link in VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). National strategy for competences/skills: Italy. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28319