Ministers responsible for Vocational Education and Training (VET) from across Europe convened in Herning, Denmark, on 11 September to endorse “The Herning Declaration on attractive and inclusive Vocational Education and Training for increased competitiveness and quality jobs 2026-2030”. The forward-looking Declaration marks a pivotal moment for European skills policy as the continent leads digital and green transformations to meet economic competitiveness challenges
The new Declaration represents a strategic evolution from the 2020 Osnabrück Declaration, building on over two decades of European cooperation since the Copenhagen process began in 2002.
"This Declaration arrives at a critical juncture as Europe faces mounting skills shortages while navigating green and digital transitions, and it also represents the continuation of decades of successful European cooperation in VET", said Jürgen Siebel, Cedefop Executive Director. "Evolving from the Copenhagen process legacy – the Herning Declaration further shifts the paradigm towards VET as the engine that will power Europe's future competitiveness and social inclusion".
The timing is particularly significant as the new European Commission has placed lifelong learning and labour market inclusion at the heart of its policy mandate. Building momentum from the Union of Skills initiative and the European Year of Skills legacy, the Declaration emphasises the value of VET and skills across all EU domains.
“I am pleased that we agreed on the need to further improve the quality of vocational education and training. Vocational education is essential both for the green transition and for key functions in the welfare societies across Europe,” said Mattias Tesfaye, Minister for Children and Education of Denmark. “With this declaration, we are taking yet another step in the right direction towards strengthening vocational education and training, ensuring that we will continue to educate highly skilled professionals in the years to come”.
"The Herning Declaration marks an important step forward for skills policy in Europe and beyond,” said Pilvi Torsti, Director of the European Training Foundation. “The stronger participation of candidate countries in the process underlines the shared commitment to building attractive and inclusive vocational education and training systems that support competitiveness and quality jobs. In a global Europe, cooperation and mutual learning with countries beyond the EU are fundamental to our development, competitiveness, well-being and growth".
The Declaration introduces ambitious 2030 targets and more detailed national-level actions, signalling a shift toward measurable outcomes and enhanced accountability.
This enhanced oversight coincides with Cedefop's 50th anniversary and reflects Cedefop latest vision document "Shaping Learning and Skills for Europe: A time for commitment," which emphasises evidence-based policymaking and the continuous monitoring of implementation.
While focusing on continuity with the previous policy cycle, the Declaration explicitly addresses emerging challenges including artificial intelligence integration, green transition, demographic change, and persistent skills mismatches and shortages that threaten European competitiveness.
Central to this transformation are EU agencies such as Cedefop and the European Training Foundation, key contributors to the VET modernisation agenda. The Agencies have been instrumental in co-drafting the Declaration through the ACVT bureau drafting committee and will assume critical monitoring and reporting responsibilities. This monitoring exercise contributes to the improvement of VET systems and the increase of transparency and peer learning, while also supporting multi-stakeholder policy dialogue around national VET priorities.
The path from Copenhagen to Herning demonstrates that sustained cooperation can yield transformative results. Now, with this renewed commitment at European level, vocational education can effectively promote inclusion, enhance competitiveness, and support quality employment opportunities for its citizens.
