Cedefop

Key competences in VET

These reports on key competences in VET were prepared by Cedefop’s ReferNet network in December 2015. They are part of the series Cedefop ReferNet thematic perspectives and complement other available general information on VET systems by country.

To adapt to new life situations and career shifts, manage change, take initiative and risk, innovate and engage in further learning, purely job-related skills are not enough. VET learners also require key competences. Riga Conclusions (2015) for the period up to 2020 seek for more effective opportunities to acquire or develop these skills through initial and continuing VET. The need to strengthen transversal skills and key competences is also reiterated in the joint report on the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training 2020 (ET2020).

These reports inform on systematic national approaches to, and opportunities for, acquisition of key competences in upper secondary VET in the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway by addressing the following questions for each key competence:

• How is the acquisition of the key competence promoted at national/regional level?
• How is the progress in improving key competence levels/learning outcomes of VET students monitored?
• Has the key competence level improved among VET upper secondary students since 2010?

The topicality of the reports was also linked to the New Skills Agenda for Europe (2016) that supports a review of the European Parliament and of the Council recommendation on key competences (2006) to help more people acquire the core set of skills necessary to work and live in the 21^st century.