When teachers grow, so do their students. Across Europe, the evidence is clear: investing in teachers’ professional development drives better learning outcomes and helps build a skilled, resilient workforce. Yet, too many vocational education and training (VET) teachers still face persistent barriers to developing their skills and advancing their careers.
At Cedefop’s high-level Policy Learning Forum in September 2025 - held to officially launch the European Vocational Teacher Survey (EVTS) - experts, policymakers, and teachers came together to explore what’s holding the profession back and how to move forward.
The challenges: heavy workloads, low pay, and limited recognition
Teaching has always been a demanding job, but for VET teachers, the challenges are particularly complex. The EVTS pilot, which gathered responses from 735 teachers across 23 countries, paints a stark picture:
- Only 13% of teachers feel their salary reflects their work.
- Just 21% feel valued in their country.
- Half report being overloaded with extra tasks due to staff shortages.
- Only 1 in 2 say their school supports them to take part in continuing professional development (CPD).
At the same time, fewer young people are entering the profession. In twelve EU Member States, less than 2% of young professionals aspire to become teachers. With 44.2% of upper secondary VET teachers aged over 50, this is creating an urgent teacher shortage across Europe.
A complex and vital profession
VET teachers embody what Cedefop calls a “dual profession”: they combine teaching skills with deep occupational expertise. Their roles extend far beyond the classroom. They are:
- Curriculum developers and instructors, designing lessons that respond to diverse learner needs.
- Industry experts, bridging classroom and workplace realities.
- Mentors and counsellors, supporting students’ personal and professional growth.
- Assessors and administrators, tracking progress and ensuring quality learning outcomes.
To fulfil these roles, VET teachers must master not only pedagogical methods but also digital, social, and technical competences—often exceeding the expectations placed on other tertiary-level professionals.
Why professional development matters
Great teaching takes more than passion. Teachers’ performance - and their well-being - depend on access to high-quality professional development and favourable working conditions. Both are essential to make the profession rewarding and attractive for future generations.
From the Copenhagen Declaration (2002) to the Herning Declaration (2025), European policy has consistently prioritised VET teacher development and well-being as key to making vocational education excellent, inclusive, and future-ready.
Emerging policy trends across Europe
Recent European and national initiatives are reshaping how VET teachers learn, grow, and advance. Cedefop’s latest VET policy briefs - covering the EU27, Norway, and Iceland - highlight several key trends:
1. Digital skills take centre stage
Nearly all countries are prioritising digital competences in VET teacher training. Tools like DigComp self-assessments are being linked to micro-credentials and open badges. Some countries - such as Spain, Belgium (Flemish and French communities), Austria, Sweden, and Hungary - are piloting AI-powered tools and extended reality (XR) applications for immersive training.
2. Sustainability as a core competence
Green skills are becoming integral to teacher training. Austria’s Just Transition Action Plan, Iceland’s sustainability-focused curricula, and Spain’s and Sweden’s integration of green competences in all VET programmes show how teacher development is aligning with Europe’s twin transition - digital and green.
3. Incentives to make teaching attractive
Iceland now offers paid training years and motivational grants for upskilling. Belgium’s Flemish Community provides teacher bonuses and recognises prior industry experience to attract new entrants. In Hungary, CPD is directly tied to promotion and salary progression.
4. Structured induction and mentoring to support novice teachers
Countries like Belgium, Poland, Hungary, and Sweden are formalising mentoring systems to support new teachers during their first years - helping improve retention and professionalisation.
5. Stronger links between schools and workplaces
Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Portugal have expanded industry placements for teachers, ensuring they stay connected to workplace innovations. Dual VET reforms in Croatia, Hungary, and Spain foster joint training for teachers and company trainers.
6. Embedding CPD in quality assurance
In Ireland, Spain, and Portugal, teacher development is now part of external quality reviews for schools. New or updated teacher standards in Sweden, Spain, and Ireland ensure CPD is aligned with national frameworks and quality expectations.
7. From ad hoc CPD to system-wide development
Countries like Sweden and Portugal are moving toward structured, national systems for CPD. Permanent hubs - such as Portugal’s ANQEP and Spain’s reference centres - coordinate ongoing professional learning and ensure coherence across regions.
Investing in teachers is investing in Europe’s future
The professional growth and well-being of VET teachers are not just employment issues - they’re strategic levers for Europe’s skills agenda. As countries modernise education and embrace the digital and green transitions, teachers remain the decisive factor for success.
By mapping these developments and generating new evidence through the European Vocational Teacher Survey, Cedefop is helping policymakers and practitioners understand what works - and how to make teaching in VET an attractive, sustainable, and future-ready career.
- You may find the EVTS poster and brochure in the Downloads section at Cedefop project page. This page will be progressively populated with the EVTS pilot findings (2025) and the mainstage findings (2026-27).
- For a more in-depth examination of the policy developments discussed in the policy briefs, refer to the Timeline of VET Policies in Europe, a comprehensive digital resource that presents detailed information on national VET and lifelong learning policies.
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