30 JUN 2020

01 JUL 2020

Event

Conference

Enhancing European cooperation in VET – Looking back planning ahead

Joint Cedefop – ETF virtual conference

Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director of Cedefop

Jürgen Siebel joined Cedefop from the private sector in September 2019. As Executive Director, he is responsible for managing the Agency’s operations in accordance with the strategic direction of its tripartite Management Board.

Jürgen has a background in human resources management with particular emphasis on learning and education, the strategic development and roll-out of work-based vocational education and training programmes, as well as related corporate social responsibility initiatives. In this context he has also collaborated with institutional actors at national, European and global levels.
Before joining Cedefop in Thessaloniki, Jürgen served for 20 years in various leading operational and strategic HR roles in Siemens AG, mostly as senior manager with global governance or business partner responsibilities. Jürgen earned his MSc in economics at the University of Hamburg, and a PhD in business administration from the University of Vienna.

Cesare Onestini, Director, ETF

Cesare Onestini is the Director of the European Training Foundation since 1 September 2017.
Mr Onestini combines a background in education and training policy with extensive experience in policy development and management at the highest level in the European Union.

Prior to joining the ETF, he was Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to India and Bhutan. He joined the European Commission in 1995, working for six years in education and training policy starting by promoting cooperation in education and training. He has developed intercultural education projects, coordinated school partnerships and teachers’ mobility across EU Member States and was part of the team which developed proposals for the first EU programme for Lifelong Learning.
He has since worked for the European Union in international trade, security and crisis management and external relations, where he was Head of Political and Security Council Affairs in the EU Delegation to the United Nations in New York. Mr Onestini joined the European External Action Service in 2010, playing a key role in setting the service up, as advisor to the Chief Operating Officer and Head of the Corporate Board Secretariat, before his appointment as Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to India and Bhutan, where he served for three years.
In the 2013-14 academic year, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore. Cesare Onestini is a graduate of Oxford University, where he achieved a doctorate in higher education policy.

Margaritis Schinas, Vice President, European Commission

Margaritis Schinas took office as Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life in the Von der Leyen Commission in December 2019. In this capacity, he oversees the EU’s policies for migration, security union, social rights, skills, education, culture, youth, health and dialogue with churches, religious associations and non-confessional organisations.

Mr Schinas started his career in the European Commission in 1990. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament, from 2007 until 2009. Upon the completion of his parliamentary term of office, he returned to the European Commission and held various senior positions. In 2010, President Barroso appointed Mr Schinas as Deputy Head of the Bureau of European Policy Advisers. Later he served as Resident Director and Head of the Athens Office of the European Commission's Directorate‑General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). In 2014, President Juncker appointed Mr Schinas as the European Commission’s Chief Spokesperson.
Margaritis Schinas holds an MSc on Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics, a Diploma of Advanced European Studies on European Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and a Degree in Law from the Aristotelean University of Thessaloniki.

Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

Nicolas Schmit took up office as European Commissioner responsible for Jobs and Social Rights in December 2019. Prior to this, and following a long career of public service in his native Luxembourg, he took up duty as Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the EU in 1998 for a six-year term. In 2004, he was appointed Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.

From 2009 to 2018, he held the position of Minister for Labour and Employment in the Luxembourgish government. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for the social-democratic Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei following his election in May 2019. Nicolas Schmit holds a Doctorate in International Economic Relations and a Masters in French Literature from the University of Aix-Marseille.

Blaženka Divjak, Minister for Science and Education, Croatia

Prof. Blaženka Divjak, PhD, is the Croatian Minister of Science and Education appointed in July 2017. She holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Zagreb and she is Full Professor with Tenure at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb (since 2015).

She served as Vice-rector for students and study programmes at the University of Zagreb (2010-2014) and she was twice elected Vice-dean for scientific work and international cooperation in the period of 1999-2003 and 2007-2010 at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb. She also performed the duties of coordinator and researcher in various national and international projects and networks (including FP7, Tempus, Erasmus, IPA, Eureka, EUROLEARN networks, European Science Foundation). Her area of professional interest and expertise comprises e-learning, assessment of learning outcomes, quality culture in higher education, strategic decision making in higher education, popularisation of science, the Bologna process, social dimension of higher education etc. Prior to her current function, Minister Divjak served as president and a member of various university, national and international committees and councils in the area of education and science. She is the author of 8 books and over 80 scientific and expert papers in the area of mathematics, mathematics education, project management, higher education reform, learning outcomes, e-learning and science communication.

Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister for Education and Research, Germany

Born in Ibbenbüren on 29 April 1971
Roman Catholic, married, three children

1981   Goethe-Gymnasium school Ibbenbüren
1990   Abitur school leaving certificate then Training as bank clerk
1993   Training in hotel management
since 1994   Managerial work in Hotel Teutoburger Wald

2003 – 2008   Studies in business management at Fernuniversität Hagen,
Diplom-Kauffrau degree

since 1998   Member of the CDU.
since January 2011   Chair of the Tecklenburg CDU Association.
2004 – 2014   Member of Tecklenburg Town Council.
2009 – 2011   Deputy chair of the CDU political group on the Town Council.
2011 – 2014   Chair of the CDU political group on the Town Council
since 2013   Member of the German Bundestag.
Regular member of the Finance Committee.
Substitute member of the Budget Committee.
2017 – 2018   Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
since March 2018   Federal Minister of Education and Research.

Niki Kerameus, Minister for Education and Religious Affairs, Greece

Niki Kerameus is the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. She serves as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament since January 2015. Ms. Kerameus is a lawyer practicing mainly in the field of international arbitration, with significant experience in Greece, France and the U.S.A. She is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and the University Paris II - graduated first in both and summa cum laude.

She is a founding member and first President of the Non-profit Foundation “Desmos”, which locates surplus from companies and individuals to cover the needs of Greece’s most vulnerable citizens and social welfare organizations.

Külli All

Külli All is a deputy head of adult education department at Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. She has experience in taking part in different research projects, teaching in VET and HE institutions, organising and managing work-related training at private institution.

She is responsible for developing of Estonian professional qualification system, skills analysis and development coordination system and implementation of recognition of prior learning (RPL). Her tasks include providing policy advice, analysis and technical support for the development and implementation of the Estonian Qualification Framework, coordinating professional, vocational and adult education activities in relationship with labour market and social policies. She has experience in development of the vocational teachers’ and trainers’ profession and supporting LO based curricula development in the field of vocational training.

She has been involved in development and implementation of European Qualification Framework (EQF) and European Credit system in VET (ECVET) since 2005. She is a member of the EQF Advisory Group and member of the ACVT, and ESCO member states working group.

Dana Bachmann

Dana Bachmann joined the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission in January 2015 as Head of unit in charge of Vocational Education and Training, Apprenticeships and Adult Learning.

Together with her team, she is responsible for working with Member States, social partners and stakeholders for developing and implementing policies that help empower citizens with the skills they need, so they can play an active role in society. Successful initiatives like the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, Upskilling Pathways for Adults or the European Vocational Skills Week are few of the main achievements of our unit.
Prior to joining DG Employment, she served as head of unit in DG Education and Culture being responsible for the same policy areas.
Before joining the Commission in December 2011, she worked as a lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights and managed diverse projects in the field of environmental law in Central and Eastern Europe.

Mara Brugia

Mara Brugia is the Deputy Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Cedefop, since September 2014. She was the Acting Executive Director from June 2018 until August 2019.

Cedefop is the tripartite EU Agency supporting the European Commission, Member States and Social Partners in promoting, developing and implementing Union policies in the field of vocational education and training as well as skills and qualifications.
She has been involved in vocational education and training since she joined Cedefop in 1994.
As Head of Department from 2004 to 2014 she managed teams of experts working in European VET policy analysis, adult and work-based learning with specific focus on apprenticeship-type learning and the European tools for recognition and transparency of qualifications, such as the European qualifications framework.
She holds a university degree in economics and a master in economics, politics and law of the European Union.
Her mother tongue is Italian (born in Perugia) and she is fluent in English, French, Greek and Spanish.

Nino Buić

Nino Buić, holds a University Degree from University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has a strong background of more than 14 years in the field of VET. Currently holds a position of an Assistant Director for EU Affairs, International Cooperation and Projects in Agency for VET and Adult Education in Croatia.

During his career he gained hands on experience related to the processes of reform and modernisation of VET System in Croatia and other European countries, organization of cooperation between social partners and VET, linking VET and Labour Market, Qualifications and NQF development, VET QA, etc. He has experience in monitoring and follow-up of EU policies and tools in the field of Education and Training (Education and Training 2020; EQF, ECVET, EQAVET, etc.). He was project manager of various EU and other donors funded projects in Croatia. He acted as a representative of Croatia in various bodies and networks, i.e. DGVT, ACVT, ECVET UG, EQAVET, etc.
He was author and co-author of a number of articles and publication published in Croatia and EU.

Ilze Buligina

Ilze Buligina holds the PhD degree in public administration from the University of Latvia and MA degree in social sciences from Maastricht University. Currently she works at the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia.

In 2015 she was part of the team of Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union when the Riga Conclusions were drafted and adopted. Her professional activities are related to VET and work-based learning policy planning and implementation, EU and transnational co-operation on VET developments in Europe. Member of the European Commission committees and working groups on VET – ACVT, ET2020 and ECVET and Cedefop Refernet team for Latvia. Through professional and research activities she has gained vast experience from various academic, research and development institutions and projects in numerous European countries. Her current policy interest is in promoting joint Baltic VET approaches and strengthening the overall Baltic capacity in VET developments.

Alptuğ Çalik

Birth Date: 21.07.1979
email: alptugcalik@yahoo.com
Graduate: Bilkent University Management Department.
Work Experience: Prime Ministry Expert (2005-2017) (until prime ministry is closed).
Expert in Ministry of Family and Work Affairs ( This Ministry is responsible of İŞKUR) 2017-2020.

Stelina Chatzichristou

Stelina Chatzichristou is an expert in the department for Skills and Labour Market at Cedefop. Her main areas of work are skills anticipation and governance, green skills and skill developments in sectors. She is also the coordinator of the Skills Panorama team. Before joining Cedefop, Stelina worked in the private sector as a researcher and policy analyst.

In that capacity, she has contributed to and managed projects on national and EU comparative analysis on VET, skills and entrepreneurship. Stelina is an economist and holds a BA and an MSc from the University of Macedonia (Greece) and an MSc from the London School of Economics (UK).

Arjen Deij

I have been working for ETF since the very beginning, working in many partner countries and especially having a focus on the reform of qualification systems. I have also worked in QCA in the UK on secondment from ETF.

I have supported many countries with developing and implementing qualification systems reforms, including new approaches to learning and assessment. I have also made many reports and evaluations on policy reforms in VET in a wider sense. I am a strong supporter of lifelong learning and blended solutions for VET.

Barbara Dorn

Dr. Barbara Dorn is chair of the CEDEFOP Governing Board and Director Education/Vocational Training of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA) - the leading organization dealing with social policy on behalf of the entire German private sector.

BDA represents the interests of small, medium-sized and large companies in all sectors and all issues linked to social policy and collective negotiations, labour legislation, labour market policy and education.

Anastasia Fetsi

Since January 2015 Anastasia Fetsi is Head of the Operations Department in the European Training Foundation (ETF). She is an economist and has a long experience on skills development policies in transition economies.

As staff member of ETF since 1996 she analysed labour markets and skills matching mechanisms in countries of Eastern Europe, Western Balkans, Central Asia and North Africa; advised policy makers in adapting vocational education and training (VET) systems to emerging socio-economic needs; designed EU programmes in vocational education and training and employment. In a managerial role Anastasia guided the ETF work in the fields of qualifications, skills and migration, education and social inclusion; VET provision and quality assurance; entrepreneurial learning and enterprise skills.

Manuela Geleng

Manuela Geleng works for the European Commission where she is currently the Director for Skills in the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Previously, Manuela Geleng has held several other managerial positions in the Commission.

Prior to joining the European Commission, she worked in the private sector as a management consultant and for the United Nations Development Programme. She holds an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London and a Master in Public Administration and Management from the Solvay Business School (Brussels). She completed her postgraduate studies at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna.

Nikolaos Georgiadis

Nikos Georgiadis holds a PhD in Political Sciences and Media. He has worked as a VET practitioner in the UK and as advisor for VET and adult learning in various Greek ministries. He was Deputy president of the Greek organisation for the certification of IVET qualifications and national representative in EU tools (substitute member EQF AG- ECVET User’s Group).

He has also worked as a VET expert/consultant for other European countries. Since 2018 he is a member of Cedefop’s VET policies and systems team.

Katarina Grgec

Katarina Grgec is the Head of Sector for Development of Education at the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia. She is a teacher of English and German and for the last ten years she has been working at the Ministry.
She has been a member of working group on Schools at the European level for many years and representative of Croatia in various European bodies and groups dealing mostly with teachers and trainers.

For many years she has been involved in development of vocational education and adult learning and now works mostly on development of general education and vocational education and training which is at the moment concentrated at the reform. For many years she has been a member of governing board of CEDEFOP and she has been attending Directors General meetings for Vocational Education and Training. She has been involved in development of different policies and regulations as well as taking part in Erasmus+ and European Social Fund funded projects. During Croatian Presidency of the Council of Europe she has organized and chaired meetings of Directors General for Vocational Education and Training and Directors General for Schools. She is also a Croatian representative in Advisory Committee for Vocational Training and Governing Board of European Schools.

Irina Jemeljanova

Irina Jemeljanova is an expert in Cedefop since 2005. She worked on several important projects, such the study visits programme (2007-13), the ECVET, the support to professional development of teachers and trainers in vocational education and training (VET), and thematic country reviews on apprenticeship. She represented Cedefop on the ET2020 Working groups on Schools and on VET, with the focus on teachers and trainers. She coordinated the thematic country reviews on apprenticeship in Croatia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovenia in 2014-18. As of 2020, she is member of the VET policies and systems team.

Irina holds a degree in the English language and literature from the Latvia University and a Master of Arts in Educational leadership in the American University (Washington, DC, USA). Before joining Cedefop, Irina worked as deputy director of a secondary school in Riga, Latvia, for more than 10 years and led a unit in the Education System Improvement Project that focused on developing policy analysis capacity of the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia.

George Kostakis

George Kostakis is an expert at the European centre for the development of vocational training (Cedefop). George coordinates the VET policies and systems team in Cedefop which provides information on VET systems in Europe and monitors developments and implementation of VET policies at European level.

He also coordinates Cedefop's performance measurement system which measures the relevance, efficiency and impact of Cedefop's work. George joined Cedefop in 2001 and his expertise focuses on quality assurance in VET and international qualifications. He has recently concluded a study on the impact of globalisation on VET content and qualifications. Before joining Cedefop he worked 5 years in the European Training Foundation in Turin. He has a master's degree in Business Administration from Warwick University, UK and a master's degree in Business Computing from City University, London. He studied Information technology at the University of Athens.

Dmitrijs Kulss

Cedefop expert since 2013. Interested in VET policies and systems, and key competences.

António Leite

Born on the 19th May 1961
Teacher since 1983
Currently:
Vice-President of the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP)
Previously:
Teachers’ Union In-service Training Centre Director, from 1993 to 2000.

Counsellor to the Secretary of State of Education, from 2000 to 2002.
In-service Training Teachers Centre Director, from 2002 to 2005.
Deputy Regional Director of Education, from 2005 to 2009.
Regional Director of Education, from 2009 to 2011.
Regional Director of the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) of the North Region, from 2016 to 2020.

Mary Lyons

Mary Lyons is Director of National Innovation at SOLAS. She has worked as a researcher, lecturer and a skills development specialist with a wide range of learner profiles and sectors. Her current role involves leading innovation with the FET sector in the areas of workforce development, continuing professional development and technology enhanced learning.

Recent work includes the development of a new policy initiative, on behalf of SOLAS and the Department of Education and Skills, to create new upskilling and reskilling opportunities for vulnerable workers and to support SMEs to develop their workforce through further education and training. Currently Mary is working on the renewal of the FET Professional Development Strategy with the sector in alignment with the new FET Strategy 2020-2025.

Cristina Mereuta

Cristina Mereuta is a Labour Market Specialist at the European Training Foundation (ETF), the EU Agency specialised in human capital development in the Neighbourhood region.Her responsibilities include research and capacity development activities focused on the identification of skills needs, skills anticipation and matching systems, transition from school to work and measurement of skills mismatches.

She also contributes to the implementation of ETF’s activities in the countries of South Eastern Europe and Turkey, including the monitoring and evaluation of country progresses in the context of EU Enlargement agenda. Before joining the ETF, Cristina worked for the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Romania, for over 10 years where served as Head of Employment Policy Unit, employment counsellor and international relations officer. Her work also covered various expert contributions to international and European projects focused on activation, skills development and social integration.

Mladen Perazić

Mr Mladen Perazić, PhD in economic science, performs the duty of Director of Education and Quality Department since 2003 and Lecturer (Associated Professor) at University ‘’Mediteran’’ in Podgorica since 2012. He is continuously engaged in managing educational activities and coordination of CEM role in reforming process of National educational system of Montenegro; Designing of low and sub-low regulations; Business education; International cooperation; Human resources development.

Mr Perazić performed as project manager on TEMPUS DEVCORE; TEMPUS ECESM; TEMPUS Dellco; TEMPUS DEBUT; EEN - SME assistance through the European Enterprise Network; Creation of the "Master's Examination System in Montenegro" in cooperation with the WIFI Institute from Vienna. He is member of project team MARDS and BLUEWBC (Erasmus + program/topic high education). Mladen Perazić, PhD, is author of a range of publications related to education system in Montenegro and its reform in accordance to EU standards, the structure and nature of EU institutions, negotiating process with EU and the obligations that Montenegro undertook, especially those related to education and VET system.

Iraklis Pliakis

Iraklis Pliakis is a Cedefop expert. Working in the Department for VET systems and institutions since 2017, Iraklis is a member of the Cedefop VET Policies and Systems team reporting on and analysing European training policies.

Iraklis is also involved in the Key competences in VET project, which aims to support in-depth analysis of how key competences are integrated and promoted in VET. Iraklis is an economist by training, with a PhD in didactics of Economics from the University of Macedonia. Before joining Cedefop he was an advisor to the Deputy Minister of Education in Greece focusing on VET and apprenticeship. He has also worked as a teacher in upper secondary and post-secondary education and as a researcher in tertiary education.

Anastasia Pouliou

Anastasia Pouliou is a Cedefop support expert. Working in the Department for VET systems and institutions, she is responsible for qualifications, and synergies between EU tools and learning outcomes for education and training. She has peer reviewed the study on the application of learning outcomes approaches in European countries and was the co-author of the European handbook on defining, writing and applying learning outcomes for IVET qualifications.

Anastasia is involved in several other Cedefop projects (including the project on the Changing nature and role of vocational education and training (VET) in Europe, the Future of VET, the coordination of developments on national qualifications frameworks as well as the regular policy reporting exercise). Before joining Cedefop she worked as an educational consultant in the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious affairs and 5 years as a head of the European Affairs Unit in the Organisation for Vocational Education and Training (Greece). She has performed senior management and national coordination on Europass and Leonardo da Vinci projects and has published articles in academic journals. She is a certified PM² project manager and has a Master's degree in education (M.ed) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Irene Psifidou

A doctoral comparative education specialist by training, her current job as Expert at Cedefop’s department for learning and employability is to apply robust scientific research and principles in the development of evidence-based EU education and training policies. She is currently leading the Agency’s projects on the professional development of VET teachers and trainers and tackling early leaving from education and training, and she is coordinating the European virtual community of ambassadors. One of her milestones is the creation of Cedefop’s “VET toolkit for tackling early leaving”.

She has designed and managed high-profile EU projects on vocational education and training (VET), and she has been author of influential research and policy contributions in peer-reviewed journals/books on issues of contemporary policy interest: innovative and learner-centred pedagogies; curriculum and assessment reform; learning outcomes; key competences; inclusive education and training; and teachers’ training. She has represented Cedefop as keynote speaker at high-level international events in Europe, USA and Canada.

One of her main strengths is the considerable experience acquired in working in both European (Cedefop) and international policymaking environments (the World Bank, Washington DC).

Antonio Ranieri

Antonio Ranieri, Head of Department for Learning and Employability at Cedefop, manages a team of European experts working in VET policy analysis and research. The mission of the Department is to support the development and implementation of European policies aimed at increasing attractiveness, effectiveness and inclusiveness of vocational education and training in EU Member States.

An economist by training, Antonio has taught regional economics at the University of Rome since 2002. As Head of Area at CLES in Rome, an independent centre of studies on labour market and economic development issues, before joining Cedefop he coordinated research in design, monitoring and evaluation of public investment and policy.

Lidia Salvatore

Lidia Salvatore is expert for adult learning and continuing vocational training at Cedefop. She was responsible for Cedefop publication and research conducted under the economic and social cost of low skilled adults in Europe project (Investing in skills pays off: the economic and social cost of low-skilled adults in the EU) and she is currently responsible for managing and carrying out analysis and research on empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways.

Lidia holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in EU economics and politics both from the University of Bologna in Italy and she also studied in Australia at the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney. Prior to Cedefop Lidia worked for five years as a research officer in Eurofound, the European Union agency for the improvement of living and working conditions, where she contributed to designing, initiating and carrying out research and comparative analysis in the field of youth employment policies.

Sabine Schüller

Sabine Schüller has been working for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research since 1998. Since 2011 she is responsible for the implementation of the German national qualifications framework. In that function shealso is a member of the EQF Advisory Group.

From 2001 until 2011 she set up and headed a government agency for international marketing of vocational education and training located at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training. Before she joined the ministry, Mrs. Schüller worked in the area of international exchange for several years. She holds a MA in English, French and Italian studies from the University of Cologne and an MBA from the University of Surrey.

Eduard Staudecker

Eduard Staudecker is an employee of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in Austria. He holds two academic degrees. He graduated at the Teacher Training College and at the Vienna University of Business and Economics in the field of economics. His professional career started with the work as a teacher for lower secondary schools. He worked several years as a project manager for the Austrian Leonardo da Vinci Agency and then in the field of student administration and the ERASMUS program for an Austrian university in a leading function.

In 2006, he moved to the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. There he currently is working on the implementation of the EQF as CEO of the Austrian NQF Steering group; he represents Austria in the EQF advisory group. In addition, he is responsible for the ECVET implementation as chairperson of the national working group. He has also coordination and leading tasks in the field of validation of non-formal and informal learning in Austria. Actually, he is the head of a specials unit for VET politics in the Ministry. He represents Austria in the CEDEFOP governing board and as coordinator of the governments group, he has a seat in the CEDEFOP executive board.

Sampo Suihko

2017 – , General Director, Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region (Finland)

-Strategy development and overseeing the implementation of Action Plans. Management, leadership, planning, organization and supervision of activities of Omnia, a Mandated Body and public sector organization. Services offered range from regional development and projects to education and training and directly reach over 40 000 learners in the public and private sectors. Omnia implements the EFQM framework. The number of staff 1000. Omnia is a UNEVOC nominated Center of Excellence (CoE) in VET.

Chairman of the Board of Omnia Education Partnerships Ltd (OEP), international commercial arm of four Finnish organizations exceling in education, training, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.

Project Leader in EU Twinning Project in the Republic of Moldova (2019 - 2021), Kosovo (2014 – 2017) and Egypt (2013 – 2016)

2012 – 2016 Deputy Mayor (Education and Cultural Services), City of Espoo

2004 – 2012 General Director, Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region

1994 -2004 Director of Development (Education and Culture), City of Espoo

Chairman of the Section for VET, Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, 2017-2018

Expert and Councellor, UNESCO Learning Cities 2013 -

Chair, EU VET Institutions Joint Policy Committee, 2011 - 2012

President, EUproVET, European Association of VET Providers, 2009 - 2014

Council Member, Finnish Education Evaluation Council, 2009 -2014

Committee Member, Finnish National Agency for Education, Quality Assessment Committee for VET, 2007-2011

President 2007-2010, Vice President 2011-2013, the Finnish Association for the Development of Vocational Education and Training AMKE

Sigrid Ester Tani

Educational background
2001 Tartu University BA in Political Science
2003 Tartu University Master in Interpreting

Work experience
2015 - Tartu Vocational Education Centre

Work based learning (WBL) and projects coordinator
2011-2015 MTÜ Eesti Pottsepad
Professional qualification process manager
2005- 2011 Tartu Vocational Education Centre
Training manager
2003-2005 CodeWiser OÜ
HR and Quality manager

My work experience includes both private and public sector. I have worked in human resources, organising trainings and building up a national level professional qualification evaluation system. Currently my focus is on developing and promoting WBL in Estonia as well as writing and managing projects at biggest vocational education center in Estonia. I have had the pleasure of working on several international projects since 2005 and have experience with Erasmus+, ESF and ERF funding mechanisms.

Peter Thiele

Peter Thiele is Deputy Director for VET policy at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
He represents Germany in several international, European and national VET strategy and programme committees, and heads the BMBF Division for Vocational Continuing Training Policy, covering basic policy issues,skills strategy, innovation and digitalisation in CVET and several innovation programmes.

He was responsible for VET policy in Apprenticeship and initial VET for many years. He also headed the division for European cooperation in Education and Training in the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
He has worked in the Directorate for International Affairs of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and with the International Labour Organization in Geneva and Turin. He was also responsible for the development and co-financing of UNESCO-UNEVOC in cooperation with UNESCO.
Mr Thiele is a qualified lawyer specializing in public law.

Giuseppina Tucci

Giuseppina is the current Secretary General of the Organising Bureau of European School Student Union and coordinates the European Apprentices Network. Before joining the Secretariat, Giuseppina was an OBESSU Board Member and member of the working group on Vocational Education and Training.

After studying in a VET School, Giuseppina graduated a BA in Linguistics and an MA in Gender Studies and is currently obtaining her MSc in International Business. Giuseppina is also a Steering Commitee Member of the Lifelong Learning Platform. Among her interests are inclusion, quality apprenticeships, participation of young people in decision making and empowerment of learners.

Ludovic Voet

Before being elected as Confederal Secretary at the ETUC’s May 2019 Congress, Ludovic Voet was national youth leader of the Belgian union CSC from 2015. Ludovic’s responsibilities at the ETUC cover sustainable development and climate change, migration, youth policy, non-standard work and the platform economy, education and training, and equality and non-discrimination, plus organising.

From 2006 to 2011 he was active in the Federation of Francophone Students (FEF), helping to mobilise other students to take collective action. He took part in the campaigns that led to a reduction in higher education costs in the French part of Belgium in 2010.

Loukas Zahilas

Dr Loukas Zahilas is Head of the Department for VET Systems and Institutions (DSI) at Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. He studied Chemistry and Information Technologies and he has a PhD in educational policies (qualifications frameworks). After a six-year stint in the pharmaceutical industry he has concentrated his efforts entirely on education and training.

His more than 27 years of professional experience in vocational education and training were mainly acquired at the Greek Ministry of Education, the University of Athens and Cedefop. He served for many years at various Directorate posts representing Greece in EU bodies and groups.
Loukas Zahilas joined Cedefop in 2006 working on qualifications and the common EU tools. Currently he is a member of Cedefop’s management team. His department’s work supports the EC, Member States and social partners in fostering policy developments and accelerating the pace of VET reforms, focuses on strengthening cooperation to the further development and informs political discussions on the future of VET beyond 2020.

Georgios Zisimos

Georgios Zisimos is currently working at the European Training Foundation (ETF) in Turin as Senior officer in EU Education and Training Policies. He is coordinating the ETFs work on Copenhagen process. He is also coordinating the initiative on Vocational Excellence in ETF.
From 2010-2014, he served as Member of the Cabinet of the EU Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Youth and Sport. He was in charge of the Education portfolio.

Previously he was advisor to the Cypriot Minister of Education and member of the scientific committees in Cyprus and Greece on Education Reform and Curriculum Development. In 2005, he was elected Secretary General of the Cypriot Secondary Teacher's Union, a post he held until 2008. During this period, he served as member of the Executive Committee of the ETUCE.
He taught in secondary schools in the UK and Cyprus.
He holds an MA in Curriculum Studies from the Institute of Education, London, and has a Qualified Teacher Status.