The project's objective is to monitor EU member states’ strategies and mechanisms for financing vocational education and training (VET) and to investigate their effectiveness and efficiency. This site provides information on investment in VET and on developments in VET funding systems and instruments. The analysis focuses on cofinancing, looking at roles of different stakeholders in sharing costs and responsibilities in VET.

Investment in human capital is a fundamental driver of economic growth, competitiveness and social cohesion. It is a high priority on the EU agenda.

Vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in raising people’s knowledge, skills and competences, but its success requires securing adequate resources. Thus, European Ministers responsible for VET, European social partners and the European Commission called for improving public and private investment in VET (within the framework of the Copenhagen process).

Findings (outcomes of studies, workshops and conferences) aim to contribute to evidence based policy making and stimulate debate among researchers, policy makers and practitioners throughout Europe. Cedefop also looks at experiences of non EU countries to strengthen knowledge sharing and common learning.

Database

The database on financing adult learning provides information on the demand-side financing instruments implemented in EU Member States and the UK to increase participation and private investment in CVET and adult learning. The tool covers cost-sharing instruments (where contribution by beneficiary is required) such as: training funds, tax incentives, grants/vouchers/ILA, loans, training leave and payback clauses. The tool provides detailed information on each financing instrument, the descriptions by type of instrument and the overview tables at country level. The reference year is 2014/15. One may also visit the older (archived) version of the database (reference period 2010-2013). Currently, new data is being collected (with reference year 2020). The new database will be expanded by including some instruments covering up to 100% of education and training costs.

The database on financing apprenticeships in the EU provides information on how apprenticeship schemes are financed in the EU Member States and the UK. It presents financing arrangements for apprenticeships at system level, including the main sources of funding and financial flows, the characteristics and the level of some apprenticeship costs (such as apprentices wages/allowances, social insurance costs) and the volumes of funding involved. It also offers a detailed description of the main financing instruments implemented to incentivise employers to provide apprenticeship places and encourage individuals to take on apprenticeship training. These include training funds based on levies, tax incentives for companies and grants for companies and individuals. The data refers to information collected in 2017.