In recent years, European countries have been working ever more closely together in vocational education and training (VET) against a backdrop of uncertainties linked to globalisation, digitisation, migration and the transition to a greener economy. In this context, Cedefop is looking further ahead at the main trends in education and training to stimulate debate on European VET cooperation beyond 2020.

According to Cedefop’s new briefing note, there is reason to believe that VET will expand and diversify across Europe in the coming years. Current trends include the development of more practice-oriented and work-related learning formats, across all types of education, vocational and general. In parallel, vocationally-oriented education and training is expanding to higher and lower education levels than the traditional intermediate. These developments in turn entail a risk of growing fragmentation of VET provision.

This is why policy-makers and practitioners need to engage in a broad discussion on the best cooperation and learning approaches to secure sustainability and accessibility of future VET provision. More than ever, VET’s future is inseparable from the future of work.

Download the briefing note for more on Cedefop’s new project on VET’s future.