Driven by 2030 climate targets and the 2020 Osnabrück Declaration's commitment to just transitions to digital and green economies, EU Member States are quietly revolutionising vocational education and training (VET) systems — transforming them into engines of the green transition while tackling critical skills shortages.
Cedefop's latest Timeline of VET policies tracks this infrastructure modernisation, showing how countries move from policy to practice, investing and integrating cutting-edge digital and green intelligence and technologies to prepare learners for tomorrow's economy.
Clean: building tomorrow's green workforce
Ireland leads the charge with its ambitious National Further Education & Training (FET) Strategy, launched in 2024 as the country's first comprehensive FET framework for climate neutrality. The strategy integrates green competencies across all training programs while retrofitting infrastructure at 16 Education and Training Boards to slash emissions by half within six years.
Denmark takes a more targeted approach, establishing three specialised Climate VET institutions. The Rybners technical school focuses on wind and solar energy, while Herningsholm tackles climate-friendly agriculture and sustainable construction. Technical Education Copenhagen rounds out the trio with green transport and logistics programmes, all backed by substantial funding for cutting-edge facilities and teacher training.
Meanwhile, Estonia's innovative ‘Green Morning’ (Rohehommik) sessions, create a Baltic-Nordic knowledge network, bringing together stakeholders from Ireland to Romania for monthly best-practice exchanges. This collaborative model demonstrates how smaller member states can leverage strategic partnerships to amplify their impact.
Slovenia's dual-project approach yielded concrete results: 15 pilot schools became 'sustainable institutions' under the Climate Goals program, while the Care for Climate initiative developed 34 sector-specific sustainability frameworks now being integrated into national VET standards.
Competitive: filling the skills gap
The numbers are stark — Denmark faces a 70,000 skilled worker shortage by 2030. The country's response? A €67.1 million investment through the 'Prepared for the Future IV' agreement', modernising VET infrastructure in food, agriculture, construction, and transport sectors while funding international exchanges to expose students to European best practices.
Slovenia mirrors this approach under its national recovery plan, targeting health, social care, and sustainable manufacturing — sectors crucial for post-pandemic economic resilience.
Circular: closing the loop
The Netherlands exemplifies the circular economy approach, embedding waste reduction and resource efficiency into VET curricula as part of its National Programme for Circular Economy 2023-30. The Dutch aim high: training 1 million ICT professionals by 2030 with sustainable digital skills while reducing educational infrastructure emissions by 60%.
Crucially, the Netherlands also addresses gender imbalance, actively encouraging women into engineering and STEM fields, recognising that diversity drives innovation in green sectors.
The bigger picture
These initiatives reflect a broader strategic shift. VET systems, traditionally seen as secondary pathways, are emerging as primary vehicles for Europe's twin green and digital transitions. By integrating sustainability across curricula while modernising infrastructure, member states are creating a competitive advantage that addresses both climate goals and economic resilience.
The success of these programs will largely determine whether Europe can meet its 2030 climate targets while maintaining industrial competitiveness, making VET reform one of the EU's most critical policy challenges.