- 2022Design
- 2023Design
- 2024Design
Background
Collaboration and coherence between levels and types of education and training (general and vocational education, vocational and higher education, and formal and non-formal) has been limited.
Secondary vocational education and training (VET) is not an attractive learning option for all: only a quarter of basic education graduates continue in vocational secondary education; the drop-out rate is high.
Given the limited resources, the diversity and regional availability of VET are declining.
Objectives
To ensure an inclusive and sustainable network and infrastructure of education institutions providing high-quality VET to different target groups in a learning environment that supports contemporary approaches to learning and teaching.
Description
The following measures are foreseen:
- carrying out a study on the VET institutions network in 2023;
- designing the network of VET institutions in line with the reorganisation of secondary education and in connection with the development of the school network in other areas of education;
- implementing a performance-based funding model for VET;
- defining selection principles and criteria for centres of excellence in VET, defining R&D links, and drawing up a concept for centres of excellence;
- empowering centres of excellence in VET to ensure the quality of learning, to provide in-service training, including the provision of training for trainers, training of practitioners and supervisors, curriculum development, support for national and international cooperation, including participation in the Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) projects, support for cooperation with employers, higher education and research institutions;
- mapping cooperation opportunities between VET and research institutions in areas of national importance (smart specialisation), and drawing up roadmaps for these areas;
- initiating cooperation between VET institutions, research institutions, higher education institutions and employers, including local level.
In order to support the emergence of centres of excellence in VET, two Estonian VET centres participated in Erasmus+ CoVEs projects as partners. Comprehensive mapping of cooperation opportunities between VET institutions, research institutions, higher education institutions and employers was set to be based on the study of the VET institutions network (planned for 2023).
In the context of extending compulsory education, a VET reform was launched to enhance upper secondary VET provision, optimise the network of VET institutions, and develop VET excellence and cooperation. Preparations were made to consolidate the network of VET institutions, and allocate areas of responsibility geographically and by curriculum group, depending on the capacity of the schools. Activities were parallel to the VET reform, aiming to strengthen upper secondary VET. Consolidation is seen as a prerequisite for the development of CoVEs.
Consolidation of the VET institutions network continued with a consultation phase. Possible options include refocussing of some VET centres, merger of regional VET centres under a single management or reorganisation into regional education centres.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Research
Target groups
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers to the ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category refers to the establishment and development of Centres of vocational excellence (CoVEs). These centres support the development of VET, including at higher qualification levels (EQF 5-8), cooperation of VET, higher education and research. They build on strong local business investment and support recovery, green and digital transitions, European and regional innovation and smart specialisation strategies. They provide innovative services, such as clusters and business incubators for start-ups, technology innovation for SMEs and innovative reskilling solutions for workers at risk of redundancy. The thematic sub-category is not limited to the centres supported by Erasmus+ funding.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET as a driver for innovation and growth preparing for digital and green transitions and occupations in high demand
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
Subsystem
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Developing VET excellence and cooperation: Estonia. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/44121