Towards a European strategy for vocational education and training
The European Commission is preparing its first dedicated VET strategy under the Union of Skills. Here is what it aims to change and why it matters for X-VET.
Vocational education and training is moving up the EU agenda. Under the Union of Skills — the Commission’s flagship initiative for skills, launched in March 2025 — the Commission is preparing a new European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training.
From 26 January to 19 February 2026, the Commission ran a call for evidence and invited businesses, public authorities, VET providers, social partners and learners to describe the barriers they face and to propose solutions. European VET networks such as EfVET published position papers to feed into the process.
What the strategy aims to do
- Make VET an attractive, high-quality choice for learners of all ages.
- Modernise VET systems and raise their quality and excellence.
- Increase participation in areas that are in high demand, such as the green and digital transitions.
- Align training more closely with labour market needs and tackle skills shortages in key sectors.
The need is clear: according to the Commission’s one-year review of the Union of Skills in March 2026, six of the seven EU shortage occupations are in vocational or technical fields. The review also announced an EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda to address shortages and working conditions, and a Skills Portability Initiative to make skills and qualifications easier to recognise across borders.
What it means for X-VET
X-VET works on exactly these priorities: green and digital skills, an attractive and experiential way of learning, and certification that employers can recognise. As the strategy takes shape, the project’s results — the Integrated Sustainability Workbook, the MOOC and the hackathon guide — offer practical tools that VET institutions can use to put it into practice.
