2019EU
The European Green Deal
Europe’s plan to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. X-VET helps VET build the green skills this transition depends on.
State of the Art
A living summary of what is known about sustainability, green and digital skills in vocational education and training — the research and EU policies X-VET builds on, kept up to date as new studies and policies appear.
Background
The twin transition begins in education and training
“Harnessing the benefits of the twin — digital and green — transitions requires Europe to strengthen its digital infrastructure and raise digital skill levels across its population. This begins with education and training.” This is how Cedefop, the EU agency for vocational education and training, sums up the challenge.
Vocational education and training is where much of Europe’s future workforce learns its trade: almost half of all upper-secondary students in the EU are in VET programmes. What VET institutions teach — and how they work themselves — shapes how ready companies and workers are for the green and digital transitions.
Yet many VET institutions still lack a structured strategy for embedding sustainability in their governance, curricula and training. Educators often lack the training, tools and resources to teach green and digital skills, and learners rarely get to apply sustainability to real problems — or to have those skills recognised. X-VET was designed to close these gaps with a whole-organisation approach.
48.7%of upper-secondary students in the EU were in vocational programmes in 2021 — 8.8 million learnersSource: Cedefop, 2024 ↗
79.7%employment rate of recent VET graduates in the EU in 2022 — below the EU target of 82% by 2025Source: Cedefop, 2024 ↗
13%of EU workers have a significant digital skills mismatch, according to Cedefop’s second European skills and jobs surveySource: Cedefop, 2025 ↗
Policy context
The European frameworks we build on
X-VET contributes to EU priorities for the green and digital transitions and for VET that meets the needs of the labour market. New policies are added here as they are adopted.
2020EU
Council Recommendation on VET
VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience — including a target of 82% employment for recent VET graduates by 2025.
2020EU
European Skills Agenda
Calls for green and digital skills to be built into education and training so that people are ready for the labour market of the future.
2021–2027EU
Digital Education Action Plan
Promotes digital competence and innovative, digitally supported teaching — the approach behind the X-VET MOOC.
2022EU
Learning for the green transition
The Council Recommendation asks Member States to make learning for sustainability a priority and to support educators — as the X-VET Workbook and MOOC do.
2022EU
European approach to micro-credentials
A common approach to recognising short learning experiences. The X-VET certification follows it.
Competence frameworks behind the X-VET certification
Research findings
What the research shows
X-VET is based on a needs analysis carried out by the partners over about six months while preparing the project — internal discussions with learners, educators and staff in every partner organisation, a review of national educational offers and good practices, and recent research on sustainability and the twin transition.
7countries in the needs analysis
3target groups consulted: learners, educators, staff
~6 monthsof needs analysis
26letters of support from across Europe
1
Sustainability transformations do not happen by themselves
They are the result of individuals and groups who purposefully act for sustainability. Managers and employees inside an organisation — “change agents for sustainability” — start initiatives, make decisions and implement measures. The study describes six archetypes of change agents and the competences they need.
Schaltegger et al., 2024 ↗2
Green competences combine knowledge, skills and attitudes
Green competences are the knowledge, skills and abilities, and attitudes and behaviours that managers and employees need to advance an organisation’s sustainability. Managers interviewed for the study see economic, environmental and social benefits in developing them — benefits a company needs for its competitive advantage.
Gadomska-Lila et al., 2023 ↗3
Awareness, leadership and tools are the main barriers
The same study finds that developing green competences is held back by low awareness of their importance, a short-term focus of management, resistance to change, and a lack of institutional rules, specific tools, programmes and financial resources. Overcoming them takes commitment at different levels — from education programmes to managers leading by example.
Gadomska-Lila et al., 2023 ↗4
VET needs a whole-system approach to the twin transition
Cedefop stresses that harnessing the green and digital transitions requires a whole-system approach that begins with education and training — with digital skills raised across the whole population.
Cedefop, 2025 ↗
Theory of change
How X-VET turns the findings into change
NeedVET institutions lack integrated frameworks to address the green, digital and economic transitions together.
InputsPartnership expertise in education, sustainability and digital innovation; Erasmus+ funding; research and stakeholder engagement.
ActivitiesThe Workbook (WP2), the MOOC (WP3), hackathons for experiential learning (WP4), dissemination and certification (WP5).
OutputsPractical tools and digital learning resources, trained educators and engaged learners, validated models for sustainable VET.
OutcomesMore educator competence in sustainability and digital teaching, learners engaged in green entrepreneurship, institutions adopting sustainability practices.
ImpactVET systems that drive Europe’s green and digital transitions, with stronger links to the labour market.
National perspectives
Seven countries, seven starting points
The needs analysis showed different levels of progress and different issues in each partner country. Each partner brings its national context, its expertise and earlier projects that X-VET builds on.
Green skills
An inclusive vocational school at upper-secondary level that also works in adult education, with 55 teachers and around 720 learners aged 16 to 45. Its motto is learning “with hand and head”.
Builds on: CREATOR and STEAM4ALL
WBK Unna · Coordinator · leads project management (WP1)Profile →
Digital education
A Vienna-based social enterprise providing upskilling and reskilling pathways, with expertise in digital education, design thinking and innovation in VET.
Builds on: VETdesign
ACCELERAS · Leads the Integrated Sustainability Workbook (WP2)Profile →
Andragogy and adult learning
An adult education and VET institution founded in the 1950s, offering more than 100 formal and non-formal programmes — from IT and sustainability to entrepreneurship and hospitality.
Builds on: FCL4VET and Future Classroom Labs
POU Čakovec · Leads the Sustainability Hackathons (WP4)Profile →
Experiential entrepreneurship
A lifelong-learning organisation active since 2014 that supports people’s personal and professional growth through transformative learning, training and research.
Builds on: BOSS
ilmiolavoro · Leads dissemination, quality and impact (WP5)Profile →
Sustainability education
A VET provider and accredited higher education institution in Riga, founded in 2010, specialising in hospitality and tourism education with a strong focus on digital innovation and sustainable practice.
Builds on: NO LEFTOVER Nordic/Baltic Culinary Arts
HOTEL SCHOOL · Leads the X-VET MOOC (WP3)Profile →
Certification systems
An accreditation, certification and qualification body with 15 years of experience, acting as National Service Provider of Certiport for the recognition of digital competences.
Builds on: ENTREPUBL and SOUND OF BUSINESS
ICEP · Supports the MOOC (WP3) and leads the X-VET certification (WP5)Profile →
VET innovation
The largest educational institution in the Pirot district, with 147 years of tradition in electrical, mechanical and traffic engineering, and an Erasmus+ accreditation for VET.
Builds on: Industry 4.0 At Schools
Technical School Pirot · Supports the Workbook (WP2) and the Hackathons (WP4)Profile →
Gaps and responses
See the results
From gaps to what X-VET delivers
Gap · VET institutions
No structured strategy to embed sustainability in governance, curricula and training
How X-VET responds
The Integrated Sustainability Workbook: the X-VET framework, a competence model and a 10-step process model
About the Workbook →Gap · VET educators
Too little training, too few tools and resources to teach green and digital skills
How X-VET responds
The X-VET MOOC track for educators, and a Training of Trainers on hackathon facilitation
Go to the MOOC →Gap · VET learners
Few chances to apply sustainability to real problems in their future jobs
How X-VET responds
The MOOC track for learners and local sustainability hackathons with companies
About the hackathons →Gap · Recognition
Sustainability skills are rarely recognised by employers across Europe
How X-VET responds
The X-VET certification, aligned with GreenComp, DigComp, EntreComp and EU micro-credentials
About the certification →
News and further reading
All project news →
What is new
The latest from the project, plus studies and reports from across Europe.
Online
The X-VET website is online
thexvetproject.eu is now the home of X-VET: results, the MOOC, news and research, all in one place.
Online
Design of the X-VET MOOC is under way
Led by HOTEL SCHOOL in Riga, the partners are turning the course concept into modules for three learning tracks.
Latvia
X-VET presented at a sustainability seminar in Latvia
HOTEL SCHOOL was invited as an expert speaker on sustainability and introduced X-VET to the audience.
Further reading from around Europe
Cedefop
What is happening with VET and adult learning in the EUKey figures on VET participation and outcomes across the EU · 2024
Cedefop
Embracing human-centred AI to unlock EU competitivenessWhy the twin transition begins with education and training · 2025
European Commission
Learning for the green transition and sustainable developmentThe 2022 Council Recommendation and a handbook of good practice for educators
JRC
GreenComp: the European sustainability competence frameworkThe 12 sustainability competences behind the X-VET competence model
Sources
References
- Cedefop (2024). What is happening with vocational education and training and adult learning in the European Union ↗. Data insights.
- Cedefop (2025). Embracing human-centred AI to unlock EU competitiveness ↗. News article.
- Gadomska-Lila, K., Sudolska, A., & Łapińska, J. (2023). The importance of green competencies in advancing organizational sustainability: The empirical perspective ↗. Sustainable Development.
- Schaltegger, S., Girschik, V., Trittin-Ulbrich, H., Weissbrod, I., & Daudigeos, T. (2024). Corporate change agents for sustainability: Transforming organizations from the inside out ↗. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility.
- Council of the European Union (2020). Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience ↗. 2020/C 417/01.
- Council of the European Union (2022). Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development ↗.
- Council of the European Union (2022). Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability ↗.
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre. GreenComp: the European sustainability competence framework ↗.
Recent updates
How this page has changed
- Page published — based on the research for the X-VET project application and the two key studies behind it, with current Cedefop figures.
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