European ministers endorsed the Herning Declaration, charting a future-oriented VET agenda to tackle skills gaps and making VET more attractive.
On 12 September, ministers for vocational education and training (VET) across Europe convened in Denmark and endorsed the ‘Herning Declaration on attractive and inclusive Vocational Education and Training for increased competitiveness and quality jobs 2026-2030’. By adopting this document, European governments reaffirmed their commitment to a common ambitious, future-oriented vision for VET. At the heart of this vision is the notion that learners in vocational education or training play a key role in addressing urgent skills shortages and in strengthening European competitiveness. Accordingly, making VET a more attractive and esteemed choice for young people, ensuring close cooperation with social partners to align VET curricula with real labour market needs, and expanding excellence initiatives across Europe feature prominently in the strategic document.
The Herning Declaration continues the legacy of the so-called ‘Copenhagen process’: Since 2002, EU Member States (MS) and candidate countries jointly set an agenda for modernising and reforming their VET systems. MS had previously adopted the 2020 Council recommendation on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, as well as the ‘Osnabrück Declaration’, which strategically positioned VET in the context of the twin transitions and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (see SwissCore article). Building on these milestones, this year’s Danish presidency took the opportunity to update and frame the European VET agenda in light of present challenges. In particular, the Herning Declaration draws heavily on the European Commission’s Union of Skills framework (see SwissCore article), which highlights the importance of VET in mitigating skills mismatches and training a future-proof workforce in key sectors such as STEM. Moreover, demographic and technological changes feature more heavily in this updated VET agenda.
The Declaration sets out 13 actions at national level and four actions at European level for the next five years. Among these, promoting VET as an appealing choice for young learners emerges as a clear priority. A 2016 survey by CEDEFOP found that 82% of respondents believe general education to have a more positive image than vocational education in their home country. At the same time, only about half (57.8%) reported that they were given information about VET at the time of choosing their upper secondary learning pathway. These results highlight the potential for better communication about the opportunities and benefits of VET, such as its strong labour market alignment and graduates’ employability in key sectors, to improve its appeal. Other priority areas identified in the Herning Declaration include the better integration of AI in VET curricula and training systems, further development of higher VET, as well as continued investments into excellence initiatives. Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), for instance, have proven effective as networks which support national reforms through best practice exchange between VET providers and teachers.
The Declaration was signed by MS, candidate countries, EEA countries, and a number of social partners. Switzerland, represented by Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research, and Innovation, was invited to join the informal meeting of EU ministers in Herning and informally endorsed the document. During ministerial discussions on how to improve the attractiveness and excellence of European VET, Ms Hirayama presented the Swiss VET system as an example of good practice: VET enjoys high esteem in Switzerland with roughly two-thirds of students choosing to enter the VET system at upper secondary level. Particularly well regarded internationally are its dual teaching system which exposes students early to workplace-based learning, as well as its shared governance between public and private partners. At the same time, Switzerland is preparing its VET system for megatrends such as digitalisation, globalisation and changing labour markets through its 2030 strategy. By endorsing the ambitions set out in the Herning Declaration, Switzerland signals that it will remain a strong partner in European VET.