Closer industry cooperation, flexible training and more mobility are at the centre of the new European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training.
On 5 November 2026, the long-awaited European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training has been released within the Education and Skills Package 2026. The overall objective, which was made clear in the press conference given by Roxana Mînzatu just before the release, is to make Vocational Education and Training (VET) a first-choice pathway and a source of competitiveness, quality jobs, and resilience.
Based on Cedefop’s projections, investment in digitalisation and AI, decarbonisation, and defence is expected to increase demand for industrial and technical skills. The strategy therefore focuses on helping VET systems respond to changing skills needs (see SwissCore article). The proposed measures in the VET Strategy follow three main objectives: improving the quality and agility of VET systems, strengthening their role in strategic sectors and labour-market transitions, and making European VET more open and connected.
One of these measures is the European Sectoral Training Accelerator, which the Commission plans to pilot in 2027. It will test how VET providers can add short, flexible training modules developed at EU level to their national programmes, including through micro-credentials (see SwissCore article). These modules are not intended to replace national qualifications but complement them. For the training content, the Accelerator will also draw inspiration from WorldSkills and EuroSkills occupational standards to strengthen vocational excellence and cooperation with industry.
Another focus point is strengthening basic skills so that VET learners can continue learning and can adapt throughout their careers. This will be accompanied by a joint programme with the Council of Europe on citizenship education. The Commission also plans to set up a European Vocational Excellence Network in 2027. The network will support national and regional policymakers by drawing on successful approaches from the Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence (more information on CoVEs, see SwissCore article).
To strengthen the connection between VET and industry, the Commission proposes VET Business Partnerships. These will bring together employers, VET providers, and applied research organisations to share equipment, training facilities and modules developed with industry. Alongside these partnerships, the Commission plans to establish sectoral apprenticeship clusters through the European Alliance for Apprenticeships in 2027. These should allow employers and training partners to share training capacity, strengthen mentoring and test new approaches to apprenticeships for young people and adults.
On mobility, the strategy aims to make learning periods abroad an integral part of VET, with clear arrangements for preparation, assessment, and recognition (see SwissCore article). In 2023, only an estimated 5.3% of VET learners took part in mobility abroad, still far below the EU target of at least 12% by 2030. To help address the barriers, the Commission plans to set up an EU marketplace for the mobility of VET learners and apprentices in 2028. It will help providers and employers find partners, offer support for organising mobility and raise awareness of the opportunities available. Erasmus+ will remain a key instrument for supporting VET mobility and cooperation. For Swiss VET stakeholders, this is particularly relevant in view of Switzerland’s planned association to the programme from 2027, pending the decision of the national council.
Several priorities in the strategy reflect established features of Switzerland’s apprenticeship model. Swiss VET is predominantly organised through a dual system, combining workplace-based learning with vocational schooling. Inter-company courses complement this training by bringing apprentices from different companies together to learn fundamental practical skills at dedicated training centres. This allows apprentices to practise occupational techniques outside their companies’ day-to-day operations. While the arrangements differ, the strategy’s emphasis on closer industry cooperation and shared training facilities offers parallels with this Swiss approach. The strengths of Switzerland’s vocational training system are also visible on the international stage through its success at this year’s WorldSkills, where it ranked third overall and first among the European countries. Specifically, Switzerland showed world class talent in exactly the named strategic fields like industrial mechanics, mechatronics, mechanical engineering CAD, software applications development, welding and many more. There might be an interesting opportunity for both sides, Switzerland and the EU, to collaborate within the intention of creating a new European VET Area.