Although the EU faces skills shortages, a new report shows the limited progress achieved in reforming national VET systems and making VET more attractive.
As the European Commission (EC) prepares the upcoming European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (VET) for the third quarter of 2026, it is increasing efforts to take stock of VET systems in the EU. In this context, the EC recently published a report to the Council, which presents national reforms in the VET domain. In particular, the report measures progress achieved in the priority areas identified in the 2020 Council Recommendation on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience, which, together with the Osnabrück and Herning declarations (see SwissCore article), serve as the EU’s policy framework for VET. It mainly draws on data collected from CEDEFOP and the ETF, as well as exchanges with Member States (MS).
Overall, the report presents a mixed picture of the state of play of national VET systems. This is despite vocational education receiving increased political attention in recent years, driven by the horizontal integration of skills policies into sectoral policy frameworks. For instance, the Clean Industrial Deal, as well as other strategic documents, refer to growing skills shortages that require vocational qualifications. Due to education being an exclusive MS competence, however, improvements are achieved piecemeal, depending on national political will and implementation capacity. This is why, even in areas where progress is reported, MS advance very differently.
The report primarily includes updates on the three quantitative targets set out in the 2020 Council Recommendation: While the target of exposing VET learners to work-based learning has been exceeded, reaching 66% in 2025 (target: 60%), and the target for employment rates among VET graduates is within reach with 80.2% (target: 82%), mobility in VET is still lagging behind. Although available data suggests that 5.3% of VET learners and staff were mobile in 2025, the 2024 Council Recommendation Europe on the Move set an ambitious goal of a 12% mobility rate. As experience shows, the vocational sector requires tailored approaches that address the realities of work- and school-based learning of apprentices, for instance with short mobility durations or placements at the end of training (see SwissCore article). The EC further suggests group mobilities as an effective engagement pathway. Besides providing data on the measurable targets, the report highlights three priority themes with modest reform activities: the promotion of equal opportunities, enhanced flexibility and progression opportunities in VET, as well as the attractiveness of VET pathways.
The perception of VET as an attractive learning pathway is also the subject of a newly published special Eurobarometer. The survey reveals that around three-quarters of Europeans perceive VET to have a more negative image than general education. Responses suggest that this may be due to beliefs that vocational education fails to equip learners with basic and transversal skills, and that expected income is lower. However, respondents value VET programmes for their ability to provide labour-market-relevant skills, which in turn lead to job opportunities and expected high employability. The EC report complements these insights, highlighting the need for VET to be attractive to teachers and trainers as well. Teacher shortages are prevalent across the EU and exacerbated in vocational education systems, where complex learning needs and issues surrounding the recognition of teaching qualifications decrease the appeal of the profession.
Throughout the report, the role of Erasmus+ in achieving the ambitious targets set by the 2020 Council Recommendation and follow-up frameworks like the Herning Declaration is clear: Internationalisation and mobility are important tools to make VET more attractive for learners and staff. Through cooperation formats, the programme also contributes to the further development of VET programmes and teaching methodologies. While Erasmus+ is often misunderstood as a funding tool for higher education, it already provides ample opportunities to the VET sector. However, the report also finds that demand cannot be met with the current budget dedicated to the sector, with reportedly 43% of mobility demands not being fulfilled in 2024. Taken together with increasing political calls for more VET representation on the political and programme level (see SwissCore article), we may see strengthened funding for VET in the upcoming programme period 2028-2034.