The Swedish government has overall responsibility for the education system and sets the policy framework at all education levels. National goals and learning outcomes are defined centrally but with decentralised implementation. Swedish vocational education and training (VET) starts after compulsory education at age 16 and includes programmes at…

In a context of crisis and accelerating megatrends, Cedefop has continued to focus attention on the vocational education and training (VET), skills and employment dimensions of the twin transition. Its work helped assess the implications of current challenges for VET systems and qualifications and stimulated reflection on how policies contribute…

In the framework of European countries' cooperation on VET and lifelong learning, Cedefop monitors, analyses and reports on countries' priorities and activities. Cedefop's role in the process is pivotal: it gathers the necessary national information through its network of expertise spanning all EU Member States, Iceland and Norway, ReferNet, and…

To know which skills are required at which levels, in which areas, for whom, and how, is crucial. For this purpose, Cedefop has been stepping up its skills intelligence work. A high-level virtual conference in 2021, followed by a series of thematic workshops, kick-started Cedefop's next generation skills intelligence activities. It provided new…

Microcredentials are not new. They have been in use in various countries and education and training sectors; they have played a role, among others, in the certification of IT courses or health workers' professional development. However, only recently have microcredentials gained EU-wide attention in policy debates. Most countries, as yet, have no…

Demographic trends and technological change increase the need for adults to learn and adapt to changing job content and working conditions. Despite this, most EU Member States have consistently underperformed in their efforts to reach targets for adult participation in lifelong learning. In 2010, the EU set a target of 15% of adults participating…

Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) are absent both from the labour market and the education sector, thus facing a high risk of professional, digital and social exclusion. Analyses of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic show that, in spite of EU countries' bold response to this crisis protecting jobs, businesses and…

This study examines changes in the way that knowledge, skills and competence are differentiated in curricula, and how learning is organised across different learning sites: in classrooms, workshops or laboratories, and at workplaces. The study collected information through Cedefop's ReferNet network, in-depth country case studies, and an online…

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Latvia. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the pilot…

Building on the findings of Cedefop/ReferNet thematic perspectives for EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, this synthesis report identifies recent trends and policy developments in Europe on the initial and continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers. The report points to the different types of VET teachers and trainers in…

This report describes how entrepreneurship competence is embedded in vocational education and training (VET) in Italy. It complements existing knowledge with examples of methods, tools and approaches that can help policy-makers, VET providers and other stakeholders build better entrepreneurial learning ecosystems. The report is based on the pilot…

This study examines the role of microcredentials in supporting learning for employment. The study collected information through an online survey among mostly European VET providers, national authorities, employee and employer organisations, in-depth country case studies and interviews, as well as Cedefop's ReferNet network. While the topic has…

This study examines the way in which institutional arrangements for the delivery of IVET have changed in response to shifts in skills demand. Although these arrangements vary across countries, it is possible to identify common trends over time, such as institutional hybridisation, the blurring of boundaries between IVET and general education.…

This report was prepared in the course of the Cedefop project "The future of vocational education and training in Europe." The main objective of this study is to map and analyse the dominant assessment forms applied in IVET and how these have evolved during the past 25 years. There is a particular focus on exploring the extent to which…

In a context of considerable interest in apprenticeship in recent years, Cedefop and the OECD decided to explore its future from the perspective of a number of megatrends, including sociodemographic changes, the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies and new forms of work organisation. They also considered how these trends have affected,…