What is EU doing for vocational education and training?

Based on the Copenhagen Process

 the European Commission acts in partnership with national governments, employers' and workers' groups and countries outside the EU to:

• improve the quality of training (initial education, continuing development)
• improve the quality of teachers, trainers and other professionals in the sector
• make courses more relevant to the labour market.

How is this being done?

These objectives are achieved through:

• Work-based learning (WBL) - WBL in Europe(400 kB) 
  

  
• Sector Skills Alliances 
  

  
  - initiative designed to promote European cooperation within a specific sector of the economy
• Skills competitions – supporting events like World Skills
   and Euroskills
• Improving national systems through the European quality assurance framework for vocational education and training (EQAVET) 
  

  
• Agenda for new skills and jobs
   – the EU's strategy for having 75% of its working-age population in work by 2020
• Youth on the Move
   – an EU initiative to help young people to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to make their first job a reality
• Toolkit
   - support for integrating ECVET (European credit system for Vocational Education & Training) into new or existing Mobility Practice

The Commission's work on vocational education and training is supported by two agencies:

• European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
   – provides information and analysis of education & training systems, policies, research and practice in the EU
• European Training Foundation (ETF)
   – works to develop education & training systems in the Western Balkans, neighbouring countries and Central Asia.