Gain the skills European employers need with vocational education and training

There are skills gaps across EU sectors, from transport to healthcare, as well as those associated with the EU’s twin green and digital transitions. Jobseekers who take up training to boost their expertise can benefit from these opportunities – while employers can fill critical vacancies in their businesses.

EfVET was set up in 1991 to build a network of VET stakeholders and ensure they are represented in European policymaking. Today the organisation represents more than 450 members in over 60 countries, and reaches more than 1 500 VET providers representing about 2 million learners.

Its advocacy and project manager Emilio Dogliani says that VET has an important role to play in helping to train young people to find their place in the European job market. ‘As the EU market becomes more volatile, with the increasing speed of technological advancements, it becomes paramount to upskill and reskill citizens,’ he says. In particular, he emphasises that NEETs – young people who are not in education, employment or training – can find it useful to consider vocational training as an educational pathway. By doing so, jobseekers can gain skills that are in short supply in the labour market and find meaningful employment as a result.

Official EU figures show that 80% of those who graduated from VET in 2024 are now in employment. The EU target is for 82% of VET graduates to be in employment by 2025.

‘These statistics show that VET is the solution for many jobseekers that wish to access or re-access the labour market,’ says Dogliani. ‘Unfortunately, across Europe, VET still suffers from being considered a second-tier education pathway compared to general education. As a result, awareness of the opportunities that this sector can offer is relatively low.’

Making the most of opportunities

EfVET advises jobseekers to match their skills to in-demand roles in areas from healthcare to IT, and consider how they can use training to improve them further. Some providers of vocational training work with the private sector to ensure that the courses they offer are highly relevant to available roles. Information is also available from local authorities, national services or platforms, where jobseekers can find out what courses are available that build on their existing skills. Finding the most relevant training providers can help jobseekers identify the right course for them.

Once trainees acquire the skills they need, they can then move on to use EURES services as a next step towards establishing their professional careers.

There are also huge benefits for employers, who can find reliable VET sector partners offering a larger pool of potential candidates to fill their vacancies.

Dogliani comments: ‘At EfVET, we insist on the importance of strengthening collaboration between VET centres and businesses, as we believe it is necessary to ensure the relevance of skills learnt. This is important for further training opportunities within companies and to turn people’s careers into lifelong learning.’

He adds: ‘We also highlight the importance of involving research institutes and academia, as they can support the relevance of curricula and identify the skills gaps that VET providers can cover with their training activities.’

EfVET and EURES have worked together on the EURES campaign ‘Your career takes you places’. Over five months, the campaign aims to raise awareness of how EURES can support young people as they move from education into employment across Europe. EfVET highlighted the campaign across five channels, including its own members space, website and social media.

Visit the website or contact EfVET by contactefvet [dot] org (email) for more information.