On 12–13 November around 160 delegates gathered in Stockholm for the conference “The Role of VET”. The discussions during the conference focused on the challenges facing vocational education and training in the future, in the short and long term. One way of meeting these challenges is to make VET a more attractive option and raise its status by improving the quality of VET programmes.

Greater flexibility and individualisation are needed to reach more people. Another important element is increased interaction: cooperation with the world of work through the development of workplace-based training, and increased cooperation and mobility by implementation of the common European tools. In addition, more action is needed to reach young people and vulnerable groups.

“Europe must accept that we must learn all life long,” concluded Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth.