Vocational excellence is increasingly recognised at global, European and national policy levels as a key driver for strengthening Vocational Education and Training (VET). By raising the status, esteem and attractiveness of VET, it also plays a crucial role in equipping individuals with the skills they need to succeed in fast-changing labour markets, tackled by unprecedented challenges worldwide.
“More than ever, excellence in VET is essential to address Europe's socio-economic challenges and to ensure that VET systems remain responsive and aligned with green and digital transitions, as well as with evolving future needs” said Georgios Zissimos, Head of Policy Advice Unit at the ETF. "we can be even more effective if we look at it in two directions: from the EU to its neighbours and vice versa. Learning from each other”.
“This approach not only promotes competitiveness, but also helps to reduce inequalities, making VET a strategic pillar for sustainable economic growth,” said Jolien van Uden, ETF senior expert on innovative teaching and learning.
Vocational excellence is much more than just high-quality provision of skills — it’s a dynamic, learner-centred approach that positions vocational education as a driver of innovation, economic growth, and social progress. “It thrives in skills ecosystems, linking education, businesses, and research to fuel regional development and smart specialisation. It blends job-specific expertise with key competences, ensuring adaptability in fast-changing labour markets,” added Doriana Monteleone, Human Capital Development Statistician at the ETF.
At the heart of this transformation are Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) - vocational education and training settings that operate within skills ecosystems to contribute to growth and respond to labour market needs. Despite their growing presence around the world, their potential to drive systemic change remains under-exploited.
The European Union (EU) has launched the Union of Skills, a plan to improve high quality education, training and lifelong learning. As part of this strategic initiative, the ETF is exploring further how CoVEs can be better utilized to shape innovative and inclusive VET systems. Through its own network of CoVEs, the ENE network, the ETF is fostering knowledge exchange, partnerships, tools development and internationalisation of VET, the latter supported also through Internationalising vocational excellence (InTVE) an EU-funded project, developed in close pertnership with three VET provider associations EfVET, EVBB and EVTA.
Vocational Education and Training has long been undervalued, often perceived as too technical and unattractive by both students and policymakers. As Giulia Meschino, EVTA's Secretary General, explains, this perception needs to change. "Our vision is to look at the student in a holistic way: it's not just about preparing a future worker, but a full member of society from day one. First and foremost, we want to educate individuals as citizens".
A key step in strengthening VET has been the ETF's self-assessment tool, ISATCOVE, designed to measure the performance of schools and CoVEs. "This is a groundbreaking step," says Paolo Nardi, Executive Director of EfVET. "By quantifying strengths and weaknesses, institutions can identify areas for improvement and seek out partners with complementary expertise. That's the start of new relationships and meaningful change".
But awareness remains a challenge. "It is essential to highlight the full range of EU opportunities available," adds Sotiria Tsalamani, EU project manager at EVBB. "Too often, a lack of information holds institutions and schools back. Opportunities may come once, but the real lesson is to ensure the sustainability of these projects in the long term."
The vision of the ETF and its partners is clear: CoVEs as catalysts for growth and engines for innovation and VET improvement. Ultimately, this means advocating for further implementation of VET reforms.
“All our schools operate through public-private partnerships and align with the country’s industry priorities,” said Basant Hussein, Technical Education Specialist at the Presidency’s National Initiative for the Development of Egyptian Industry (Ebda).
Hussein also underscored the impact of ETF support services, such as the recent VET Winter Camp in Nova Gorica, in fostering both personal and professional growth. “These events have reshaped my perspective on schools, students, and the crucial role of engagement at all levels in making initiatives successful,” she said. “They have also strengthened cooperation among participants on shared challenges, paving the way for future collaboration. Of course, we are eager to take part in Erasmus+ projects for the first time soon.”
For Ilker Akman, Coordinator of the Tophane Centre of Vocational Excellence in Bursa, the recent Winter Camp was a first engagement with the ETF, and the EU in general.
“Vocational education is a strong sector in our country, with well-equipped schools, digitalised and with minimal differences between urban and rural areas,” he notes. “But, for example, national curricula could be updated—there’s always room for growth in these issues. The Ministry of National Education aims to fill the gap in the curriculum through vocational centers of excellence. Staying aligned and receptive with the EU helps everyone in Türkiye, from teachers to students, to develop open-mindedness and engage with other cultures.”
Akman is also set to participate in the final conference of this InTVE project phase, taking place in Turin on 12-13 March.
For those who believe in coincidences, exactly one month before the kick-off of the events in Turin, on the final day of the Winter Camp in Nova Gorica, three of its 25 participants celebrated their birthdays on 12 February. Among them was Elvin Mejidov, Manager of International Cooperation and Projects at the Academy of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.
“I was really surprised when the whole group organised a little celebration during a break,” he recalled. “It may sound simple, but a personal touch and genuine interest are often the first steps in building human connections. In our field, and in all policy-making, networking is crucial—not just as a tool, but as a way of thinking that fosters new ideas and perspectives.”
Mejidov hopes to bring that spirit from Nova Gorica to Baku. “Even without being in Turin, I have already felt the ETF’s innovation, and I want to make the most of it for my country.”
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