On 3 December, the tri-partite Advisory Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT) adopted unanimously an opinion on the future of vocational education and training after 2020.

The ACVT, which has the task of assisting the Commission in implementing a Community vocational training policy, adopted an opinion on the future of vocational education and training after 2020.

The ACVT opinion sets a shared vision of governments, trade unions and employers' organisations from EU Member States and partner countries on how to help vocational education and training (VET) systems adapt to the future societal and economic challenges. 

The opinion stresses:

• the role of VET in supporting acquisition of job specific and transversal skills,
• calls for a better balancing of investment and funding between initial and continuing VET, and
• the dual objectives of VET for fostering social inclusion and excellence.

The opinion calls for the setup of excellent, inclusive and lifelong VET and defines:

• the building blocks of future fit vocational education and training
• three key objectives to achieve this vision related to the
  • content of VET,
  • provision of VET and
  • governance of VET systems.
• stakeholders views on the main features of the future European cooperation in VET and possible actions to be carried out at European level.

Source: European Commission