The European Commission has adopted the official implementation report on the 2020 Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience. Five years following its adoption, and in line with Article 36 of the Recommendation, this document takes stock of national reforms and EU-level measures.
The report draws on annual monitoring by Cedefop and the European Training Foundation (ETF), National Implementation Plans (NIPs) submitted by Member States, data from the Advisory Committee for Vocational Training (ACVT), and Eurostat statistical benchmarks. Rather than evaluating the direct impact of individual measures, the report provides a comprehensive stocktaking across the six main priorities set in 2020.
Achievement of Quantitative Targets (2025 Benchmark)
The stocktaking evaluated progress toward the three EU-level quantitative targets:
- Work-based learning (WBL): The share of recent VET graduates exposed to WBL reached an EU average of 66.0% in 2025, successfully exceeding the 60% target.
- Graduate employment: The employment rate for recent VET graduates aged 20–34 reached 80.2% in 2025, close to the 82% target.
- Learner mobility: The VET mobility rate stood at 5.3% in 2023 (140,000 completed mobilities). While showing a positive recovery, it remains below long-term ambitions (such as the 12% target for 2030) due to budgetary and administrative constraints.
Key Findings & Persistent Challenges
While Member States have made significant efforts to adapt VET to green and digital transitions, structural obstacles persist:
- Agility & STEM Skills: Curricula and standards have been widely updated for digital competences. However, basic skills gaps remain, and enrolment in STEM fields within VET (36.3%) is still below the proposed 45% target for 2030.
- Flexibility & Continuous VET: Progress is visible in learning-outcomes approaches and modularization, but micro-credentials remain in early stages. Adult participation in learning (39.5% in 2022) falls short of the 60% target for 2030.
- Innovation & Funding: Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) and modern physical/digital infrastructure are expanding, largely supported by EU funding streams such as Erasmus+, ESF+, and ERDF.
- VET Attractiveness & Teacher Shortages: Stereotypes persist, with 75% of EU citizens agreeing that general secondary education has a more positive image than initial VET. Systems also face growing shortages and an ageing population of VET teachers and trainers.
- Inclusion: Targeted measures effectively support vulnerable groups, but progress on counteracting gender stereotypes in VET and STEM fields remains modest.
Poland in the EU Context
The report notes specific highlights and measures regarding Poland:
- Work-Based Learning: Poland scores slightly above the EU average (~67%) in terms of recent VET graduates exposed to work-based learning.
- STEM and ICT Enrolment: Poland stands out alongside a few other Member States for a high concentration of VET students enrolled in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within STEM fields.