The latest monitoring process of developments in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in the EU candidate countries, as part of the Osnabrück Declaration, has begun. A first meeting of EU candidate countries' authorities with national and international experts and the ETF’s Osnabrück team took place 20 January 2022.

The digital transition also means that vocational education and training must constantly change and adapt, especially given changes in traditional occupations and the emergence of new ones. VET teachers and trainers and school leaders and staff must also adjust to the technological changes of digitalisation by upgrading their skills and to ensure sufficient standard, delivery and access to learning opportunities for students. This is one of the EU policy priorities up to 2025 stated in both the EU’s Council recommendation on VET and the Osnabrück declaration. 

The Osnabrück Declaration was officially adopted in November 2020 and its support for digital skills development and digital inclusion is an integral component. It focuses on four main areas:

• Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET;
• Establishing a new lifelong learning culture – relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation;
• Sustainability – a green link in VET;
• European education and training area and international dimension of VET.

Activities in 2022

In the first semester 2022, the monitoring exercise will focus on the preparation and submission of the National Implementation Plans for Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey and a country brief for each outlining the latest developments in the VET sector.

The ETF will support the implementation of actions in the Osnabrück Declaration in the EU's candidate countries working closely with its sister EU agency Cedefop which will support implementation and undertake monitoring in the EU member states. Both institutions will report annually to the EU institutions.

More information can be found on the ETF’s OpenSpace:

Monitoring of Osnabrück Declaration - official kick off meeting | Open Space (europa.eu)