The 2002 Copenhagen declaration set up a process of cooperation in vocational education and training (VET) in Europe, involving governments, social partners and EU institutions, with the participation of EU Member States, Norway, Iceland and candidate countries. While previous communiqués focused on general short-term objectives for VET (Maastricht, Helsinki, Bordeaux communiqués), a long-term vision for VET in 2020 was agreed in 2010 (Bruges communiqué), with a commitment to implement a series of actions by 2014. Building on the principles and achievements of the cooperation agreed in Bruges, actions in 2015-20 focus on five medium-term deliverables defined in the Riga conclusions (2015). These new deliverables reinforce the 2020 vision for VET forming an integral part of the Education and training 2020 strategic framework and its priorities with a proposed identical policy cycle up to 2020. More...

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From here you can navigate the database by apprenticeship scheme to learn more about the specific features of one or more schemes: target group, overview of the scheme, qualifications attainable, duration, alternation of work-based (in-company) training and school-based training, formal relationship with the employer, remuneration and responsibility of employers. More...

The European database on Apprenticeships, produced within Cedefop’s Department for Learning and Employability, is based on information collected in the first half of 2016 as part of Cedefop’s study “Apprenticeships: A Cross-National Overview” (forthcoming, 2018). The study carried out a mapping of apprenticeship schemes considered as such in the national official definitions, i.e. what governments define as such by means of norms and minimum legal requirements. Only schemes with a stable/valid legal basis and which are system-level or mainstream schemes were considered. Pilot schemes, even when underpinned by a legal basis, were out of the scope of the study. More...

We invite you to answer a few questions to help us better understand how you use information on labour market trends and skills anticipation and what type of skill mismatch you most commonly encounter. More...

Explore innovative policy instruments focused on matching skills to current and future skill needs in each EU country. Click on policy instruments to view initiatives matching the search filter(s) used. More...

Skills Development represents the training and education activities of the country and the immediate outputs of that system in terms of the skills developed and attained. Sub-pillars are included to distinguish compulsory education, and other education and training (lifelong learning activities). The basic education sub-pillar comprises 3 indicators to measure quality, participation and achievement in compulsory education: pre-primary pupil-to-teacher ratio; share of population aged 15-64 with at least upper secondary education; and reading, maths & science scores (aged 15). The third indicator corresponds to one if the EU education and training targets for 2020, namely to reduce the underachievement in reading, maths and science below 15%. The training and other education sub-pillar comprises 3 indicators to measure participation and achievement in lifelong learning activities: participation in recent training; participation in VET; and achievement of high computer skills. The first indicator corresponds to one of the EU education and training targets for 2020, namely to reach 15% adult participation in learning. Detailed information on the definitions and the background of these indicators can be found in the Technical Report. More...

This section presents estimates for future employment for a specific sector. These are presented for both percentage growth and change in absolute numbers. Additional graphs present the top 10 occupations of employment and the employment by qualification in absolute numbers for the selected sector. It is possible to filter by a single sector and a single country, and compare its estimates with other countries. More...

This section presents a country summary of estimates for future employment, future total job openings and future labour force growth. In terms of future employment the top 10 sectors and occupations are presented for both percentage growth and change in absolute numbers. The occupations with the highest replacement demand and total job openings are presented in absolute numbers. Regarding future labour force growth, its percentage growth by age group, gender and qualification is available. It is possible to filter by country. More...

This section presents estimates of future total job openings by country and occupation. These include job openings to occur in the future due to both expansion of employment and the need to replace existing workforce leaving the occupation for various reasons, with retirement being the most common. It is possible to filter by occupation and/or country. Different start and end year points are offered as options in order to view both the short and the medium term. The purpose of the graphs below is provide a comparative view of job openings across occupations and countries. More...