VET excellence and inclusion for the 21st century

The purpose of this research is to compare how countries relate the broad VET-policy objectives of ‘excellence’ and ‘inclusion’ to each other and whether these seemingly opposing priorities complement or contradict each other. It will deepen Cedefop’s understanding of the challenges facing European vocational education and training (VET) in the coming decades.

The research builds on the results of the Cedefop project on ‘The Changing nature and role of VET in Europe’ project (2015-18) as well as the ‘Future of VET’ project (2019-22) whose aim was to draw a ‘big picture’ of European VET- developments. Both studies observed the changing character of VET, noting that while traditional VET delivered at upper secondary level still plays a key-role in European countries, it is being complemented and reshaped by the expansion of higher-level VET and the increasing importance of continuing VET and lifelong learning. This research seeks to further deepen Cedefop’s understanding of the interaction between the broad objectives of excellence and inclusion in Europe. As there are no closed definitions, these concepts could materialise according to different perspectives.

The study uses as a basis the analytical framework of Cedefop’s research (2015-2022) which elaborates on conceptions of VET across countries and their changes over time. The work is supported by a consortium of European research institutions and a network of national experts reporting on developments in the 30 countries covered by the project.

Thematic focus:

The research is divided into three thematic areas:

• Evolving national VET objectives and priorities: a mapping of how national VET systems have addressed the objectives of excellence and inclusion will be made.
• Excellence and inclusion – concept exploration and inclusion in national VET objectives: based on the comparative and historical data collected, the focus will be to explore the conceptual foundation of these objectives and how they inform practical policies and reforms.
• Expanding VET at higher levels and the implications for excellence and inclusion: the study will examine the emerging role and characteristics of expansion of VET at higher levels and how this influences the objectives of excellence and inclusion.