Brussels, 26 May – EfVET participated in the inauguration of the VET House by the European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB), a key milestone for Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Europe.
Thiemo Fojkar, President of EVBB, opened the event by explaining what the VET House represented, emphasizing its role as a hub of collaboration, and welcomed the speakers and listeners.
Theodor Grassos, the Secretary General of EVBB, recounted the history of EVBB and emphasized its collaborations with EVTA and EfVET, highlighting their collective efforts to promote VET throughout Europe. He subsequently presented the vision for the VET House and introduced the speakers for the “Welcome Policy Speeches”.
The keynote speakers featured Mario Nava, the Director-General of DG EMPL at the European Commission, who commended VET organizations for their essential contributions to education, inclusion, and skill development. He underscored the vital importance of VET in the Green Transition and the Union of Skills initiative.
Eleonora Meleti, a Member of the European Parliament and a participant in the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), emphasized the role of vocational education and training (VET) in empowering women, stressing its importance in promoting their independence and integration into the workforce.
Brigitte Van den Berg, also a Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), discussed the impact of AI on VET and advocated for greater recognition and dignity for VET qualifications. She then highlighted the symbolism of opening the VET House, “The VET House, it’s not just a training centre, it’s an empowerment house a place of opportunity that can bring people together. We really need to put an effort in getting VET diplomas recognized all over Europe.”
Olga Kafetzopoulou, the Secretary General for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning of the Hellenic Republic, underscored the strategic significance of the VET House in fostering skills essential for both professional and personal development, with the goal of establishing VET as the preferred route for high-quality training and employment.
The panel discussion, named “The Union of Skills: Empowering Europe through VET”, offered significant insights from policymakers and experts about the improvement of VET’s function in boosting Europe’s competitiveness. Hjørdis V. Dalsgaard, a Policy Officer at the European Commission, detailed the Union of Skills strategy, emphasizing its cooperative initiatives to strengthen Europe’s skills ecosystem.
Georgios Zissimos from the European Training Foundation (ETF) discussed the international dimension of the Union of Skills and highlighted the evolution of VET into a comprehensive skills ecosystem. He then shared how VET evolved across Europe, “Europe was very attractive, and everybody was looking at the VET system in Europe in the past. Now, Europe is looking outside and is trying to learn from great initiatives that’s also unique. This is the evolution of the VET school to become a skills ecosystem”.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Theodor Grassos, reaffirming the commitment to advancing VET across Europe through collaboration and innovation. We, at EfVET, are thankful for the invitation and we join EVBB’s efforts to keep collaborating and innovating in VET across Europe.
