The trade unions representing teachers at vocational training schools in Germany (BvLB), Austria (BMHS) and Switzerland (BCH) have expressly welcomed this Commission initiative in the form of a joint declaration. This will enable Europe to meet the needs of an innovative, inclusive and sustainable economy and the digital and green transformation, as well as promoting sustainable growth, social justice and inclusion.

Since 2019, VET teachers’ representative bodies have been involved in the Erasmus Plus VET network “Designing Digitally Supported and Sustainability-Oriented Centres of Excellence in Vocational Education and Training in Europe (DunE-BB-EU 2019-2022)” in order to firm up the design of regional centres of excellence for vocational education and training in Europe.

In the joint exchange, it became clear to the European VET stakeholders that regional VET centres of excellence serve as places of knowledge and innovation. They are where the local, regional, national and international partners and providers of education, VET and higher education all gather and pool their skills so as to design VET that offers high quality and excellence. Learners have the opportunity to obtain general and vocational qualifications at different European Qualifications Framework levels.

In the declaration published at the end of June, the VET teachers’ representative bodies reminded policy makers that national governments also need to invest in transforming vocational schools into regional digitally enabled centres of excellence in vocational education and training with 360 degrees of sustainability education. Europe needs more than 100 centres of excellence in vocational education and training to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the international-national climate change targets by 2050.

The Joint Declaration on the Design of Regional Centres of Excellence in Vocational Education and Training in Europe is available in the following languages: English – German – French – Italian.