Vocational education and training for the future of work [country reports]

The trend towards further digitalisation, including advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies, in EU labour markets highlights a need for adaptiveness on behalf of vocational education and training (VET) systems, so they can adequately prepare citizens for the challenges of the future of work and equip students with 'robot-proof' skills. In these thematic perspective reports, prepared by Cedefop's ReferNet network, timely information is provided on the extent to which European initial and continuing VET systems have responded to the challenges associated with the...  [+] Show more

The trend towards further digitalisation, including advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies, in EU labour markets highlights a need for adaptiveness on behalf of vocational education and training (VET) systems, so they can adequately prepare citizens for the challenges of the future of work and equip students with 'robot-proof' skills. In these thematic perspective reports, prepared by Cedefop's ReferNet network, timely information is provided on the extent to which European initial and continuing VET systems have responded to the challenges associated with the introduction of digitalisation and industry 4.0 technologies in economies. The reports also present examples of VET systems using digital technologies for enabling distance and online student learning, a key requirement following the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] Covid-19 crisis. Country-specific insights are provided on national policy strategies and VET policy programmes or initiatives responding to digitalisation, the use of AI/big data methods for identifying skill needs and recent national initiatives and training programmes for adapting to automation and AI.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website.

The individual reports and their authors are as follows: Austria / Roland Loffler and Martin Mayerl; Belgium / Nicolas Roland, Isabelle Allinckx; Croatia / Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education [author], Nino Buic and Sandra Dobric [contributors]; Cyprus / Aristos Theocharous; Estonia / Karin Ruul and Inga Kukk; Finland / Aapo Koukku, Olga Lappi and Paula Paronen; France / Vincent Joseph; Germany / Adrienne Huismann; Hungary / Gergely Csik, Katalin Szucsne Szabo; Ireland / Nora Condon and Nina Burke; Italy / Tiziana D'Amico; Netherlands / Anneke Westerhuis; Poland / Marta Ponikowska; Portugal / Fernanda Ferreira; Romania / Elena Beatrice Cerkez; Slovakia / Juraj Vantuch and Dagmar Jelinkova; Slovenia / Mateja Hergan and Metka Slander; Spain / Ines Sancha Gonzalo; Sweden / Skolverket.