Shaping the workforce of tomorrow

The European Skills & VET Week 2026 has officially begun.

The year-long campaign was launched on 2 June, during the 20^th Cedefop Brussels Seminar - Skills for Europe's Competitiveness - co-organised with the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Structured as a pan-European, bottom-up initiative, the Skills & VET Week will galvanise policymakers, social partners, public authorities, education and training providers to help shape the future of skills policies in the EU. It will serve as an umbrella for debates, activities and publications organised by stakeholders across Europe.

By bringing together stakeholders from different sectors and fields, the Week creates an opportunity to bridge perspectives from different actors involved in the path from education to the labour market: the needs of employers and the offerings from training institutions, the realities of workers and the plans of policymakers.

The goal is simple: turn policy into action, and showcase actions that can inspire future policy.

A timely initiative

The campaign comes at a time when skills and training are increasingly seen as central to Europe's competitiveness and resilience.

On a video message recorded for the campaign launch, Juergen Siebel, Cedefop's Executive Director, highlighted the "convergence of pressures" the EU is currently facing: technological transformation, demographic change, an unfolding climate crisis, productivity gaps, and deepening skills and labour shortages.

"Adult learning and vocational education and training are strategic assets in responding to these challenges. Not second-best options, but genuine routes to relevant skills for all, facilitating growth for individuals, the economy and our societies."

Juergen Siebel, Executive Director, Cedefop

This conviction is shared by the European Commission, which has made job quality and the attractiveness of VET key priorities under the Union of Skills strategy and its upcoming VET Strategy.

"The Skills & VET Week is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and help VET achieve the recognition and importance it deserves."

Georgi Dimitrov, member of the Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu

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Echoing the main message of the Skills & VET Week, Elias Margadjis, Director for Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training at the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth of Cyprus, highlighted the role of human capital as a "decisive factor in economic competitiveness and strategic influence":

"In an increasingly knowledge-driven and competitive world, Europe's future prosperity and resilience will depend on its capacity to invest in skills, knowledge, and innovation, and to place human capital at the heart of its long-term development strategy."

Elias Margadjis, Director for Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth of Cyprus

The conversation has begun, but its success will depend on broad participation. From local initiatives to European policy discussions, every contribution counts. The future of work is being shaped today. The European Skills & VET Week is an opportunity for all stakeholders to be part of that journey.

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