Balancing Excellence and Inclusion in European VET
A new publication prepared for Cedefop sheds light on how vocational education and training (VET) systems across Europe have addressed the dual policy objectives of excellence and inclusion over the past 25 years. The study was carried out as part of the Cedefop project VET excellence and inclusion for the 21st century (coordinated by 3s) and contributes to a long-term research strategy on the future of VET in Europe.
Covering developments in the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom, the research builds on earlier Cedefop projects on the changing role and future of VET. It examines national policy documents and standards to assess how objectives of excellence and inclusion are formulated, combined and translated into practice – and whether they are perceived as complementary or contradictory.
Findings show a growing emphasis on both excellence and inclusion in national policies over the past 25 years, even if these exact terms are not always used. At the same time, a shift from narrow to broader and more integrative understandings can be observed. Although the concept of ‘inclusive excellence’ is emerging, it has so far hardly been explicitly anchored in national policy documents. The study underlines that balancing excellence and inclusion is essential to ensure equitable access to high-quality VET, particularly in the context of major challenges such as the green and digital transitions, demographic change, migration and growing social inequalities. It also highlights the value of peer learning between countries in operationalising these objectives at national level.
The research was conducted by a consortium led by 3s, in cooperation with Ockham IPS (Netherlands), and was supervised by Karin Luomi-Messerer. The report is based on contributions by Monika Auzinger, Simon Broek, Karin Luomi-Messerer and Jörg Markowitsch, with valuable input from national experts. The publication aims to inform future European VET strategies and support the development of systems that are both excellent and inclusive.
Cedefop. (2025). VET excellence and inclusion for 21st century: mapping national VET objectives and priorities. Cedefop research paper. Publications Office of the European Union. http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/4202080
Contact: Karin Luomi-Messerer
Client: Cedefop
