Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges that will reshape societies and labor markets around the world. Together with technological change, demographic pressures, and geopolitical instability, it places a greater demand on the expertise of Education and training (VET) requirements that go far beyond simple job readiness. VET is now expected to be a driver of innovation, a supporter of inclusion and a contributor to resilience and growth, providing individuals with the skills to secure decent employment.

Green transformation and new skills requirements

The green transformation requires new skills in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable production and circular economy practices. Traditional VET approaches that have focused narrowly on immediate vocational skills are no longer sufficient. VET systems need to develop adaptability, transversal competences and lifelong learning pathways. Teachers need to be prepared not only to transmit knowledge, but also to act as facilitators, coaches and innovators. VET institutions need to integrate research, entrepreneurship and innovation into their strategies, linking education with economic and social development.

Professional excellence as the answer

The European Training Foundation (ETF) and its partners have developed concept professional excellence as a vision and a practical framework. Excellence is not an elite ambition for a select few, but a systems approach that positions VET as a driver of competitiveness, inclusion and resilience. Centres of Professional Excellence (CoVEs) embody this framework. Their role is to act as organizers in skills ecosystems, which connect education, research, industry and society. Within these ecosystems, CoVEs align education with industrial strategies, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and contribute to regional and sectoral development, thereby addressing socio-economic challenges, including the shortage of green skills.

Integration of digital, green and entrepreneurial competencies

For successful management of climate change and the green transition, it is crucial that VET integrated digital, green and entrepreneurial competencies and made them central to the provision of education. Successful CoVEs engage in applied research and development, infusing knowledge into teaching and local industry, while developing entrepreneurship and innovation as part of their mission. Key systemic building blocks that create fertile ground for excellence include research and development functions, which make VET not only a consumer, but also a producer of knowledge.

Networking and internationalization for resilience

The experience of the ENE (Network for Excellence) initiative confirms that excellence cannot be developed in isolation. Networking is both a prerequisite and a condition for excellence. Initiatives such as ENE, which has brought together over 330 institutions from over 50 countries in four years, serve as a global community of practice where experiences are exchanged and approaches to systemic reforms are co-created. Internationalisation, although VET has often been seen as a local service, is essential and brings mobility for students and staff, common curricula, participation in cross-border projects and increases the reputation of institutions. It also helps to equip students with intercultural competences and a global mindset.

Based on this knowledge, developing excellence in VET and addressing climate challenges is key to: institutionalize excellence through transparent recognition systems, strengthen system components such as national qualifications frameworks and quality assurance, strengthen institutions by granting autonomy and investing in teachers, support networking a to embrace internationalization as a fundamental component of excellence. The path to vocational excellence is dynamic and evolving, requiring vision, perseverance and strong collaboration to transform VET into a driver of innovation, inclusion and competitiveness in the context of climate change. JRi