In order to contribute to shaping the upcoming VET Strategy of the European Commission, education trade unions adopted a position paper on this topic. According to CEDEFOP, only 18% of VET teachers believe that their profession is valued. For one third of VET teachers their profession was not the first choice. On average VET teachers receive 11% less salary than other tertiary educated professionals, while only 40% of VET teachers are satisfied with their jobs. Therefore, education trade unions believe that initial VET is not only about attractiveness of the learners but about making each VET institute a high-quality learning and working environment for the students and teachers. VET sector should be made equally attractive for the teachers. This is why the new VET Strategy should strengthen the commitments of the Herning Declaration of EU ministers on VET teachers, namely : “ Address shortages of teachers and trainers in VET by making the profession more attractive by ensuring their professional autonomy, and by continuing to invest in their initial pedagogical qualifications and professional development and in supportive working conditions and environments, including school leadership”. ETUCE believes that the next VET Strategy could be a good opportunity for the European Commission to remind the Member States to ensure their implementation of these essential commitments of with effective social dialogue with the teachers’ trade unions.
The position paper calls the European Commission to:
Treat VET as a public good serving both society and individuals, not only companies or short-term labour market needs;
Maintain a strong general education foundation in all VET curricula to foster critical thinking, civic responsibility, and key competences for green and digital transitions;
Ensure sustained public investment in VET institutions, infrastructure, staff;
Guarantee meaningful social dialogue with education trade unions at all levels;
Prioritise the attractiveness and status of the VET teaching profession by ensuring:
ETUCE and its member organisations reaffirm that high-quality, inclusive, publicly funded initial VET systems, supported by a valued and well-resourced VET teaching profession, are the foundation for delivering the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Education Area, and a socially just green and digital transition. We stand ready to work with European institutions, CEDEFOP, European Training Foundation, Member States, other social partners, to strengthen VET systems across Europe.
New EU Strategy should focus on making VET teachers’ profession attractive
