Recap of the Forum on Vocational Excellence 2024

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What an inspiring gathering of Vocational Excellence experts, practitioners and policy makers it was! During the 3rd Forum on Vocational Excellence nearly 700 participants from across Europe and beyond gathered to discuss the future of vocational education and training (VET), exchange best practices, and strengthen partnerships. Attendees included policymakers, industry leaders, and representatives from the Community of Practice of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoP CoVEs), as well as the French Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications.

The three-day event, held from September 10 to 12, 2024, at Eurexpo Lyon, offered a diverse program of roundtables, workshops, and demonstrations. The first day offered a plenary program featuring keynote addresses from high-level officials, including French High commissionner of VET Geoffroy de Vitry, Commissioner for Jobs Nicolas Schmit, Manuela Geleng, Director for Skills of the European Commission and French minister of education Nicole Belloubet. A series of roundtable discussions explored key topics such as defining excellence in VET, internationalization of vocational education, and the future role of CoVEs.

Exploring the French Campuses and European CoVEs

During the Forum, participants had the opportunity to visit "European Vocational Villages," where students, teachers, and industry professionals from the French Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications and the Erasmus Centers of Vocational Excellence showcased concrete examples of their work topics such as Industry 4.0, energy transition, digital sovereignty, and cultural industries. These demonstrations were accompanied by cooperative sessions and workshops, designed to foster collaboration among VET stakeholders of the Community of Practice of the CoVEs. If you want to have a look at what the CoVEs and Campuses had on offer, please check the Vocational Excellence booklet, published for the occasion of the Forum.

The French Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications are regional centers which serve as hubs for collaboration between VET providers, businesses, and local governments, offering state-of-the-art training and facilities. On the last day of the Forum participants were invited to visit these campuses in and around Lyon. These visits included a visit to an eco-neighbourhood in Lyon and the Campus Urbanism and Construction, where participants explored innovative urban planning and construction training models. Attendees could also opt to visit the Campus Text’in technological platform at La Martinière Diderot high school, which focuses on advancements in textile technology, and the Campus Lumen, known for its state-of-the-art lighting technology VET programs.

Focus on Inclusion in Technical VET

One of the Forum’s workshops was organised on promoting inclusion in technical VET, with a specific emphasis on attracting more girls to the field. CoVE projects like Governance for Inclusive Vocational Excellence (GIVE), SECOVE, and INVESTech work on approaches to foster diversity in technical education. For more on this topic, check out the co-produced video of CoP CoVEs and the EU STEM Coalition below, featuring interviews with Beatrice Boots, Caroline Pascal, Manuela Geleng, and other stakeholders from the Forum: