[Brussels, Belgium – 21.10.2026]
The 2026 Annual EfVET Conference, titled “Global Citizenship Empowered by VET”, has just kicked off today at the SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre. From 21 to 23 October, the 35th edition of the Conference is bringing together 600 TVET stakeholders from Europe and beyond, including policymakers, educators, researchers, industry leaders, EU officials and learners, to explore how vocational education and training (VET) can prepare people to act as engaged citizens in a changing world.
The Conference will start this Wednesday evening with an institutional opening by Mario Nava, Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) at the European Commission and continue with a full programme until Friday 23 October. This year, the Conference is also an official event of the European Skills and VET Week, the EU initiative coordinated by Cedefop and the European Commission that celebrates excellence in vocational education and training and raises its visibility across Europe.
This year’s theme and its relevance for VET
Technological acceleration, geopolitical uncertainty and growing interdependence are reshaping societies and labour markets alike. In this context, the 2026 theme puts the spotlight on VET’s role beyond employability: equipping learners with the values, agency and resilience they need to participate actively in their communities and in a globalised world. When embedded in curricula, teaching practices and work-based learning, global citizenship helps learners respond to trends and technological change and contribute to more cohesive and resilient societies.
How can VET institutions nurture civic engagement alongside technical skills? What role should teachers and trainers play in fostering critical thinking and responsibility? How can work-based learning prepare learners for diverse, intercultural workplaces? And how can VET help build more inclusive and resilient communities across Europe?
Over three days, participants will tackle these questions with a high-level line-up of speakers from European institutions, international organisations and industry. Following EfVET President James Calleja’s opening address on Thursday, speakers will include Pilvi Torsti, Director of the European Training Foundation; Anna Barbieri, Team Leader in the Vocational Education and Training Unit at DG EMPL, European Commission; Salvador Sala, Head of the European Space for Citizenship Education Unit at the Council of Europe; Shizuka Kato, Policy Analyst at the OECD; and Menno Bart, Head of Policy Advocacy at the Adecco Group.
Alongside high-level policy panels, the programme features interactive workshops, roundtables and networking opportunities for EfVET members and delegates. For the first time, EfVET conference will also include the thematic exhibition “The Hands that Built Europe”: a cultural initiative to identify, study and celebrate the stories of Europe’s most inspiring figures of work and vocational learning, across centuries and disciplines. It will showcase past and present virtuous European figures who contributed to the development of vocational education and training – ‘VET champions’ – in areas such as apprenticeships, research, work-based learning, evaluation of competences, inclusion of most disadvantaged learners through VET, etc.
Youth Forum: putting learners at the centre
On Friday, the Conference will open with the high-level keynote speech by Brigitte van den Berg, Member of the European Parliament, who will also speak to the students taking part in the 2026 EfVET Youth Forum. Running in parallel with the Conference, the Forum will gather more than 30 VET students from training centres across Europe. Now in its third edition since its launch in 2024, the Forum is EfVET’s flagship initiative to foster international collaboration among VET learners, and this year it shares the Conference theme of global citizenship.
Over three days, students will take part in activities, visit the European institutions and join dedicated workshops while connecting with peers from different countries. The Forum will culminate in a final Youth Forum Panel on Friday 23 October, where students will pitch the results of their work to the full Conference audience.
EfVET will share highlights from the Conference and Youth Forum on its social media channels throughout the week. For daily updates, please follow the LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Journalists and media operators interested in covering the event are encouraged to contact Advocacy and Project Manager Emilio Dogliani (emilio.dogliani@efvet.org).
About EfVET
The European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (EfVET) is an EU nonprofit umbrella organisation, established in 1991 with the purpose of building a network of VET stakeholders and secure a voice across Europe in European policymaking and practice arenas. EfVET represents 500+ members from 60+ countries (including Africa and Asia), reaching 5K+ VET providers, 200K+ VET practitioners and 2M+ learners.