Professor James Calleja was a keynote speaker at the 2025 FET Colleges Ireland Conference which was held at Knights brook Hotel, Meath. Over 130 Principals and Deputy Principals participated in the two-day conference. The event was organised by SOLAS Learning Works, the FET Colleges Ireland and NAPD the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals. The theme for the conference was FET – the First Learner Choice.  

The conference provided a platform for the remarkable graduates of the FET Colleges to showcase their success stories. It also served Principals and Deputy Principals to network and exchange ideas on the significance of FET in the modern educational landscape. Among the speakers at the conference was the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless. 

Top class students shared their learning and working experiences when joining FET courses and their success in finding a rewarding career. Other speakers included Andrew Brownless CEO of SOLAS, Professor Tom Collins President Emeritus and professor of education at Maynooth University, Paul Crone, NAPD Director, Dearbhail Lawless CEO of AONTAS and Michael Murphy Chair Further Education and Training Colleges Ireland FETCI. 

Professor Calleja shared his ideas on the theme V(F)ET as a first choice for learners – a European perspective. He mentioned that the phrase make VET a first choice rather than a second option was first published in the Maastricht Communique of 2024 and in subsequent meetings of the Copenhagen Process. The Union of Skills is today the new flagship of the EC aiming at promoting VET through various initiatives including a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training among other 22 other measures. 

EfVET’s President outlined several conditions that will enable learners to make VET their first choice among which the need for more work-based learning, updating of curricula, increased learner services, strong industry connection through public-private partnerships, an inclusive approach for all learning as well as sustainable planning and funding. 

Professor Calleja drew case studies from countries that implement these conditions namely Switzerland, Australia, Austria, Singapore, New Zealand and Germany. He stressed the need for the EC, governments, employers, Ministers for Education and Finance and policy-makers to lead by example and make VET their first choice in resourcing. 

He referred to EfVET’s drive to be a strong voice for European VET training providers by drawing an implementation agenda for a European VET strategy that will feed into the European Commission’s initiative. He reiterated his personal view that there can be no sustainable VET strategy without training providers leading its implementation a view which was supported by the Irish audience at the FET Conference.