News & events
How Seven European Countries Support VET Career Guidance
A blog by: Professor Jaana Kettunen and Dr Sally-Anne Barnes
Career guidance is a vital pillar in supporting individuals navigate education and employment transitions—especially within Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems. As highlighted in the Skills2Capabilities project, all seven countries studied—Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the UK—have taken steps to embed career guidance within their national VET frameworks. Our research shows that VET support funding operates through diverse channels across Europe, combining public sector leadership with strategic partnerships from private industry and third-sector organizations.
Building Stronger VET Systems with Career Guidance at the Core
A blog by: Professor Jaana Kettunen and Dr Sally-Anne Barnes
Career guidance is a vital pillar in suporting individuals navigate education and employment transitions—especially within Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems. As highlighted in the Skills2Capabilities project, all seven countries studied—Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and the UK—have taken steps to embed career guidance within their national VET frameworks.
Skills2Capabilities Workshop: What can we learn from VET and skills practices across Europe?
18th June 2025
The workshop will explore how vocational education and training (VET) and skills practices are shaped by national and regional ecosystems across Europe. Drawing on comparative research and case studies, the session will examine effective approaches to the organisation, delivery, and collaboration in VET systems.
This workshop will be of particular interest to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers involved in VET and skills development, offering practical insights and comparative learning opportunities.
Vocational Education and Training systems in practice: Country Case Studies
Skills2Capabilities Report 7.2 - May 2025
Dr Sally-Anne Barnes, Dr Chandrima Roy, Professor Jaana Kettunen and Hanna Pullinen.
This working paper explores national practices supporting vocational education and training (VET) systems across seven European countries. It builds on prior analysis of national contexts and skills formation systems, focusing on the integration of career guidance and counselling. The report presents seven case studies: Bulgaria’s dual education model; Germany’s Youth Employment Agencies and Vocational Training Ambassadors; Estonia’s compulsory education reform; Norway’s regional collaboration between career centres and the labour and welfare administration; Austria’s Vienna Weeks outreach initiative; Finland’s One-Stop Guidance Centres; and England’s Skills Bootcamps. These cases illustrate diverse approaches to enhancing VET accessibility, relevance, and effectiveness through national reforms, regional partnerships, and employer engagement. They also highlight the role of lifelong guidance in supporting transitions into and through VET pathways. The findings underscore the importance of coordinated, context-sensitive strategies to address labour market needs and promote inclusive, future-ready VET systems.
Skills2Capabilities - Regional Maps Overview
This page provides interactive visualisations developed within the framework of the Skills2Capabilities project. The maps illustrate regional economic, social, digital, and environmental characteristics across selected countries participating in the Project.
Available Maps
- Economic Patents (Germany & Austria)
- Median Age by Region
- Net Migration by Region
- Population Aged 65 and Over
- Broadband Coverage by Region
- Regional Share of Industrial Employment
- Regional Unemployment Rates
- Just Transition Fund Eligibility
- Share of Renewable Energy
Data sources: Statistics Italy (ISTAT), Office for National Statistics (UK), BBSR (Germany), Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), Statistics Austria (Statistik Austria), Statistics Estonia (Eesti Statistika), Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Daniel Unterweger and Tessa Pia Pittrof at the VETNET-Europe Crossing Boundaries Conference
Daniel Unterweger and Tessa Pia Pittrof represented 3s at this year's VETNET-Europe Crossing Boundaries Conference in Palma de Mallorca. They presented findings on the analysis of national skills strategies from the Skills2Capabilities - Horizon Europe project coordinated by 3s, as well as recent work on the role of NGOs in VET. Papers can be accessed via the conference proceedings.
VET skills formation systems - what is the role of guidance?
A blog by: Professor Jaana Kettunen and Dr Sally-Anne Barnes
What kind of skills will future working life require? How do education and guidance systems in different countries support people's transitions in working life - to a new job, employer or sector? These questions are addressed in a recent Skills2Capabilities working paper which examines the skills development systems of seven European countries, and in particular the role of guidance in these systems.
The Effectiveness of Skills Policies.
A presentation for work package 2 by Daniel Unterweger (3s) at the Skills2Capabilities Partner meeting in February 2025.
Artificial Intelligence in Coaching: Improving Productivity and Communication Quality of Call Centre Agents.
A presentation by Didier Fouarge (ROA) at the Skills2Capabilities Partner meeting in February 2025.
Building up Employability: Evidence from VET curricula updates in the Netherlands for work package 6.
A presentation by Ziyue Zhu (ROA) at the Skills2Capabilities Partner meeting in February 2025
IER Participating at 2025 INAP Conference
Emily Erickson and Terence Hogarth will be presenting research from the Skills2Capabilities project at the 2025 INAP conference in Hertfordshire. Their paper considers the impact of policy twists and turns on the content of apprenticeship training, as well as the composition and level of participation within the apprenticeship system. "The Road less Travelled: The Passage Towards a Market-Based Apprenticeship System in England".
Skills2Capabilities consortium meeting on Feb. 6 & 7
Presentations by Didier Fouarge, Babs Jacobs, and Ziyue Zhu from ROA. On 6th and 7th of February, Didier Fouarge, Babs Jacobs, and Ziyue Zhu attended and presented their ongoing research at the Skills2Capabilities consortium meeting in Dortmund, Germany.
Save the date
Skills2Capabilities End of Project Conference, 13-14 November 2025, Maastricht (NL)
Terence Hogarth and Emily Erickson present research on skills mismatch to Skills England On 30 April
Terence and Emily will present evidence from two HE research projects (SkillsPULSE and Skills2Capabilities) on the causes and implications of skills mismatches. The presentation and subsequent discussion will address skill mismatches and how they have been conceptualised, measured and defined in the UK and other countries. The purpose is to demonstrate where the existing knowledge base is relatively strong but also highlight areas where there continues to be gaps. The presentation will reflect on the relatively long history of measuring skill mismatches in England which stretches back to at least the Skill Needs in Britain surveys from the 1990s. Consideration will also be given to how approaches using natural language processing techniques might be used to identify skill mismatches. This is being addressed, in part, by the SkillsPulse Horizon study and the Skills2Capabilities horizon study in which the University of Warwick Institute for Employment Research (IER) is currently participating.
Researchers from IPS-BAS published a new study based on results of their work within WP5 ‘Drivers and effects of mismatch’
We are very delighted to announce that the new article by Pepka Boyadjieva and Petya Ilieva-Trichkova, entitled Vertical Educational (Mis)match and Inclusive Growth: Theoretical Conceptualizations and Evidence from a European Perspective, which was prepared within the Skills2Capabilities project, is already published in the Societies Journal with an open access.
A new blog by Torgeir Nyen:
Vocational Education: Adapting to a Dynamic Working Life
Vocational education programs need to be relevant to their respective labour markets. This means that the content of these programs must change over time as the tasks in the occupations and jobs they qualify for change, for example, due to new technologies. If not, they will gradually lose their relevance. However, it can also be argued that vocational education programs should not only respond to the short-term, expressed needs of the labour market but also provide students and apprentices with a broad base of knowledge and skills that can be useful in the labour market, either now or in the future.
New working papers have been published for a series of workpackages
- Skill Matters: Curriculum updates and Labor Market Outcomes
- Skills Formation Systems
- Effects of mismatch on inclusive growth and social justice report
- Quantitative analysis report + data set: Understanding mismatches from the supply and demand side
- The responsiveness and proactiveness of VET – a comparative case study report of changes in VET on the occupational level
- Comparative Report on Skills Strategies
- Report on Country Case Studies on Skills Programmes
Liisa Martma (Tallinn University), Petya Ilieva-Trichkova and Pepka Boyadjieva (Bulgarian Academy of Science) will attend and present at the Cedefop workshop
Human-centred digital transitions and skill mismatches in European workplaces | CEDEFOP At this workshop, Cedefop and external experts will present cutting-edge research on the impact of the digital transition on skill mismatches in EU labour markets. Policies to prepare the EU workforce for an artificially intelligent future of work will also be discussed. The workshop will mainly use unique data from Cedefop’s second European skills and jobs survey.Second European skills and jobs survey Understanding the conditions under which different digital technologies may have positive or negative implications for workers’ upskilling and skills matching outcomes is a key aim of the workshop. To achieve it, experts will present new evidence, mainly but not exclusively based on data from Cedefop’s second European skills and jobs survey (ESJS2) microdata.Cedefop’s second European skills and jobs survey (ESJS2) microdata
Katarina Wessling and Ines Loll from BIBB presented their work on ‘Drivers and effects of skills mismatch’ at the "Career@BIBB" workshop.
The project is ERC funded and led by Thijs Bol from the University of Amsterdam. The workshop took place on 18 and 19 November and was organised by the BIBB. The aim was to enhance collaborations between the career-team and BIBB projects that focus on skills and occupations.
This was a joint workshop with the career project: https://careerproject.eu/project/
Researchers from ROA share S2C findings at the ELMI Conference in Brussels
At the ELMI Conference in Brussels, Ziyue Zhu, Didier Fouarge, Barbara Belfi, and Melline Somers from ROA presented findings from the S2C project...
Presentation of joint paper ate the 20th anniversary HDCA Conference “Crises, Capabilities and Commitment”
The joint paper: The social embeddedness matters: Fairness of educational opportunities and active citizenship in different contexts”, written by Petya Ilieva-Trichkova and Pepka Boyadjieva (members of the Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project) was presented at the 20th anniversary HDCA Conference “Crises, Capabilities and Commitment”. The conference was hold in Kolkata, India, September 24-26, 2024.
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova presented a joint paper with Pepka Boyadjieva at the 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association: “Tension, Trust and Transformation”
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova, the leader of the Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project, participated in the 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association: “Tension, Trust and Transformation”. The conference was held between 27th and 30th August 2024 in Porto, Portugal. Petya Ilieva-Trichkova presented a joint paper with Pepka Boyadjieva, which was titled: Indexes as An Instrument for Measuring Social Inequalities in Higher Education.
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova presented 2 papers at the 5th International ESS Conference ‘Addressing grand societal challenges cross-nationally: Investigation, innovation and insights from 20 years of data’
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova, the leader of the Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project, took part in the 5th International ESS Conference ‘Addressing grand societal challenges cross-nationally: Investigation, innovation and insights from 20 years of data’. The conference was held between 8th and 10th July 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. Petya Ilieva-Trichkova presented two joint papers:
- Graduates’ education-job mismatch and active citizenship: A European perspective towards its individual projections and their socio-economic embeddedness” (with Pepka Boyadjieva – a member of the Skills2Capabilities project)
- Intersecting effects of social class and gender regarding the participation in adult education in European countries with different level of digitalization before and after Covid-19 pandemic“ (with Rumiana Stoilova).
Presentation of paper at the Third International Conference of the journal “Scuola Democratica”
The joint paper “Is Social Justice Associated with Social Cohesion: The Case of Adult Education Participation in a European Perspective”, written by Petya Ilieva-Trichkova and Pepka Boyadjieva (members of the Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project), was presented at the Third International Conference of the journal “Scuola Democratica”, which was devoted to the needs and prospects of education and/for social justice. The conference was held between 03.06. and 06.06.2024 in the University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.
A new chapter in The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems
We are very delighted to announce that the new chapter: Ilieva-Trichkova, P., Boyadjieva, P. (2024). Indexes as an Instrument for Measuring Inequalities in Higher Education. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Problems. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, which was partially prepared within the Skills2Capabilities project, is already published.
A new article in the European Journal of Higher Education
We are very delighted to announce that the new article by Ilieva-Trichkova, P., Boyadjieva, P., & Dimitrova, R. (2024). Higher education as a public good and social cohesion: an exploratory study from a European comparative perspective, European Journal of Higher Education, which was partially prepared within the Skills2Capabilities project, is already published and is with an open access.
Korean Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) has joined the Skills2Capabilities project as an associated partner
KRIVET's renowned expertise in vocational education and training, along with their extensive research capabilities and strategic networking, will significantly enhance our project. Their international perspective, cultural insights, and advanced knowledge in VET will ensure our initiatives stay relevant, innovative, and aligned with global trends, ultimately contributing to the project's overall success and impact.
Presentation at the 9th Austrian VET research conference 3-5 July 2024
Dr Daniel Neff and Isabelle Le Mouillour (together with our colleague Christiane Eberhardt) organized the thematic forum “From Qualification to Skills – EU-VET policy in transition?” at the 9th Austrian VET research conference Berufsbildungsforschungskonferenz - (BBFK) in Innsbruck, Austria from July 3-5, 2024. Daniel’s presentation was on work done for the S2C project.
We mourn the passing of Professor Ellu Saar
It is with deep sadness that share the news of Professor Ellu Saar’s passing (08.10.1955 - 02.06.2024). Professor Saar was a Professor of Sociology at Tallinn University and a valued member of the Skills2Capabilities team. Professor Saar was an expert in lifelong learning, education, and social stratification. Her research and teaching have shaped the field of skills research and inspired new generations of sociologists.
Please visit the Tallin University website for more information about Professor Saar’s life and contribution to research and society. Tallin University website
A blog by Torgier Nyen at Fafo Skills2Capabilities – insight into the research process
Fafo has had the main responsibility for facilitating comparative case studies at subject and occupational level between Norway, Italy, Germany, Austria and England of how the subjects and the education system change when changes occur in the field of work. How does e.g. the vocational training in the field of ventilation when automated systems for ventilation have become common? The professions/work fields that are studied are ventilation technology, industrial mechanics, health workers and logistics work in warehouses. The case studies have three main elements: changes in the educations/curricula, the process for change and changes in the field of work.
Watch the introductory video to the project here.
Please get in touch if you would like to have more information or have questions:contact@skills2capabilities.eu
The slides used in the video are available to download here:presentation slides - pdf
On the islands of the Serenissima — Horizon partner meeting
Great progress was reported at the second project meeting of our Horizon Europe project Skills2Capabilities that took place in the uplifting surroundings in Venice. Project partners of the Skills2Capabilities research project, coordinated by 3s convened in Venice last week. The meeting aimed to discuss the progress achieved in all work packages and evaluate the (preliminary) results of the project so far. The project focuses on addressing the disparity between qualification supply and demand in European labour markets by examining how qualification systems can be improved.
Read more.
Horizon partner meeting
10th-12th April 2024 - Venice
Recordings from the public event are now available. Both videos come with English captions and transcripts.
Presentation of our survey on student orientation.
Results of the Pilot Survey on Student Orientation in Junior High Schools in Veneto - MediaSpace - Università degli Studi di Padova.Roundtable discussing the timing of the choice of high school track in Italy.
The timing of choosing high school track in Italy - MediaSpace - Università degli Studi di Padova.
Fifth network conference on Policy Studies on Adult Education (PSAE)
29th February - 2nd March 2024
Petya Ilieva-Trichkova, the leader of the Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project, took part in the Fifth Network Conference on Policy Studies on Adult Education (PSAE) network of the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA): "Problematising the Futures of Adult Education," which was held between February 29, 2024, and March 2, 2024, in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal. Petya Ilieva-Trichkova presented a joint paper with Pepka Boyadjieva which was titled: "Can adult education policies mitigate inequalities in adult non-formal education participation?" as a part of the session Problematising the Purpose(s) of Adult Education chaired by Marcella Milana, who is a chair of ESREA and joint convenor of the ESREA Policy Studies in Adult Education network network.
ESREA Policy Studies in Adult Education network network
Conference website
Join us for a dynamic event: SKILLS HORIZONS
8 May 2024 – 10:00–12:00 (CET)
Meet the coordinators of more than 10 HORIZON Europe projects on skill development in one virtual event celebrating the closing of the European Year of Skills.
Read more.
European workforce – untapped potential? Comparing distribution and effects of skills mismatch and educational mismatch
This preliminary analysis is part of the new Skills2Capabilities project, which aims to understand how skill systems across Europe can reduce the level of skills mismatch in their labour markets and respond better to meeting skill demands in a more fluid labour market environment.
European workforce – untapped potential? Comparing distribution and effects of skills mismatch and educational mismatch
This preliminary analysis is part of the new Skills2Capabilities project, which aims to understand how skill systems across Europe can reduce the level of skills mismatch in their labour markets and respond better to meeting skill demands in a more fluid labour market environment.
Didier Fouarge Explores Changing Skills Demand at Maastricht University
On 10 October 2023 Didier Fouarge of Maastricht University gave a presentation on the changing demand for skills at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Development and Inspiration Days in Maastricht. This presentation drew upon the work of the Skills2Capabilities research.
"Skills2Capabilities” Project at the European Researchers’ Night 2023
On September 29, 2023, Svetlana Alexandrova from the Bulgarian Skills2Capabilities project team took part in the initiative „European Researchers’ Night 2023” (Sofia, Bulgaria). The aim of this event was to popularize science among the citizens; therefore, the programme covers various activities in schools, meetings of students and citizens with scientists in research institutes and universities, as well as events in public urban places.
Skills2Capabilities Project at the 2023 HDCA Conference in Sofia
Bulgarian team of the Skills2Capabilities project and project associates presented four papers and a poster at the HDCA Annual Conference “Vulnerability, human development and cooperative re-building in turbulent times”, September 11-13, 2023 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
2023 Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) conference
In a new blog post, partner organization Fafo describes their role in leading S2C research on the responsiveness and proactiveness of vocational educational & training systems across Europe. The blog describes the progress thus far and the intended community benefits of this project. The post also explains the difference between working on national-level research and this type of multi-national collaborative project funded through the Horizon programme.
Capabilities, concepts of VET and the supply of skills – combining two frameworks
Colleagues from the Skills2Capabilities project presented part of their research at the 2023 Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) conference in Sofia Bulgaria. Philipp Grollman and Daniel Neff of BIBB, Torgier Nyem of Fafo and Jörg Markowitsch of 3s gave a talk entitled ‘Capabilities, concepts of VET and the supply of skills - combining two frameworks.’
Review of the Event: Labour Shortages and Skill Mismatches
“How bad will it get? What can be done?” were the key questions of an international expert discussion on labour shortages and skill mismatches with a keynote by Ken Mayhew organised by 3s.
The event was part of the kick-off phase of the HORIZON Europe project Skills2Capabilities, which is coordinated by 3s (Jörg Markowitsch) and aims to explore how skill systems across Europe can reduce the level of skill mismatch and better respond to developments in their labour markets. The 2.4 million Euros granted project will try to incorporate the so-called human capability approach to find answers on pressing questions regarding skill mismatch on European labour markets, ranging from how to enable and support the development of future-proof skills in individuals to how companies should design and adjust workplaces to better meet demands.
Researchers from the Bulgarian team took part in discussion of a Skills Strategy in Bulgaria
On June 13, 2023, in Sofia, two events related to the preparation of a Skills Strategy in Bulgaria were held, attended by members of the Bulgarian Skills2Capabilities team. Pepka Boyadjieva participated in the official presentation of the report:
"OECD Skills Strategy Bulgaria: Assessment and Recommendations"
The document was developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science and Bulgarian experts. The event was also attended by the Minister of Education and Science, the Minister of Innovation and Growth, the President of the Economic and Social Council, and the national coordinator of the European Year of Skills.