“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world.” With these words, ETF Director Pilvi Torsti opened the second and final day of theconference marking the end of the second phase of the EU-fundedInternationalising Vocational Excellence (IntVE) project, and the way forward for the third phase.Held in Torino on 12-13 March, the event gathered 100 participants from 30 countries across three continents. The discussions were intense, focusing on the future of the vocational and training (VET) sector and the European Union’s role as the leading international donor in the education sector.A key focus of the conference was to take stock of the progress made in advancing vocational excellence, a concept gaining traction in both EU policy and international practice.
Closely aligned with European Commission priorities, the ETF—working in collaboration with three key European organisations on VET (EfVET, EVBB, and EVTA) as well as different international partners—has built a robust global movement of CoVEs, first of all dedicated people to innovative education methods.This growing network of engaged and active citizens committed to making VET more inclusive, future-proof, and responsive to the needs of local communities. At the same time, it addresses major global trends that are reshaping labour markets, extending further, therefore applying a strategic perspective to this bottom-up approach.
Through theETF’s Network for Excellence (ENE), strong and dynamic partnerships have been established among Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) across dozens of countries in Europe and beyond.“We have brought almost 350 institutions into the network, and our ambitious—yet achievable—goal is to reach 500 by the end of the year*,”* said Fabio Nascimbeni, human capital development expert at the ETF.