Spotlight on skills competitions at EfVET Annual Conference 2026
WorldSkills Europe CEO, Laurence Gates, and Erik van der Zwan, CEO of WorldSkills Netherlands and Board Member of WorldSkills Europe, showcased the importance of skills competitions at the European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education & Training (EfVET) Annual Conference 2026.
The 35th edition of the Annual EfVET Conference, held in Brussels from 21-23 October 2026, brought together 600 participants from more than 35 countries, representing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) professionals, EU institutions, education experts, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and learners from across Europe and beyond.
The central theme of the Conference, "Global Citizenship Empowered by VET", invited delegates to explore how TVET can prepare people to act as engaged citizens in a changing world. The event facilitated opportunities for networking and learning, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and partnership.
WorldSkills Europe workshop: accelerating excellence in TVET development
Laurence Gates and Erik van der Zwan hosted a workshop at the Conference to showcase to delegates how WorldSkills Europe is making a direct impact on raising the level of skills throughout Europe - from the traditional vocational professions to multi-skilled and technology careers in the industry and service sectors, supported by Members, Sponsors, Partners, industries, governments, volunteers, and educational institutions.
Commenting on WorldSkills Europe’s participation in the Conference, Laurence Gates said: “WorldSkills Europe and EfVET share a commitment to promoting skills excellence and strengthening the quality and attractiveness of technical and vocational education and training across Europe and beyond.
“We were delighted to join the EfVET Annual Conference 2026 and welcomed the opportunity to highlight the impact that EuroSkills Competitions have in driving skills excellence and fostering cooperation between industry-leading companies, TVET institutions, and the most talented young professionals from across Europe, in a way that no other initiative comes close to matching.”
“Through our collaborative approach, the TVET institutions that participate in EuroSkills have the opportunity to work directly with employer partners, exchanging the latest industry insight and expertise that is essential for preparing the young talent of today for the jobs of tomorrow, which is crucial in a rapidly changing world."
Quo vadis VET?
Laurence Gates also participated in the policy debate “Quo vadis VET?” at the Conference, alongside representatives from the European Commission, UNESCO-UNEVOC, and CICan. The debate explored how networks and institutions can cooperate to create a long-term vision for vocational education and training at both the European and international level and considered the policies that would be needed to secure forward looking strategies which would facilitate sustainable, inclusive, and cooperative VET systems in Europe and beyond.
European Parliament support
The final day of the Conference opened with a high-level keynote by Brigitte van den Berg, Member of European Parliament, who spoke about the results of her work to integrate VET graduates in the institution’s traineeships schemes, and the content of the recent INI Report on VET and skills.
Brigitte van den Berg encouraged delegates to work on parity of esteem between VET and general and higher education, seeing vocational education and training as an investment that runs on quality and serves first and foremost learners.
Youth Forum
Running in parallel with the Conference, the third edition of the EfVET Youth Forum gathered more than 30 TVET students from EfVET training centres across Europe. Over three days, students took part in activities and dedicated workshops, visited European institutions and connected with peers from different countries.
The activities culminated in the final Youth Forum Panel, where students pitched the results of their reflections on global citizenship to the full Conference audience. Along the main messages to TVET providers and stakeholders, they demanded to be more involved in the decisions that affect them, and encouraged their teachers, trainers and principals to act on sustainability, digitalisation, inclusion and democracy at the school level.
The EfVET Annual Conference 2026 was an official event of the European Skills and VET Week, an EU initiative coordinated by Cedefop and the European Commission that celebrates excellence in vocational education and training and raises its visibility across Europe.
At the closing ceremony, EfVET President Joachim James Calleja announced the location of the EfVET Annual Conference 2027: Antalya, Türkiye.
WorldSkills Europe and EfVET established a partnership in June 2026, formalising a joint commitment to support learners, trainers, and institutions across Europe by bridging skills competitions, policy, and practice to better align TVET with labour market demands and future skills.