On September 12, 2025, under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, education ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training (VET) gathered in Herning (DK) to endorse the “Herning Declaration on attractive and inclusive Vocational Education and Training for increased competitiveness and quality jobs 2026-2030”. This new Declaration marks the continuation of European cooperation in VET, following the 2020 Osnabrück Declaration, which is set to expire at the end of the year, and lays out objectives and priorities for the next five years. 

The European Apprentices Network (EAN) and the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), on behalf of their Members, welcomed the Herning Declaration with a joint support statement, recognising its potential as a framework that can guide Member States, and all stakeholders involved, towards the development of more inclusive and attractive VET systems.

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Following the adoption of the Declaration, the EAN takes the opportunity to contribute directly to the implementation process through the publication of a Position Paper, drafted with its Members and co-signed by OBESSU. The document provides concrete measures and guidelines for how the declaration’s ambitions can be translated into long-lasting and meaningful changes in the daily experiences of VET learners and apprentices.

The EAN appreciates the Declaration’s overall vision and objectives, such as the strong focus on enhancing the attractiveness of VET systems, and the promotion and facilitation of mobility opportunities for learners, teachers, and trainers, as a way to internationalise VET and apprenticeship programmes. However, it also recognises that some areas require further refinement to ensure that no learner is left behind. The market-oriented character of this framework, for example, risks leading Member States to overlook other essential educational components, such as personal, civic, and social development. Similarly, the absence of explicit commitments on the physical and mental health of apprentices, as well as the lack of references to their digital wellbeing, fails to guarantee a basic level of protection. Most of all, the Declaration’s call for a new VET strategy must not come at the expense of learner participation. Representative bodies, such as EAN and OBESSU, must be systematically involved in all discussions and decisions concerning VET policies.

Learners are experts in their own education. Their voices, perspectives, and experiences must be integrated into every stage of policymaking, from agenda-setting to implementation and evaluation. By publishing this position paper, the EAN reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that apprentices are not only the subjects of education reforms, but also active participants in shaping them. The network welcomes the Herning Declaration as an opportunity to strengthen European cooperation in VET and pledges to bring the apprentices’ perspective to the forefront of its implementation. 

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Click here to check the Support Statement and the Position Paper!