Vocational training in Germany and Greece faces common challenges. The Future4VET project serves as a lens through which to examine the challenges of modern vocational training in both countries. 

The event “Shaping labor market-oriented vocational education,” which took place on May 7, 2025, as part of the German-Greek cooperation project “Future4VET” in the auditorium of the National Gallery in Athens, brought together the ministries of education and economic and social partners from both countries with the project team, consisting of FIAP e. V., the German-Greek Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Arbeit und Leben Hamburg, to discuss the challenges of vocational education and training in the future.

Against the backdrop of the event, the future cooperation will focus on the following topics, which are intended to provide impetus for both vocational training systems:

  • In view of the existing and looming shortage of skilled workers in both countries, vocational training must become more attractive so that young people see future prospects there. Companies must be motivated to invest in the skilled workers of tomorrow.
  • Strengthening vocational training in view of the ecological and technological change (ecologization, digitalization) of our societies, but also their social change (new target groups, new qualification requirements on the labor markets/entrepreneurship, transdisciplinary skills).
  • Strengthening participatory structures for shaping vocational training by involving all labor market stakeholders, vocational trainers, and young people who are to find prospects in vocational training. Strengthening vocational training through new teaching and learning formats that promote independence, responsibility, and personal development.
  • Strengthening companies in taking on training tasks.
  • Creating places and resources for testing new offerings and new forms of organization.
  • Strengthening and qualifying new labor market policy target groups.

These issues are equally relevant in Greece and Germany. FIAP is currently conducting a study on the planned education and innovation campus on behalf of the city of Gelsenkirchen in cooperation with the IAT. The aim is to bring together local vocational colleges and thus strengthen them.
This study highlights how similar the challenges are and the potential that international exchange of experience on these topics can offer. We look forward to continuing to support these issues in both countries in the future.