National Practices Supporting VET Systems: Delivery and Support
These findings are drawn from case studies, which document national practices that support transitions into and through VET. This post highlights how countries are addressing barriers to VET participation by making guidance more accessible, trusted, and embedded in learners’ communities.
Austria’s Vienna Weeks initiative is a city-wide outreach campaign coordinated by the Vienna Educational Hub. Each year, hundreds of events take place in local parks, libraries, and public spaces across the city. These events bring career advice, learning guidance, and interactive activities directly into communities—particularly to adults with low qualifications, migrants, and young people not in education or employment. The approach focuses on building trust, raising awareness of learning opportunities, and reducing stigma around vocational routes. The upcoming FutureFit Festival is expected to take this visibility strategy even further.
Germany has implemented two complementary approaches. First, the Youth Employment Agencies model creates integrated, one-stop support centres where young people can access education services, employment advice, and social support without navigating multiple systems. Second, the Vocational Training Ambassadors programme brings young apprentices into schools to share their personal stories and introduce students to real experiences in vocational training. This help learners see themselves in VET pathways they might not have otherwise considered.
Austria and Germany show that successful guidance is not just about availability but about relevance and delivery. Making support visible, informal, and connected to real people creates an environment where more learners are willing to engage.
To read more about the Skills2Capabilities findings, visit skills2capabilities.eu.
Read the full working paper:
Skills Formation System (PDF)
