Automatic translation into Afrikaans is available for this page. Translate this page
VocationalExcellenceAward

PRESS RELEASE - First-ever award ceremony celebrates innovation and excellence in vocational education in Turin

This page is also available in

Turin, 13 March 2025 – The Award Ceremony Recognising VET Excellence, held today in Italy and organised by the European Training Foundation (ETF) celebrated commitment and outstanding achievements in vocational education and training (VET) worldwide. As part of the Internationalising vocational excellence: Making excellence meaningful for all learners event, the initiative highlighted the significant contributions of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in driving innovation, sustainability, international collaboration, and career development.

This year’s award winners, part of a pilot project, were recognised for their efforts in shaping the future of vocational education and promoting international partnerships. Selected from 130 centres worldwide, the following institutions were awarded for their exemplary contributions to skills development:

  • CIFP Pico Frentes, Spain: Certificate of Commitment to Vocational Excellence, with Special Mentions for Green VET and Cooperation for VET.
  • ENGIM Piemonte - Torino San Luca, Italy: Certificate of Commitment to Vocational Excellence, with Special Mentions for Innovation in VET and Career Guidance.
  • APRO Formazione - Alba, Italy: Certificate of Vocational Excellence in VET Internationalisation.
  • CIFP di Río Tormes, Spain: Certificate of Vocational Excellence in Innovative and Entrepreneurial VET.
  • Šolski centre Nova Gorica, Slovenia: Certificate of Vocational Excellence in Partnership and Coordination for VET.

The recognised institutions are at the forefront of enhancing the quality and global competitiveness of VET, creating new opportunities for learners and responding to the evolving needs of the labour market.

ETF Director Pilvi Torsti highlighted the importance of vocational excellence in promoting skills-driven societies: “By promoting future-oriented skills, facilitating knowledge exchange in the EU and beyond, and helping to attract, develop and retain talent, we can build competitive and competent societies. With this pilot award, we recognise excellence as an inclusive concept, strengthening Europe's position as a leader in skills development”.

The two-day event demonstrated the growing global commitment to vocational excellence, with 333 CoVEs from 54 countries now engaged in the ETF’s Network of Excellence (ENE). This year’s awards mark the conclusion of the second phase of the Internationalising Vocational Excellence project, which has strengthened CoVEs’ capacity to build international partnerships and share best practices beyond borders.

As the project moves forward, it will continue to support CoVEs through key resources, including an e-library on vocational excellence, knowledge packages on partnership building, and the Cookbook on Vocational Excellence. These initiatives will help CoVEs further enhance their capabilities and drive continued innovation in VET.

Background

The European Training Foundation (ETF), headquartered in Turin, Italy, is the EU agency dedicated to supporting reforms in education, training, and labour markets across 28 partner countries surrounding the European Union, with a focus on EU enlargement and neighbourhood policies.

Through initiatives such as the Internationalising Vocational Excellence project, the ETF promotes international collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and continuous improvement in vocational education and training across Europe and beyond.

Press contact