CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training)

About Cedefop Cedefop is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies. Founded (1) in 1975 and based in Greece since 1995, Cedefop supports development of European vocational education and training (VET) policies and contributes to their implementation. The agency is helping the European Commission, EU Member States and the social partners to develop the right European VET policies. Cedefop: helping develop the right policies to provide the right skills Why is that important? Europe’s strategy for 2020 (2) is a route for smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth through knowledge and innovation, which sets an employment rate target of 75%. The success of this strategy depends on the skills of Europe’s workforce. Enterprises need people with the skills required to compete and provide high-quality goods and services. People need the right qualifications to find jobs. People with low levels of or no qualification are nearly three times more likely to be unemployed than those with high qualifications. In the EU, around 75 million people, nearly a third of the working population, have low levels of or no qualification. Too many young people, around 15%, leave school without any qualifications. (1) Council of the European Union. Council Regulation of 10 February 1975 establishing the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) EEC No 337/75, Official Journal of the European Communities, L 39, 13.2.1975 as last amended by Council Regulation EC No 2051/2004. In 2019, the Cedefop founding regulation was replaced by Regulation 2019/128. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/about-cedefop/what-we-do/cedefop-regulation [cited 8.5.2019]. (2) European Commission. Europe 2020: A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Available from Internet: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:DE:PDF Europe 2020: a new European strategy for jobs and growth: European Council Presidency conclusions 25-26 March 2010. Available from Internet: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/10/st00/st00007.en10.pdf [cited 4.11.2010].