Shaping learning and skills for Europe - Cedefop 50th anniversary conference

As Europe navigates rapid economic, technological and demographic transformations, Cedefop’s 50th Anniversary Conference—Shaping Learning and Skills for Europe—brings together high-level policymakers, education and training experts, and social partners to align skills intelligence and development with Europe's competitiveness agenda.

Agenda, topics and speakers:

01:00 - Official opening - Cedefop 50th anniversary video

05:40 - Welcome and opening

Mario Patuzzi, Chair, Cedefop Management Board
Li Andersson (Video message), Chair, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, European Parliament
Stefan Olsson, Deputy Director-General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission

26:39 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: 𝗖𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗽’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲

Zelda Azzarà, Konstantinos Pouliakas, Lidia Salvatore - Cedefop experts

1:30:53 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗨 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗘𝗧 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀

From Copenhagen to Herning: Insights from the progress of the Copenhagen Process

Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director, Cedefop
Pilvi Torsti, Director, European Training Foundation

2:00:08 The way forward for VET in Europe

Cinzia Del Rio, President, Section on Employment, Social Affairs and
Citizenship (SOC), European Economic and Social Committee
Beata Dziemińska-Skowron, Ministry of National Education, Poland
Riikka Heikinheimo, Director, Confederation of Finnish Industries, Education, Training Working Group, BusinessEurope
Henrik Kjeldsen, CEO, EuroSkills Herning 2025
Giuseppina Tucci, Board Member, Civil Society Europe
Scilla van Cuijlenborg, Vice-President, EUproVET
Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation

4:07:15 Irene Psifidou - opening - 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗘𝗧

Theodor Grassos, Secretary General, European Association of
Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB)
Petra Kogelnig, General Secretary, European Parents Association
Irene Psifidou, Expert, VET for Youth, Teachers and Trainers Team Facilitator, Cedefop
Agnes Roman, Senior Policy Coordinator, European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE)
Iryna Shumik, Director General of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Science, Ukraine
Daniel Wisniewski, Secretary General, European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE)
Brikena Xhomaqi, Director, Lifelong Learning Platform

5:24:35 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗽’𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲

Vlado Dimovski, Independent Expert appointed by the European Parliament to Cedefop Management Board
Barbara Dorn, Director, Education/Vocational Training, Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA)
Carlo Frising, Deputy Director, Chamber of Employees (CSL), Luxembourg
Andrea Leruste, Deputy Head of Unit EMPL.B3, European Commission
Robert Plummer, Senior Adviser, BusinessEurope
Peter Thiele, Deputy Director for VET Policy, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany

6:01:05 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀

Mario Nava, Director-General – DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), European Commission
Jürgen Siebel, Executive Director, Cedefop