SECOVE publishes recommendations to align VET courses with Smart Specialisation Strategies across five European regions

The SECOVE project has published Deliverable D3.2, titled Recommendations for alignment of VET courses to Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3), as part of Work Package 3: Making VET relevant and addressing sustainable development.

The deliverable presents a comparative analysis of how Vocational Education and Training (VET) can be better aligned with regional Smart Specialisation Strategies in five European regions: the Basque Country in Spain, Košice in Slovakia, Porto Metropolitan Area in Portugal, Lazio in Italy and Attica in Greece. The work highlights the strategic role of VET in supporting regional innovation, sustainable development and the green and digital transitions.

The report underlines that VET systems must respond more directly to the needs of industry, especially in sectors linked to sustainable energy, energy efficiency, green construction, digitalisation and emerging technologies. Across the five regions, the analysis identifies common priorities such as stronger cooperation between VET centres, companies, research organisations and public authorities; the integration of sustainability and digital skills into curricula; and the need for flexible training pathways that support lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling.

A key conclusion of the deliverable is that Centres of Vocational Excellence can play a decisive role in connecting education with regional development strategies. By working closely with industry and innovation ecosystems, CoVEs can help ensure that learners acquire the skills required by current and future labour markets.

In the Basque Country, the analysis focuses on the connection between the SECOVE regional CoVE and the Basque Smart Specialisation Strategy, particularly in relation to energy, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies. The deliverable highlights the importance of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and information technology in the sustainable energy sector, as well as the need to modernise VET curricula and strengthen cooperation between VET centres, companies, universities and other stakeholders.

The recommendations presented in the report include updating VET curricula according to regional innovation priorities, promoting practical and work-based learning, strengthening teacher training, developing inclusive and flexible learning environments, and creating stronger regional skills ecosystems. The report also stresses the importance of internationalisation and cross-border cooperation as a way to exchange good practices and improve the quality and relevance of VET.

Through this deliverable, SECOVE contributes to the development of a European platform of Centres of Vocational Excellence in the field of sustainable energy. The project continues to support the transformation of VET so that it can better respond to the challenges of the green transition, technological change and regional competitiveness.

The full deliverable provides detailed regional analyses, proposed changes in VET education and training, examples of good practices and recommendations for future action.