Text · Opinion parliamentary committee
On boosting skills in the Union – opportunities for vocational education and training in times of transition
Document FEMM-AD-790216 · 2026/2070(INI)
- Kind
- Opinion parliamentary committee FEMM-AD-790216
- Date
- 10 September 2026
- Committee
- Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
- Rapporteur
- Lina Gálvez
- Dossier
- 2026-2070
More facts (3)
- Formats
- Official page PDF Word
- Subject matter
- EFPJ
- Reference
- 2026/2070(INI)
Text
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Back matter, 3
Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.
Amendments 149 blocks
The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality submits the following to the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible :
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| – having regard to the legacy of the European Year of Skills, |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| – having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers1a, | |
| 1a OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 79, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1158/oj. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| – having regard to the Commission communication of 7 March 2025 entitled ‘A Roadmap for Women’s Rights’ (COM(2025)0097), |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
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| – having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2026 entitled ‘Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030’ (COM(2026)0113), |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Ab. whereas the objectives of the European Year of Skills should continue to guide EU policies on education, training and labour market participation; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| A. whereas 34.7 % of Europeans have obtained a vocational education and training (VET) diploma; whereas 49 % of all students in the EU are enrolled in a VET programme3 ; whereas VET is regarded as less valuable than academic education in many Member States; whereas students and graduates of VET can experience social bias or reduced opportunities as a result of this perception gap; | A. whereas 34.7 % of Europeans have obtained a vocational education and training (VET) diploma; whereas 49 % of all students in the EU are enrolled in a VET programme3; whereas VET is regarded as less valuable than academic education in many Member States; whereas this perception is compounded by gender segregation within VET itself, with female-dominated sectors, including care, health, welfare and human-centred services, regarded as even less valuable than male-dominated VET sectors, namely technical, industrial and engineering pathways; whereas students and graduates of VET can experience social bias or reduced opportunities as a result of this perception gap; |
| 3 European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), ‘VET statistics and indicators’, https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/projects/statistics-and-indicators. | 3 European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), ‘VET statistics and indicators’, https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/projects/statistics-and-indicators. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Aa. whereas, in 2025, 11 % of young people aged 15 to 29 across the EU were neither in employment nor in education or training (NEETs)1a; whereas care responsibilities remain a major barrier to labour market participation, with around 75 % of mothers of young children citing family and care responsibilities as their reason for not participating in the labour force1b; whereas a persistent vertical mismatch between skills supply and demand continues to affect the EU, reflected in an average over-qualification rate of 21.3 % among tertiary-educated workers in 2024, and affecting women disproportionately (22 % compared with 20.5 % for men)1c; | |
| 1a Eurostat, ‘Fewer young people not in work or education in 2025’, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260528-2. | |
| 1b European Commission, Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2025 (ESDE 2025), Executive Summary, Chapter 2 ‘Untapped Labour Potential in the EU’, p. 64. | |
| 1c Eurostat, ‘EU’s employment rate reached almost 76 % in 2024’, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250415-1. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Ba. whereas VET not only contributes to labour market participation, but also serves as a pathway for fostering women’s entrepreneurship, strengthening their financial independence and promoting their social inclusion, particularly in regions where young people face a heightened risk of unemployment and social exclusion; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| C. whereas the EU’s policy orientation under the Lisbon Strategy placed a disproportionate emphasis on academic attainment, underestimating the strategic importance of vocational professions for the EU’s industrial base and resilience; whereas recent geopolitical developments, supply-chain disruptions and the green and digital transition demonstrate the necessity of investing substantially in VET; | C. whereas the EU’s policy orientation under the Lisbon Strategy placed a disproportionate emphasis on academic attainment, underestimating the strategic importance of vocational professions for the EU’s industrial base and resilience; whereas recent geopolitical developments, supply-chain disruptions and the green and digital transitions demonstrate the necessity of investing substantially in VET, including through dedicated measures to increase women’s participation and reduce the long-standing imbalance between men and women in vocational professions; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Ca. whereas the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognises education and access to vocational and continuing training as a fundamental right; whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goals envisage equal access for all women and men by 2030 to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university, and a substantial increase in the number of young people and adults with relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurships; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Cb. whereas ensuring women’s equal access to the information and communications technology (ICT), financial and industrial sectors is essential to strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy; whereas gender disparities in these fields prevent the EU from fully mobilising its talent, resources and economic potential, while undermining innovation, as recognised in the Draghi report, which called for increased economic activity and participation by all – women and men; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Cc. whereas gender disparities persist in strategic sectors such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), both in education and employment; whereas women represented only 15 % of graduates from medium-level VET in STEM fields in 2023, compared with 44 % in vocational upper secondary education; whereas women remain significantly under-represented in high-technology sectors, accounting for only 22 % of scientists and engineers, compared with 41 % across the economy as a whole; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Cd. whereas the Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy recognises gender-sensitive education as a key tool to combat stereotypes, promote equal opportunities and encourage more girls and women to pursue STEM studies and careers, while supporting greater gender balance across all fields of education and employment; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| D. whereas persistent societal and policy biases that frame educational pathways in hierarchical terms contribute to the unattractiveness of vocational pathways and to academic drift, thereby limiting equal recognition of talents, undermining social cohesion and exacerbating critical skills shortages in vocational occupations; | D. whereas persistent societal and policy biases that frame educational pathways in hierarchical terms and gender stereotypes, which can affect career progression and income opportunities, especially for women and girls, who remain under-represented in VET pathways linked to STEM, digital technologies, manufacturing and the green economy, while remaining over-represented in lower-paid sectors such as care and social services, contribute to the unattractiveness of vocational pathways and to academic drift, thereby limiting equal recognition of talents, undermining social cohesion and exacerbating critical skills shortages in vocational occupations leading to women and girls pursuing careers in health, care, education and social services; whereas gender stereotypes influencing educational and career choices emerge early in life and are reinforced through school, the media, peers and learning environments; whereas targeted measures are needed to promote gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ or ‘female’ professions, and to broaden career choices free from gender stereotypes; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Da. whereas VET can play a key role in promoting women’s economic independence, reducing gender gaps in employment and supporting equal opportunities throughout working life; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| E. whereas unnecessary administrative barriers, fragmented recognition procedures and insufficient interoperability between national systems continue to hinder the free movement of workers, particularly VET professionals; whereas enhanced cooperation between Member States and regional frameworks can contribute to building mutual trust, modernising recognition procedures and facilitating labour mobility for VET professionals, while maintaining high standards; | E. whereas unnecessary administrative barriers, fragmented recognition procedures and insufficient interoperability between national systems continue to hinder the free movement of workers, particularly VET professionals; whereas the enhanced cooperation between Member States and regional frameworks and the promotion of common approaches to skills assessment and qualification recognition can reduce administrative burdens for professionals and competent authorities, while supporting a fairer assessment of the value of work and remuneration, particularly in sectors and occupations predominantly occupied by women, and contribute to building mutual trust, modernising recognition procedures and facilitating labour mobility for VET professionals, while maintaining high standards; whereas greater participation of women in VET, especially in digital and technical sectors, as well as greater participation of persons with disabilities, including those with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and of women living in rural or remote areas, particularly the EU outermost regions, is indispensable for unlocking the EU’s talent potential and supporting a competitive, resilient and sustainable economy; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Ea. whereas responsibility for organising, governing and financing VET rests chiefly with the Member States and must remain fully consistent with the principle of subsidiarity, while Member States should be encouraged to share good practices for widening women’s access to, and retention within, VET; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| Eb. whereas VET stands as a vital piece of economic and social infrastructure, extending well beyond its role as an educational route, and is capable of: (i) developing a competent workforce able to absorb technological change and support human development, (ii) spreading innovation across a broad array of economic and social sectors, (iii) easing skills shortages via contemporary work-based learning, adult education and lifelong learning, (iv) upgrading and retraining professionals, (v) advancing equal opportunities for men and women by increasing the presence of women in vocational routes and in occupations where they remain a minority, and (vi) building resilient industrial ecosystems throughout Europe; whereas its full potential deserves greater recognition and investment at both national and EU level; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 1. Highlights the importance of VET for the EU’s economic prosperity and competitiveness; stresses the importance of promoting and valorising VET in order to improve its attractiveness as a quality pathway to employment; calls on the Commission to ensure that the upcoming VET strategy addresses the quality and relevance of VET curricula, coupled with improved promotion of VET programmes to learners, employers and the wider public; | 1. Stresses that gender segmentation in VET limits individual choice, contributes to a poor use of existing talents and weakens the EU’s capacity to address skills shortages; highlights the importance of VET as a public good for enabling access to the labour market, especially for women, and thereby boosting the EU’s employment, economic growth, prosperity and competitiveness; stresses the importance of promoting and valorising VET in order to improve its attractiveness as a quality pathway to employment; calls on the Commission to ensure that the upcoming VET strategy addresses the quality and relevance of VET curricula, coupled with improved promotion of VET programmes to learners, employers and the wider public, while also ensuring equal access for learners with fewer opportunities and addressing barriers linked to gender, disability, sexual orientation and identity based on gender, racial discrimination, migration background, socio-economic status, geographical location, care responsibilities, age and access to digital tools; calls, furthermore, for the upcoming framework to explicitly recognise gender equality and women’s empowerment as fundamental objectives of VET alongside employability, competitiveness and lifelong learning; highlights that this would require all Member States to integrate gender mainstreaming into the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of VET programmes; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make the reduction in gender segmentation in VET and vocational occupations a core objective of skills policies in order to broaden participation across sectors and improve Europe’s competitiveness and labour market resilience; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 2. Stresses that VET should be viewed as a tool that can both support the personal development of students and workers and address labour market shortages, thereby contributing to the EU’s competitiveness and supporting innovation in strategic sectors; | 2. Stresses that VET should be viewed as a tool for developing students’ and workers’ human and cultural capital, for promoting women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship and access to venture capital, business angel networks and other forms of private investment and financial independence, for facilitating equal access to quality employment and for addressing labour market shortages, thereby contributing to the EU’s competitiveness and supporting innovation in strategic sectors; considers that VET, by providing practical routes to employment, constitutes a critical instrument not only for young people entering the workforce, but also for adults seeking to upskill or reskill throughout their careers, especially for women who continue to experience lower labour market participation rates, wage disparities, and greater employment interruptions due to childcare, other caregiving responsibilities or discrimination in employment opportunities, career progression or remuneration; calls on the Commission and the Member States to address gender gaps in adult learning, particularly among low-qualified women, women in part-time or precarious employment, women returning from career breaks and women with care responsibilities, by providing targeted upskilling and reskilling programmes, and ensuring paid training leave, accessible and affordable childcare, flexible learning arrangements and schedules, outreach measures, recognition of prior learning, and digital learning opportunities to enable mothers and other working parents to access and complete vocational training; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 3. Stresses the need to ensure that VET students and graduates feel that their qualifications and professions are valued equally to academic education, to ensure social cohesion and inclusion; | 3. Stresses that VET should provide equal opportunities for women and men, and ensure that their qualifications and professions are valued equally to academic education, so as to ensure social cohesion, inclusion and equal opportunities in access to employment, mobility, further learning and career progression, particularly for women in vulnerable situations and those facing intersectional discrimination, including third-country nationals, single mothers, women facing discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation or identity based on gender, women living in rural areas, women with disabilities and long-term unemployed women especially due to intensive caregiving responsibilities, in order to promote equal opportunities, combat stereotypes regarding educational paths, allow their full participation in economic, social, and political life, and encourage girls and women to pursue VET in sectors where they remain under-represented, including STEM, digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), engineering, cybersecurity and construction, while also promoting greater participation of men in the care and education sectors; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that VET curricula, teaching materials and assessment methods are designed to guarantee genuine accessibility for learners with disabilities; stresses that the principle of accessibility, as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, must be embedded throughout the entire training pathway, including during on-the-job learning and work placements; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to promote more respectful terminology for educational pathways and to move away from terms such as ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ education; calls on the Commission to repeal the EU-level target for higher education attainment as a benchmark, since it does not comply with the Commission’s intention to value VET equally; | 4. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to promote more respectful terminology for educational pathways and to move away from terms such as ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ education; calls on the Commission to repeal the EU-level target for higher education attainment as a benchmark, since it does not comply with the Commission’s intention to value VET equally; calls, in addition, on the Commission and the Member States to guarantee that tertiary-level vocational education at ISCED1a Level 5 and EQF1b Levels 5 and 6 is clearly acknowledged and encouraged within EU skills policy frameworks as a route equal in value to academic higher education, paying particular attention to increasing enrolment and completion rates among young women; |
| 1a International Standard Classification of Education. | |
| 1b European Qualifications Framework. |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 4a. Calls on the Commission, in order to ensure and verify compliance with gender equality requirements, to promote the utilisation of key measures including: (i) a requisite gender impact assessments for new VET policies, (ii) gender mainstreaming in all EU budgetary policies so as to ensure adequate funding for equality initiatives to build solid skills foundations and promote continued investment in lifelong and future-oriented upskilling and reskilling opportunities for all and (iii) collection and publication of sex-disaggregated data on enrolment, completion, apprenticeships, employment outcomes, wages, and career progression; calls on the Commission and the Member States, in cooperation with social partners and in full respect of national labour market models, to promote gender-neutral job evaluation tools in order to better assess and compare the value of work in different sectors and support fairer remuneration and equality, particularly in certain female-dominated sectors and occupations; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 5. Calls for the Member States and the EU institutions to involve VET students and graduates at all levels of policymaking to ensure equal participation, and to offer VET traineeships; | 5. Calls for the Member States and the EU institutions to involve VET students and graduates at all levels of policymaking to ensure equal participation, and to offer VET traineeships, ensuring that girls have the same chance to enrol in vocational programmes across all sectors, including traditionally male-dominated industries, and to strengthen gender-sensitive career guidance and counselling so that all young people can make informed choices based on their interests and competences rather than on prejudice or gender stereotypes; calls on the Member States and VET providers, considering that some sectors continue to recruit significantly fewer female apprentices, limiting opportunities for practical experience and career progression and undermining girls’ confidence in entering these professions, to address hostile learning environments, gender stereotypes, harassment and discrimination in both school and work-based learning, and to develop targeted measures to improve retention, completion and transition into quality employment for students from the under-represented gender; calls for targeted measures to remove gender barriers to VET mobility and provide adequate financial support; stresses the need to promote mobility among women apprentices, adult learners and learners from female-dominated sectors, which are often less represented in transitional mobility schemes; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 6. Recognises the contribution of WorldSkills and EuroSkills in promoting VET excellence, innovation and attractiveness across Europe; encourages closer cooperation between the Commission, the Member States and VET skills competition organisations in order to promote vocational excellence and support the visibility of VET; acknowledges that these competitions and their associated frameworks, such as the WorldSkills Occupational Standards, should serve as an inspiration for policymakers and the development of VET policy and skills recognition; | 6. Recognises the contribution of WorldSkills and EuroSkills in promoting VET excellence, innovation and attractiveness across Europe; encourages closer cooperation between the Commission, the Member States and VET skills competition organisations in order to promote vocational excellence and support the visibility of VET while recalling that excellence in VET must also encompass inclusion, accessibility, quality working conditions for teachers and trainers and equal opportunities for all learners, especially in regard to gender; acknowledges that these competitions and their associated frameworks, such as the WorldSkills Occupational Standards, should serve as an inspiration for policymakers and the development of VET policy and skills recognition; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 7a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to take targeted measures to close the gender gap in STEM-related education and training, including in VET, by addressing stereotypes, improving retention and progression, and ensuring equal access to quality training, apprenticeships and future careers in strategic sectors; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 8. Calls on the Commission to support the Member States in investing sufficiently in VET through country-specific recommendations in the European Semester and the earmarking of EU funding; recalls the successful investment, under the Just Transition Fund, in local economies through a combination of funding for skills and for small and medium-sized enterprises, and recommends that this example be followed under the Member States’ national and regional partnership plans, in order to promote VET; | 8. Calls on the Commission to support the Member States in investing sufficiently in VET through country-specific recommendations in the European Semester and the earmarking of EU funding; recalls the successful investment, under the Just Transition Fund, in local economies through a combination of funding for skills and for small and medium-sized enterprises, and recommends that this example be followed under the Member States’ national and regional partnership plans, in order to promote VET, paying particular attention to sectors that are essential for society and that are facing persistent labour shortages, including health, care, early childhood education and social services, recognising that adequate public investment in these sectors is essential to ensure high-quality VET across the EU and contributes both to gender equality and to resilient social systems; highlights the importance of increasing women’s participation in skilled occupations to expand the labour force and help address demographic challenges associated with Europe’s ageing population; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 9. Supports EU- and national-level partnerships between employers and VET providers to improve the relevance and quality of VET curricula; calls for the linking of VET providers to regional industrial and technological clusters; | 9. Supports EU- and national-level partnerships between employers and VET providers to improve the relevance and quality of VET curricula and to make VET more relevant, inclusive and better adapted to the needs of the labour market; calls for the linking of VET providers to regional industrial and technological clusters, placing particular focus on supporting women’s entrepreneurship, by strengthening business, digital and leadership skills, including through partnerships with women-led businesses to strengthen mentoring and facilitate women’s transition into skilled professions; stresses, in particular, the need to improve women’s access to business capital, business angel networks and other forms of private investment, and to actively support women-led innovation and enterprise as key drivers of Europe’s competitiveness, productivity and sustainable economic growth; stresses that employers, VET providers and social partners, including trade unions and business chambers, should be closely involved in the design and implementation of VET policies; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 10. Calls for broader inclusion of VET in existing EU policies and programmes; encourages better integration of VET bodies in the development of innovation policies to enhance the dissemination and uptake of innovative solutions across sectors; insists on the need to support skills investment in strategic sectors under the policy windows of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund; | 10. Calls for broader inclusion of VET in existing EU policies and programmes; encourages better integration of VET bodies in the development of innovation policies to enhance the dissemination and uptake of innovative solutions across sectors; insists on the need to support skills investment in strategic sectors under the policy windows of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund; stresses that VET programmes should play a central role in addressing Europe’s skills shortages, particularly in healthcare, AI, ICT, engineering, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, construction and other green and digital sectors, by equipping more women with the skills needed to contribute to the EU’s green, digital and industrial transitions and with the competences needed to think critically, adapt to change, participate fully in society and exercise active citizenship; emphasises that increasing the participation of women and girls in these fields is essential for fostering innovation, strengthening competitiveness and social cohesion, and making full use of Europe’s talent pool; emphasises the need for an equality-based approach that identifies and removes structural barriers and ensures equal opportunities throughout vocational education, apprenticeships and employment; stresses the importance of ensuring that female students and workers in (higher) VET are also fully integrated and included in the Action Plan for Women in Research, Innovation and Start-ups, with the aim of making the EU the most attractive place to work for women in these fields by 2030; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11. Stresses that AI and automation have led to an increased need for reskilling; emphasises, in this context, the increasing importance of accessible training for all workers for their current or alternative careers; | 11. Stresses that AI and automation have led to an increased need for reskilling and for the inclusion of critical digital and AI literacy in curricula, and have opened the possibility for new career paths, and in particular, for the inclusion of the basic, digital, AI, green, civic, media literacy, entrepreneurial, social and transversal competences needed for quality jobs, lifelong learning, active citizenship and democratic resilience; emphasises, in this context, the increasing importance of accessible training for all workers for their current or alternative careers; welcomes the Commission’s commitment, as part of its Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030, to promote gender-sensitive education as a key driver of equal opportunities, skills development and Europe’s long-term competitiveness; emphasises that modern VET policies should actively encourage more boys to consider HEAL (Health, Education, Administration, Literacy) fields and more women and girls to pursue vocational pathways in STEM, with a view to reducing pay gaps while recalling that increasing the participation of women in these sectors, in particular those affected by the digital transition, helps to reduce labour shortages while promoting gender equality and boosting European competitiveness, sustainable growth and social cohesion; underlines the importance of ensuring that AI is developed and deployed in an inclusive and gender-sensitive manner, with appropriate safeguards in place to prevent it from perpetuating or deepening gender inequality, discrimination and violence against women and girls; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 11a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prioritise skills development for the EU’s defence technological and industrial base, including through VET, apprenticeships and work-based learning; stresses that strengthening defence-related skills, particularly in advanced manufacturing, engineering, cybersecurity, AI and dual-use technologies, is essential for Europe’s security, competitiveness and defence preparedness; calls for targeted measures to encourage more women and girls to pursue careers in the defence sector; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and employers to ensure fair remuneration and decent working conditions for apprenticeships and internships in VET in order to improve the attractiveness, quality and inclusiveness of work-based learning; | 12. Calls on the Member States and employers, in cooperation with social partners, to ensure fair remuneration, decent working conditions, adequate maternity protection and inclusive, harassment-free learning environments for apprenticeships and internships in VET and to ensure that training companies are supported in preventing gender stereotypes and discrimination in the workplace, in order to improve the attractiveness, quality and inclusiveness of work-based learning; stresses the importance of flexible and family-friendly working arrangements to improve the participation and retention of women in vocational professions; highlights that this is particularly important for female dominated VET sectors, which are too often undervalued and underpaid despite their social and economic importance; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12a. Underlines the need to increase women’s leadership in VET governance to allow women’s perspectives to be represented in decision-making bodies responsible for vocational education policy, in order to provide role models for young people; notes that, in order to achieve this, the Commission and the Member States should encourage: gender parity on VET advisory boards, increased recruitment of women instructors in technical fields, and consultation with women’s organisations, trade unions, business chambers and civil society when developing VET strategies, in particular in emerging and high-growth sectors and in trainings on neurodiversity and specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12b. Calls for increased and targeted EU funding, as well as specific support measures, to address the structural constraints faced by the EU outermost regions, in accordance with Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, taking into account their specific characteristics, including remoteness, insularity and the small size of markets; stresses that such measures should ensure effective access to high-quality VET, reduce territorial inequalities, bridge existing gender gaps and promote equal opportunities for skills development, lifelong learning and employment; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 12c. Stresses the importance of developing financial literacy, particularly targeting women, as a gender gap exists in financial knowledge; notes that, on average in the EU, men score 18 percentage points higher than women when it comes to correctly answering at least three out of five questions in a financial knowledge survey conducted by the Commission; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 14a. Calls on the Commission to examine how excessive regulatory burdens affect technical professions and to pinpoint the scope for simplification that would facilitate vocational graduates’ access to employment, entrepreneurship and self-employment, paying particular attention to women, who still encounter greater obstacles when setting up their own businesses; |
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
|---|---|
| 14b. Acknowledges the crucial part played by vocational professions in protecting Europe’s manufacturing capacity, energy security, transport networks, construction sector and strategic infrastructure; calls for vocational education policy to reflect these priorities while actively encouraging greater participation by women; |
Annex: declaration of input 1 block
The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
Procedure pages and committee votes
How the committees handled the text and how their members voted on it. Collapsed.
Final vote by roll call by the committee asked for opinion 7 blocks
25 · For
- EPP
- Bogdán Csaba, Estaràs Ferragut Rosa, Kopacz Ewa, Meleti Eleonora, Novakov Andrey, Nykiel Mirosława, Pietikäinen Sirpa, Princi Giusi
- Patriots
- Androuët Mathilde, Disdier Mélanie
- Renew
- García Hermida-Van Der Walle Raquel, Van Den Berg Brigitte, Žalimas Dainius
- S&D
- Fritzon Heléne, Gálvez Lina, Guzenina Maria, Rafowicz Emma, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna, Vind Marianne
- The Left
- Gedin Hanna, Kountoura Elena, Morace Carolina
- Greens
- Freund Daniel, Langensiepen Katrin, Strolenberg Anna
6 · Against
- ECR
- Donazzan Elena, Gemma Chiara
- ESN
- Boßdorf Irmhild
- No group
- Kartheiser Fernand
- Patriots
- Kruis Sebastian, De La Pisa Carrión Margarita
Connections
The dossier, the decisions on this text and its other versions.
No connections found for this item.
Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “OPINION on boosting skills in the Union – opportunities for vocational education and training in times of transition”. Text, 10 September 2026. docId FEMM-AD-790216. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/FEMM-AD-790216 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/FEMM-AD-790216 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-text-femm-ad-790216,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{OPINION on boosting skills in the Union – opportunities for vocational education and training in times of transition}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-10},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/FEMM-AD-790216}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/FEMM-AD-790216},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Text. docId FEMM-AD-790216. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}