The accelerating green transition is reshaping European industries, job profiles and skill requirements at unprecedented speed. Vocational education and training (VET) systems face the challenge of ensuring that graduates possess competencies relevant to current market needs, emerging sustainability-driven occupations. Traditional quality assurance (QA) models, often focused on compliance and input measures, are no longer sufficient to meet these demands (OECD, 2025).
An outcome-oriented approach to QA can help address this gap. By prioritising the measurement of actual learner achievements, such as employability, skills application in the workplace and acquisition of sustainability competencies, QA frameworks can better reflect real-world impact (Albertz & Pilz, 2025).
Moreover, the green transition requires a broader ecosystem approach to quality assurance. Employers, regional authorities and social partners should be actively involved in defining quality indicators and reviewing outcomes, particularly in fast-changing green sectors (Persson Thunqvist et al., 2023). Collaboration ensures that the skills assessed are aligned with both current practices and future sustainability goals.
Therefore, QA systems must embed explicit measures of green skills. Research shows that integrating sustainability competencies, such as systems thinking, resource efficiency and environmental stewardship into occupational profiles and assessment criteria enhances graduates’ capacity to contribute to sustainability transitions (Fuchs, 2024). Tools like EQAVET 4.0’s VET LOOP, which combines sectoral mapping, job profiling and multi-perspective assessment, showcase how evidence-based QA can connect education design to measurable labour market and environmental outcomes.
By redefining “quality” in VET to mean impact achieved rather than content delivered, Europe can better equip its workforce for the dual challenges of economic transformation and environmental responsibility.
References
Albertz, A., & Pilz, M. (2025). Green alignment, green VET, green skills and related subjects. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12359
Fuchs, M. (2024). Green skills for sustainability transitions. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.70003
OECD. (2025). Ensuring quality in VET and higher education. https://www.oecd.org/education/ensuring-quality-in-vet-and-higher-education.htm
Persson Thunqvist, D., Gustavsson, M., & Halvarsson Lundqvist, A. (2023). The role of VET in a green transition of industry. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.10.3.4
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The EQAVET 4.0 project has been funded with support from the European Commission (GA No. 101194013). This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
