The European Commission's agency for vocational education and training, Cedefop, is launching the first comprehensive survey of VET teachers across Europe. The European Vocational Teacher Survey (EVTS) will reach 14,000 teachers across 23 EU Member States, starting in October 2025, to gather crucial data about the challenges and experiences of those working in vocational education.

Addressing Critical Workforce Challenges

The survey comes at a time when Europe faces significant shortages of qualified VET teachers, particularly in STEM subjects, foreign languages, and informatics. These shortages are undermining efforts to meet the EU's 2030 skills targets and hampering progress toward digital and green transitions.

Current research reveals concerning trends within the profession. Only 67% of teachers chose teaching as their primary career choice, and just 17.7% believe their profession is valued by society. VET teachers face additional challenges, with salaries averaging 10.5% lower than other workers with similar qualifications, and only 40% reporting satisfaction with their pay. Many work on temporary contracts more frequently than their colleagues in general education.

The profession demands increasingly complex skills as teachers adapt to artificial intelligence developments, climate change considerations, and the need to create inclusive learning environments. Many VET teachers report feeling unprepared for these evolving demands and cite limited opportunities for continuing professional development.

Filling a Critical Data Gap

Despite two decades of EU policy discussions about the importance of teacher professional development, comparable data about VET teacher experiences across Europe remains scarce. This information gap limits policymakers' ability to design effective support programmes and assess what professional development approaches work best.

The EVTS aims to address this by collecting harmonised data on five key areas: how VET teachers develop their skills professionally, which development activities prove most effective, what skills teachers need for digital and green education, teacher job satisfaction and working conditions, and the overall attractiveness of the VET teaching profession.

Survey Implementation

The survey will run from mid-October 2025 to September 2026, using online surveys, telephone interviews, and virtual interviews. The project involves collaboration between national authorities, education providers, and social partners across Europe. First findings are expected in 2027.

This comprehensive data collection represents the first major effort to capture VET teacher experiences directly, providing evidence that could inform policy decisions at both national and EU levels. The results may influence everything from teacher training programmes to working conditions and professional development opportunities across European vocational education systems.