University graduates in the Southern Mediterranean region face high unemployment rates and a mismatch of skills in the labor market, where employers are seeking graduates who combine solid theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Integrating vocational education into higher education can improve employability, provide an industry-relevant curriculum, and foster an interdisciplinary approach. Within this context, the European Training Foundation and in particular its Skills Lab Network has organised on November 18th, 2024 an online webinar tackling the topics of Vocational Education pathways in Higher Education, crucial in supporting youth in the region and reducing youth unemployment. The webinar, based on key orientations and priority areas identified in the UfM report “Towards a Union for the Mediterranean Strategy on Developing New Vocational Pathways in Higher Education”, discussed opportunities and challenges of building pathways to higher education.
Experts from ETF, UfM, and UNIMED shed light on the major questions and provided their insights on how to bridge the gap between vocational education and higher education.
Cristiana Burzio, Human Capital Development Expert at ETF opened the webinar by stressing the importance of collaboration in addressing both current and future skills needs. She highlighted the network’s role in promoting research and facilitating exchange among its expanding membership, which now includes over 400 participants from ETF partner countries, EU countries, and beyond.
Abdelaziz Jaouani Senior Human Capital Development Expert at ETF discussed the importance of a collaborative approach to lifelong learning and education pathways in addressing key challenges in the South and Eastern Mediterranean region, such as high youth unemployment, skills mismatches, and gender disparities. He emphasized the need for better alignment between vocational and higher education systems and the labor market.
Giuseppe Provenzano Project Managerat UfM discussed youth unemployment and the need for a just transition in the Mediterranean, highlighting the importance of quality education systems that equip students with skills for green and blue economies and inclusive development. He emphasized collaboration between academia, governments, and the private sector through a “quintuple helix” model, incorporating sustainability and civil society. Finally, he outlined strategic priorities, including integrating green skills into curricula, promoting lifelong learning, and reducing skills mismatches, aiming to align education with labor market needs and unlock sustainable growth and economic resilience in the region.
Silvia Marchionne Project Manager at UNIMED emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between universities, vocational training centers, and industries to improve pathways between TVET and higher education in the region. She shared the three pillars on which UNIMED has contributed with ETF and UfM: the importance of career guidance, the green skills integration, and the entrepreneurship topic to address skills mismatches and youth unemployment. In particular she presented some major findings from the study “Green Innovation and Employability in the Med through the Triple Helix” involving Tunisia, Jordan, and Italy, recommending enhanced stakeholder engagement through a “triple helix” model, improved networking among universities, and tailored green education initiatives. Silvia Marchionne presented also the two other initiatives jointly organised with ETF: the Start Cup Competition and the career guidance system review.
Finally, Mohamed Slassi, thematic expert, presented the case of Morocco, highlighting the considerable gap between vocational training and higher education systems, as well as the challenges in aligning them with labor market needs. He pointed out systemic issues such as fragmented governance, limited sectoral collaboration, and the lack of a unified national certification framework.
The webinar also included two Q&A sessions during which participants contributed with their insights and exchange with the speakers, highlighting key challenges in aligning vocational education and higher education in the SEMED region.
The webinar recording, the slides and a short summary are available here.
