The Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training Cedefop, James Calleja, travelled to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France on 5-6 May to meet with senior UNESCO management and TVET specialists. The purpose of the meeting was to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two organizations.

Calleja was joined by Cedefop's Head of Department for VET Systems and Institutions Loukas Zahilas. The meeting was co-organized and hosted by TVET staff at UNESCO Headquarters and was attended by senior colleagues from UNESCO, including the Assistant Director-General for Education Qian Tang. Present from UNESCO were also the Director of Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems David Atchoarena, the Chief of Section for Youth, Literacy and Skills Borhene Chakroun, and the Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC Shyamal Majumdar.

Cedefop, UNESCO and UNESCO-UNEVOC are working together regularly within the inter-agency group on TVET and have collaborated on issues such as qualifications frameworks, work-based learning and green skills in the past. The current meeting focused on possibilities for future cooperation on improving the image and attractiveness of TVET and additional issues such as learning outcomes, entrepreneurship and key competences. Further meetings to discuss concrete proposals taking forward this collaboration are in the planning.