Vocational education and training is at an inflection point. Rapid technological change, evolving labour markets and persistent skills mismatches are placing new demands on VET systems worldwide, yet the evidence base for understanding how well these systems prepare learners for the workplace remains limited compared to general education. At the same time, countries are investing in strategies to raise the quality, attractiveness and responsiveness of VET, recognising its central role in inclusive growth and economic resilience.
In this context, the OECD’s PISA-VET initiative represents a significant step toward filling a critical gap: the lack of internationally comparable data on the competencies of VET learners as they transition into the labour market. By measuring how effectively graduates can apply their knowledge and skills to authentic workplace challenges, PISA-VET has the potential to provide countries, employers and educators with evidence that has simply not been available before.
But building an assessment of this kind cannot be done by any single actor alone. PISA-VET’s development has relied from the outset on collaboration between governments, industry, international organisations and the research community. The involvement of employers in defining what competence looks like in practice, the alignment with frameworks such as WorldSkills standards, and the contribution of technical partners in assessment design are all essential to ensuring that what is measured is genuinely relevant to the world of work.
This session brings together senior representatives from key partners, including governments, industry, international organisations and the assessment community, to explore why international assessment in VET matters now, how cross-sector collaboration is shaping the initiative, and what comparable evidence on vocational skills can mean for policy, practice and the future attractiveness of VET pathways. The conversation will address the broader questions: what role can data play in strengthening VET systems, how can assessment support rather than distort good practice, and what does it take to build an international measurement effort that is credible to both educators and employers.
