First EAfA Community on the Role of Cities and Regions in Fostering Apprenticeships session of the year
17/02/2026
On 17 February 2026, the Community on the Role of Cities and Regions in Fostering Apprenticeships met online for its first session of the year under the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA).
The Community is co-led by the EARLALL, Fundación Bertelsmann and the Metropolitan City of Rome — a partnership that highlights the growing role of regional and local authorities in shaping strong, inclusive apprenticeship systems across Europe.
For this first meeting of 2026, the Community joined forces with the Community on the Learning Mobility of Apprentices (led by Euro App Mobility) to explore apprenticeship mobility from a regional and municipal perspective.
The discussion focused on scaling up apprenticeship mobility and examining how cities and regions can contribute to achieving the EU’s 2026 skills and inclusion objectives.
Joining forces to boost apprenticeship mobility
Although apprenticeship mobility is expanding, participation remains limited, with only around 4% of apprentices benefiting from a learning experience abroad. Compared to school-based VET and higher education, mobility in apprenticeships remains less common and often more complex to organise.
Andreas Gabriel (Euro App Mobility) identified key challenges:
- Limited awareness among learners and companies
- Administrative burden for VET providers
- SME concerns about operational impact
- Difficulties in recognising learning outcomes
Yet the benefits are clear: mobility enhances technical and transversal skills, strengthens employability and increases the attractiveness of apprenticeship pathways — particularly for young people with fewer opportunities.
The exchange then continued on how regional and local authorities can play a decisive role by:
- Supporting VET centres with mobility coordination and training
- Providing complementary funding
- Facilitating recognition of learning outcomes
- Mobilising local businesses and employer organisations
- Leveraging international partnerships to foster cross-border cooperation
Strengthening cooperation between EAfA Communities was also identified as a key step to better align EU mobility objectives with territorial realities.
Spotlight on the Metropolitan City of Rome: Erasmus+ accredited plan
The Metropolitan City of Rome shared its experience in strengthening internationalisation within its VET centres, marking its first year of implementing an Erasmus+ accredited plan. With a strong focus on sustainability and inclusion, Rome is working to prepare students for emerging labour market opportunities while ensuring that learners with fewer opportunities are fully supported.
Their strategy includes mobility opportunities not only for students, but also for teachers, trainers and administrative staff — recognising that staff development is key to building long-term institutional capacity. Careful planning, monitoring and evaluation of mobility activities are central to their approach.
The Metropolitan City of Rome will host the next in-person meeting of the EAfA in June 2026, providing an opportunity to further deepen exchanges and strengthen cooperation among cities and regions.
Synergies with the QUEEN project
The discussion connects closely with the objectives of the QUEEN project (Interreg Europe), of which EARLALL is a part. QUEEN aims to improve regional policies to enhance the quality and effectiveness of apprenticeships across Europe.
Both initiatives underline the importance of strong regional governance, inclusive approaches and better connections between VET systems and local labour markets. Exploring synergies between the EAfA Community and QUEEN could further reinforce policy learning and cooperation on apprenticeship mobility.
As co-leader of the Community, EARLALL remains committed to ensuring that cities and regions are at the forefront of building high-quality, inclusive and internationally connected apprenticeship systems.