STEM Education Strategic Plan
Summary
The EU will reverse declining STEM performance and close talent gaps by 2030 through enrolment targets (45% of initial VET in STEM, 32% tertiary, and 5% ICT PhDs) with gender goals (≥25% women in VET, 40% tertiary, 33% ICT PhDs). It will modernise curricula via a STEM competence framework, pilot STEM education centres, and launch Advanced Digital Skills Competitions. Universities and Centres of Vocational Excellence will offer joint programmes and micro-credentials aligned with industry, moving toward a European degree for engineers. A Teachers & Trainers Agenda and actions under the Union of Skills will boost capacity and attractiveness.
Action items
1–6 of 24 items
Source order · D = digital dimension- Item 1
A. Propose new 2030 EU-level STEM targets. By 2030:
- Item 2
i) the share of students enrolled in STEM fields in initial medium-level VET should be at least 45%21; at least 1 out of every 4 students should be female.
- Item 3
ii) the share of students enrolled in STEM fields at tertiary level should be at least 32%23 , with at least 2 out of every 5 students female.
- Item 4
iii) the share of students enrolled in ICT PhD programmes should be at least 5%24, with at least 1 out of every 3 students female. Member States are invited to engage with the Commission in setting these EU level targets and, on this basis, develop own national targets, to guide national or regional STEM strategies.
- Item 5
B. In 2025, set up a European STEM Executive Panel at top business/political/administrative level to advise on strategic issues including curriculum modernisation, industry feedback on skills needs across industrial sectors, innovative teaching and content, and embedding academic-business cooperation in STEM education. The STEM Panel would provide actionable recommendations to foster close cooperation between business and STEM education to the European Skills High Level Board and make the results of its work publicly available to any other interested party.
- Item 6
C. Improve overall STEM skills intelligence based on international indicators and benchmarks, by measuring graduate outcomes in VET and tertiary education through the Eurograduate survey, and by better anticipating sector-specific skills needs as part of the future European Skills Intelligence Observatory and by leveraging the common European Data Space for Skills.