STEM Education Strategic Plan

A. Propose new 2030 EU-level STEM targets. By 2030:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A. Promote future-oriented STEM curricula in schools, VET and tertiary education by:

i) Developing by 2026 a STEM competence framework for all learners at all stages of education and a taxonomy of STEM skills within the ESCO classification. This will inspire and promote curriculum design, and assessment frameworks for STEM skills.

ii) Working towards a European degree for engineers, by building on the European Universities alliances and ongoing Erasmus+ pilots, considering the needs of employers.

B. Pilot STEM education centres for school education, including VET schools, across the EU with the goal of improving how STEM is delivered and experienced in primary and secondary education. Supported by Erasmus+, these centres will create dynamic learning ecosystems that drive innovation in STEM teaching and learning in schools, by stepping up cooperation with businesses, science museums, STEM organisations, libraries, cultural associations, creative industries, universities and research institutions.

C. Attract more students from diverse backgrounds to STEM studies in secondary education, VET and tertiary education by launching:

i) the STEM Tech Talent Induction. Induction activities designed to attract young people to STEM careers and involving role models and entrepreneurs will be implemented by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

ii) the European Advanced Digital Skills Competitions to engage young European people in cutting edge digital technologies by providing societal, technological or industry challenges, drawing on existing competitions such as the International and the European Cybersecurity Challenges.

D. Address employers’ needs in VET and tertiary education by means of the following actions:

i) Develop joint transnational programmes and short courses leading to micro- credentials in strategic STEM sectors, as identified in the Competitiveness Compass, through the Centres of Vocational Excellence and European Universities alliances. In close cooperation with their respective innovation ecosystems and with EU skills academies: i) boost the available range of joint programmes and micro- credentials in STEM, including with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) educational approach, ii) encourage the centres and alliances to coordinate their STEM offer and to pool and share their investments in STEM infrastructure, equipment and educational technologies; iii) encourage the centres and alliances to leverage private investment for the development of micro- credentials tailored to upskilling and reskilling the European workforce in strategic STEM sectors; iv) support and monitor the take-up by employers recruiting talent with micro-credentials issued with EU support.

ii) Support the development of joint education programmes (Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels) and specialist training for strategic STEM sectors, leveraging the skills academies and the European Universities Alliances. This includes joint degrees and future European degrees in digital technologies (e.g., AI, quantum, cybersecurity) and interdisciplinary degrees applying these technologies to sectors like health and biotech, as well as training for Destination Earth25 technologies (e.g., climate modelling, circular engineering).

iii) Promote upskilling and reskilling through bootcamps, short courses delivered by formal VET and higher education institutions leading to micro-credentials, and platforms for digital immersive learning and training to create innovative lifelong learning opportunities.

iv) Provide dedicated training on innovation, entrepreneurship and IP management to 200 000 STEM higher education students, academics and staff by 2028, building on the EIT Higher Education Institutions Initiative in synergy with the European Universities alliances and the EIT knowledge and innovation communities.

E. Pilot in 2026 the development of STEM skills foundries in strategic sectors by involving companies to mentor young student entrepreneurs, in cooperation with vocational education and training providers and with higher education institutions, providing them access to their laboratories, technical infrastructures and equipment, development of intellectual property (IP), as well as facilitating access to venture capital. This should also bring together VET and higher education providers, talented VET and higher education students and the world of finance, particularly venture capital.

F. Propose ‘Capacity Building for STEM’ for education institutions in enlargement countries and other EU priority partner countries such as beneficiaries of EU Talent Partnerships and propose ‘International Partnerships on STEM’ to foster STEM excellence. The upcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean also offers particular opportunities in this regard.

A. Attract more girls and women to STEM by launching, in 2025, a new ‘Girls go STEM initiative to attract female secondary students into STEM study fields, including in VET, and female higher education students into STEM professions, and by developing their technical and entrepreneurial skills in STEM domains, including through induction periods and mentorship. The aim is to train 1 million girls by 2028 through Erasmus+, the European Universities alliances, European Alliance for Apprenticeships, digital skills academies and the EIT.

B. Launch ‘STEM Futures’, to identify and share inclusive and successful STEM education practices, including the most promising EU-supported STEM education projects, leveraging on existing communities and networks. In 2026, the focus will be on the most successful practices for girls and women in STEM. As part of this initiative, a European STEM Week will be organised, in synergies with EU-funded projects, with a focus on reaching out in accessible ways to young people, in particular girls and their families.

C. Showcase and exchange good practices and foster mutual learning on attracting and supporting girls and women in STEM apprenticeships. Engaging with companies, research institutions, research and technology organisations and other stakeholders as part of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, with a focus on increasing the proportion of female apprentices.

D. Pilot a ‘STEM Specialists Fellowship’ under the current MFF to attract top international STEM experts from diverse backgrounds to EU higher education and research institutions as well as EU-supported public-private partnerships working in key strategic sectors.