This event will provide the opportunity to focus the attention on opportunities and underlying tensions that need to be considered and addressed in order for this sector to unleash its full potential in terms to job creation and training and employment opportunities for all. It will address the following three specific themes:

(1) Just transitions: digital and green

Innovation and digitalisation are everyday reality and hold the potential to unlock new and better employment opportunities. At the same time the digital divide, if not tackled, will translate into growing social inequality. VET and apprenticeships can be a key factor to close this digital divide. Apprenticeships can also contribute to the green transition of the sector and support the integration of disadvantaged groups.

(2) Gender equality in apprenticeships in the rail sector

While often still facing social stigma, VET and apprenticeships offer real opportunities in terms of skills development, competence acquisition and employability. Raising awareness, increasing apprenticeships attractiveness and reaching out to new target groups are challenges that need to be addressed now. In particular, already less represented in apprenticeships, women are even less engaged in specific sectors, rail included. This challenge requires new commitments, as recently demonstrated by Austrian companies in the railway sector introducing a quota of up to 45% female workers to be met across all job fields and 50% quota of women when filling management positions[1].

(3) Mobility and transnational cooperation

Mobility is important as apprentices gain independence, learn new skills (particularly soft skills), foreign language skills through international work experience. The companies involved also benefit, as cultural exchange fosters creativity, reinforces the companies’ skills base and attracts international talent. Although the new Erasmus programme offers apprentices an increasing number of learning opportunities abroad, mobility of apprentices in the sector remains limited by several factors – financial, administrative, legal. It requires cooperation among all key players involved to become a widespread reality. In the rail sector specifically, the lack of harmonisation of VET profiles in the transnational rail (freight) traffic is a factor hindering mobility of apprentices.