The PISA-VET assessment project supports countries in strengthening their skills systems by developing, piloting and implementing an internationally standardised assessment of outcomes of initial VET programmes, the analysis of the results of which will enhance comparative policy insights on how to improve the relevance, quality, equity and effectiveness of initial VET programmes.‌ This initiative builds on a range of national and industry-specific efforts to measure applied skills, but it would be the first time to apply these methods at scale and across countries.

PISA-VET has the potential to pay huge dividends in terms of improving the labour-market relevance, quality and social status of vocational education and training. To achieve these benefits, the OECD and its members, but also the industries whose skills will be evaluated, must confirm the validity of the metrics and the international comparability of results that will come from this assessment. To address this, the OECD has established a step-by-step approach to the development of the assessment framework and the instruments with multiple opportunities for countries to review progress and decide on subsequent work. By assessing the professional skills of vocational learners, PISA-VET will help countries assess the quality of their VET programmes. Not only will the data allow for between-country comparison, it will also be possible to analyse differences between programmes with different design (e.g. school-based vs. work-based learning) and between learners with different characteristics – contributing to stronger and more inclusive systems. By collecting background data from learners and VET institutions, as well as system-level data, PISA-VET will greatly expand the variety and level of information collected. 

The ultimate goal of PISA-VET is to improve VET, both in terms of quality and attractiveness. By giving due attention to this important part of the education system, the OECD and its partners are committed to making vocational programmes an attractive choice for learners regardless of their background– including young students who aspire to a particular profession, learners who want to use VET as a pathway into higher education and adults who are in need of upskilling or reskilling.