The STARS Project participated in the Forum on Vocational Excellence 2025, organised by the Community of Practice of Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoP CoVEs). The event took place from 8–10 September 2025 in Kolding and was hosted by Campus Kolding, a collaboration between the Kolding Municipality, the International Business Academy Kolding, the University College South Denmark, and the Design School Kolding.
A European Gathering on the Future of Vocational Education
The forum, held under the theme “CoVE – Driven by Learners, Defined by Excellence”, brought together policymakers, educators, project partners, and industry representatives from across Europe to discuss the future of vocational education and training (VET) and the development of strong skills ecosystems.
The programme began with a welcome reception at the historic Koldinghus, where participants were introduced to the city’s cultural heritage and had the opportunity to network with other CoVE initiatives. The following day featured the main conference sessions at Væveriet, an old industrial site transformed into a modern event space.
During the conference, participants attended plenary discussions and expert panels addressing key topics such as excellence in VET, EU competitiveness, and the role of skills development in strengthening Europe’s labour market. Speakers included representatives from European institutions and organisations such as CEDEFOP, the European Training Foundation, and the European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.
Interactive Workshops and STARS Contributions
The event also featured interactive workshops designed to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration among participants from various CoVE projects, covering a range of topics relevant to vocational excellence and inclusion in sport. Specifically, we hosted three workshops with STARS and STARS partners on key subjects: gender-based violence (GBV) and prevention led by HVBF, training needs analysis facilitated by EOSE and AKMI, and applied research in sport conducted by UPM. These sessions provided participants with practical insights, discussion opportunities, and strategies to apply within their national contexts. In addition, we contributed to the team-building CoVE Football Cup, organized by the Hanse Parliament and the Dutch National STEM Platform, where we led the warm-up session and actively engaged participants in collaborative exercises. The day concluded with a campus-wide networking event at Campus Kolding, featuring exhibitions, demonstrations, and creative projects that highlighted innovative learning approaches.
Study Visits Across Denmark
The final day focused on study visits across Denmark, offering participants the opportunity to explore best practices in vocational excellence in areas such as green innovation, offshore energy, agricultural education, social inclusion programmes, and advanced training methods. These visits highlighted the strong collaboration between education providers, industry partners, and regional ecosystems in the Danish vocational education system.
The forum concluded with a closing session celebrating the involvement of students in the organisation of the event, followed by the symbolic handover of the “CoVE Flame” to the organisers of the next Forum on Vocational Excellence.
Participation in the forum enabled the STARS Project to connect with other Centres of Vocational Excellence initiatives, exchange knowledge, and contribute to ongoing discussions on innovation, skills development, and vocational excellence in the European sports sector.
