Brigitte Van Den Berg· Renew

Overestimated

While more than half of Europeans have completed vocational training, virtually no one with a vocational background sits in parliament or policy-making bodies.

Omissions

• The 49.1% figure refers specifically to pupils currently enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes, not to the overall adult population who have completed vocational training. The MEP's claim about 'Europeans' having completed vocational training may conflate current enrolment with completed attainment.
• The claim about lack of vocational backgrounds in parliament/policy-making bodies was not verified as no data was found on educational backgrounds of MEPs or EU policy-makers.
• The data is from 2023, which is the most recent available before the February 2026 session date.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Vocational education statisticsIn 2023, 49.1% of pupils in upper secondary education across the EU followed vocational programmes