QUEEN

QUEEN aims to empower youth and adults with quality apprenticeships that adapt to evolving labour markets, fostering inclusive, sustainable career pathways for all.

Apprenticeships are a powerful bridge between education and employment, providing young people with real job opportunities and helping adults upskill or reskill for today’s evolving job market. But how do we ensure these apprenticeships offer real quality and long-term benefits?

In 2018, the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships (EFQEA) set 14 key criteria to guarantee strong, effective apprenticeship programs. However, putting these criteria into practice isn’t always easy. Different regions have different levels of support, and challenges remain, such as:

✅ Creating clearer, more flexible quality standards.
✅ Strengthening collaboration with social and industry partners.
✅ Encouraging people from all backgrounds and genders to see apprenticeships as a viable career path.

At the same time, apprenticeships must keep up with global trends—like digitalization and sustainable development—to remain relevant in an ever-changing economy.

What is QUEEN?

The QUEEN project is here to make a difference! Our goal is to help young people and adults access better job opportunities by improving apprenticeship policies across Europe. Through collaboration between EU and Candidate countries, we are:

🔎 Defining what makes a Quality Apprenticeship and tracking progress in different regions.
🏆 Highlighting success stories that can inspire and guide policymakers.
🚀 Driving change by designing, implementing, and monitoring better apprenticeship policies.

By working together, we can shape the future of apprenticeships—ensuring they provide real opportunities for individuals and lasting societal benefits. Join us on this journey!