Continuing Vocational Training at Enterprises in EU Countries: An Empirical Analysis Based on Eurostat Data

Анотація

Contemporary socio-economic transformations in the countries of the European Union, driven by technological change, digitalisation, and structural economic restructuring, necessitate a rethinking of the role of continuing vocational training within enterprises as a key instrument for human capital development and economic growth. Under conditions of increasing labour market requirements, enterprise-based training of employees serves as an important factor in enhancing labour productivity, workforce adaptability, and the competitiveness of national economies. The purpose of this article is to classify European Union countries according to the level of development of continuing vocational training within enterprises based on indicators from the Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS) for 2010 and 2020, to analyse the dynamics of changes in the structure of the identified clusters, and to assess the relationship between the development of vocational training and indicators of economic development measured by gross domestic product per capita. Methods. The study applies a multidimensional comparative analysis, including the standardisation of statistical indicators, the calculation of a synthetic index of continuing vocational training development, and cluster analysis using agglomerative and k-means methods. The empirical basis of the study consists of official statistical data from the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), which ensure cross-country comparability and enable the analysis of dynamic structural changes. Results. The findings indicate that during the period 2010–2020, relatively stable clusters of European Union countries emerged based on the level of development of continuing vocational training within enterprises, differing in training intensity, employee coverage, and organisational characteristics of training processes. Inter-cluster mobility of individual countries was identified, reflecting the dynamic nature of vocational training systems and the presence of partial convergence processes. It is demonstrated that countries with higher levels of vocational training development generally exhibit higher levels of economic development, while the most pronounced economic effects of investments in employee training are observed in countries with a medium level of economic development. Conclusions. The development of continuing vocational training within enterprises constitutes an important factor in economic dynamics and convergence within the European Union. The obtained results have practical significance for shaping human capital development policies, particularly for Ukraine as a candidate country for EU membership, in the context of post-crisis and post-war economic recovery. Further research should focus on extending the temporal scope of the analysis and applying alternative indicators of economic development.

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