Loukas Zahilas

Loukas Zahilas

Head of Department

Cedefop, Greece

Dr Loukas Zahilas is Head of the Department for Vocational Education & Training (VET) and Qualifications at Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. He studied Chemistry and Information Technologies, and he has a PhD in educational policies (qualifications frameworks).
After a six-year stint in the pharmaceutical industry, he has concentrated his efforts entirely on education and training. His more than 30 years of professional experience in vocational education and training were mainly acquired at the Greek Ministry of Education, the University of Athens and Cedefop.
He worked in VET schools and Institutes, the University of Athens and in 1994 he joined the Greek Ministry of Education. He served there for many years at various managerial posts representing Greece in EU bodies and groups like the Directors General for VET, the Advisory Committee for VET, and the ETF Governing Board. He has also served as National Europass Coordinator and National Liaison Officer for the Study Visits Programme and participated in various EU Working Groups like the EQF Advisory Group and the Group on Credit Transfer.
He joined Cedefop in 2006 working initially as a senior expert on qualifications and the common EU tools and as of 2014 he is Head of the Department for VET and Qualifications. Currently he is a member of Cedefop’s management team. His department’s work is based on research and analyses and provides evidence on policy developments and implementation as well as advice and support at European level. Main focus is on supporting the European Commission, Member States and social partners in fostering policy developments and accelerating the pace of VET reforms, by strengthening EU cooperation and informing political discussions on the future of VET.