Contemporary democratic societies are facing numerous social, economic, and political challenges, two of which are particularly significant for their future socio-political and economic development. On the one hand, contemporary societies are undergoing rapid demographic changes, most notably an aging population and a decline in the number of young people. Such demographic trends lead to a shortage of qualified labor, especially in specific trades and professions. As a potential response, many societies are seeking to equip young people in vocational education with the skills needed to enter the labor market as quickly as possible, often by encouraging them to spend part of their schooling in workplace settings. However, with this approach, general educational content, including civic education, is increasingly marginalized in vocational schools.

The marginalization of civic education in vocational schools is occurring precisely at a time when contemporary societies are facing another major challenge: the rise of extreme political options, particularly rightwing populist movements, which question core values of liberal democracy. There is a growing concern that young people with lower levels of education are more likely to vote for such political options, and even more worryingly, they may adopt attitudes that reject liberal democracy as a political system.

In this paper, while acknowledging and building upon the insights from the first study, the perspective is somewhat shifted. While it builds on the findings of some earlier comparative research, this study aims to offer a more in-depth insight into national systems. Therefore, the analysis is limited to three countries: Croatia, Romania, and Thuringia (Germany). The primary objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how civic education is implemented in these countries and to identify the key challenges associated with its delivery in vocational schools.