The ELIA (Excellence and Learning for the Innovation of Agriculture) project proposes the establishment of a transnational Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for the olive production sector—one of Europe's most traditional yet increasingly vulnerable agri-food domains. Operating across seven countries (Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and Turkey), ELIA addresses urgent challenges posed by climate change, digital transition, skills mismatches, and rural exclusion. Grounded in extensive partner-led needs analyses and aligned with the European Green Deal, the Digital Education Action Plan, and the Council Recommendations on VET and micro-credentials, ELIA aims to transform vocational training into a flexible, inclusive, and innovation-driven system. The project will co-create modular curricula and EU-aligned micro-credentials, develop digital and sustainability-focused training for both learners and educators, and pilot structured mobility and work-based learning schemes in collaboration with SMEs, cooperatives, and policy makers. Through deep, sustained cooperation between VET providers, industry actors, and public authorities, ELIA will enhance regional innovation capacity, strengthen policy frameworks for skills recognition, and offer scalable models of excellence that directly contribute to green growth and social resilience. It will deliver high-quality, labour market-relevant education that empowers individuals, revitalises rural economies, and advances systemic reform in the vocational landscape across Europe.