International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training
The International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET) is a double blind peer-reviewed journal. This journal provides full open access to its content on the principle that making research freely and independently available to the science community and the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge and the further development of expertise in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). IJRVET is since the beginning independent from any non-scientific third party funding. The establishment of the journal was supported between 2013 and 2014 with grants from the European Educational Research Association (EERA). All members of IJRVET work on a honorary basis. The journal is hosted by the State and University Library Bremen, Germany. IJRVET is the official journal of VETNET (founded in 1996), the European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (umbrella organisation: EERA European Educational Research Association), supported by CINTERFOR (founded in 1963), the Centro Interamericano para el Desarrollo del Conocimiento en la Formación Profesional / Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (a technical service of OIT Organización International del Trabajo / ILO International Labour Organization).
VETNET European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training / European Educational Research Association
What Competences Do VET Teachers in Germany Really Need? A Work- and Organization Psychology Perspective
Context: Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers face increasingly complex challenges, driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving educational demands. Traditional teacher education programs often focus primarily on pedagogical skills and subject-specific expertise but fail to fully address the broader, real-world contexts in which VET teachers operate. This gap between training and practice results in a mismatch between teachers' competences and the actual job requirements they encounter. To bridge this gap, there is a need to investigate the specific competences required by VET teachers that go beyond subject knowledge and traditional teaching tasks. Approach: This study employs a deductive approach grounded in Action Regulation Theory to analyze the work characteristics and contexts that shape the competences required for effective VET teaching. Using objective work analysis tools, we examined 18 VET teaching positions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, focusing on both the range of tasks teachers perform and the conditions under which these tasks are carried out. The study explores how varying contextual factors, such as organizational structures and work conditions, influence the competences required for VET teachers to manage their roles effectively. By examining these relationships, the study aims to develop a more accurate understanding of the competences needed to navigate the diverse challenges faced by VET teachers. Findings: The analysis revealed that VET teachers require a broad set of competences, including multitasking, clear communication, empathy, decision-making, and other organizational skills. These competences are essential for managing tasks such as lesson preparation, participation in examination boards, and addressing pupils’ personal challenges. Moreover, the study highlighted how context-specific factors—such as classroom behavior, student diversity, and organizational conditions—significantly influence the required competences. The findings underscore the importance of these context-dependent competences, which are often overlooked in traditional teacher training programs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that teacher education programs should place greater emphasis on context-specific competences, in addition to subject-specific and pedagogical knowledge. By integrating context-sensitive competences into training programs, institutions can better prepare VET teachers to meet the diverse demands of their profession while also promoting their long-term well-being. This study offers valuable insights for improving both the quality of vocational education and the sustainability of teaching careers, particularly in rapidly evolving educational environments.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lea Besser, Stephan Salber, Traum Anne, Franz Kaiser, Renate Rau https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Becoming a Company-Based Trainer in Swiss Dual VET: An In-Depth Look at Career Paths and the Role of the Trainer
Context: In Switzerland, dual apprenticeships are the most popular post-compulsory education pathway, combining workplace-based training with vocational school learning. Company-based trainers play a pivotal role in guiding apprentices through this dual system, ensuring that they acquire both practical skills and professional knowledge. Despite their centrality in the apprenticeship system, research focusing specifically on these key individuals and their career trajectories remains scarce. This study investigates the career pathways leading to becoming company-based trainers and explores the factors and processes influencing their role adoption. Approach: The research employs a qualitative methodology, comprising 80 semi-structured interviews with trainers across diverse sectors in French-speaking Switzerland. Participants were selected to represent a range of industries, company sizes, and professional backgrounds in order to capture the variety of experiences among trainers. Interviews focused on their career histories leading to the trainer role, as well as their experiences while performing this role. Data analysis followed thematic content analysis and typological approaches to identify distinct trainer profiles and their professional trajectories. Findings: The study identifies four ideal types of trainers: entrepreneurs, artisans, converted, and resigned. These profiles highlight the varying factors, career transitions, and professional ethos underpinning trainers' engagement in their roles. Entrepreneurs often approach training as an extension of their business or a strategic career step, while artisans see it as a way to pass on their craft and expertise. Converted trainers take on the role following career changes, seeking personal fulfilment or responding to organizational needs, whereas resigned trainers experience misalignment between their expectations and professional reality. These findings highlight the complexity and heterogeneity of trainers' career trajectories and the various factors shaping their role adoption. Conclusion: The findings underscore the heterogeneity of pathways into the training role and its implications for vocational education and training (VET) systems. Recognizing and supporting these diverse pathways can enhance trainers' satisfaction and impact, ultimately benefiting apprentices and organizations. Future research should explore the interplay between organizational contexts and individual drivers to optimize the training experience.
Copyright (c) 2026 Roberta Besozzi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Vocational Identity of Slovak In-Company Trainers: Validation of a New Concept
Purpose: In-company trainers are company employees who are responsible for planning and teaching vocational skills to young people. They also teach them about the company's values, thus fostering a sense of belonging and alignment with company goals. However, there is limited understanding of what constitutes their vocational identity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to a) theoretically and empirically develop a concept of the vocational identity of in-company trainers, (b) transpose this concept to a newly developed tool, The Vocational Trainer Identity Questionnaire, and (c) assess its construct validity. Beyond the focus on the validity, the study provides descriptive data on how in-company trainers rate the vocational identity components and how their ratings relate to demographic factors. Methods: The Vocational Trainer Identity Questionnaire was developed and validated through a multi-stage process. This included workplace visits, interviews with trainers, a literature review, and analyses of existing vocational education and training questionnaires. To ensure validity, three rounds of factor analysis were conducted. The study involved 300 in-company trainers from a wide range of companies across Slovakia, who participated as respondents. Results: A four-components model of vocational identity resulted from the data, comprised of self-efficacy, company values, professional improvement, and task perception. They correlate positively, which indicates that they create a consistent unit, albeit with components that are still conceptually independent. Self-efficacy, accounting for 19.4% of the total variance, emerges as the strongest component in the vocational identity model for in-company trainers. The other three components contribute to a lesser extent: Company values account for 11.3%, professional improvement for 11%, and task perception for 8.5%. Combined, these four components explain 50.2% of the total variance. With regard to the descriptive data, on average, in-company trainers scored above the midpoint of the five-point scale across all four identity components. The relatively high mean scores suggest that self-efficacy, company values, professional improvement, and task perception are strong elements of their vocational identity. Conclusion: Data were collected from in-company trainers across a wide range of vocational fields, making the resulting model an empirically validated step towards clarifying the construct of the trainers' vocational identity. The Vocational Trainer Identity Questionnaire addresses a gap in the literature and provides opportunities for conducting longitudinal studies and exploring the reciprocal effects between perceived vocational identity and related concepts. The questionnaire is available for validation and use in other countries.
Copyright (c) 2026 PETER GAVORA, Adriana Wiegerová https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Collaboration Between Education and Work in Finland: Vocational Education and Training Actors From Supporting Students' Learning to Serving Companies?
Purpose: Upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Finland is largely work-based, with increasing collaboration between VET institutions and workplaces. There is a need for an updated and comprehensive understanding of this collaboration. Therefore, this study investigates how workplace representatives discuss collaboration between Finnish VET actors (i.e., VET institutions and teachers) and workplaces. Methods: Interviews with workplace representatives were analysed using the principles of discourse analysis. The data were examined to reveal how they talked about the forms and activities of collaboration between education and work. From the talk, the positions of the VET actors and the workplace actors were identified on a time continuum: current positions and desired future positions. Findings: Four discourses on collaboration were identified: (i) organising work-based learning, (ii) ensuring a skilled workforce, (iii) supporting the development of workplaces, and (iv) promoting the flourishing of vocational sectors. The current positions given to VET actors varied from supporters of student learning and organisers of education to company-oriented trainer of staff competences. In the future, they are expected to play an emerging role as business consultants and innovators, and promoters of the attractiveness of vocational sectors and education. In addition to the traditional positions, the findings were thus characterised by the positions of VET actors at the service of companies. Conclusions: Theoretically, the study suggests that there is a need for a multi-level model of collaboration in VET that covers individual and institutional (including both VET institutions and workplaces) as well as sectoral and regional perspectives, as they can all manifest simultaneously in collaboration. From a practical perspective, the study highlights the organisation, management and resourcing of teachers' work to enable them to work with companies in a way that is sustainable and meaningful for them, students and companies. Collaboration should not only be based on individual teachers and their networks, but the organisational culture should support multi-faceted, mutual, and long-term partnerships. Vocational teacher education and teachers' work conditions need to support the continuous development of teachers' comprehensive competences and lay the foundations for a broad identity orientation as opposed to a narrow teacher identity position. The development of teachers' competences, not just pedagogical competences, should be a strong strategic goal and function in VET institutions.
Initial Vocational Education and Training
Copyright (c) 2026 Heta Rintala, Katja Vähäsantanen, Mika Tammilehto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Is Dual VET a Differentiating Factor in Firm-School Relationships? Evidence From the Basque Country
Context: The relationship which firms and schools establish around compulsory student internships is a key aspect of the Spanish vocational education system. The introduction of extended student internships (the so-called "dual Vocational Education and Training" or "dual VET") in recent years has received considerable attention. Whereas some authors have pointed out at positive results in terms of academic results and employability, others indicate that important challenges remain regarding formalisation of the in-company curriculum and diversity of student internship experiences. Most of recent studies look at education agents, and there is a need of further evidence coming from the firms. In particular, limited attention has been paid so far at the comparison between standard and extended ("dual") internship experiences. Approach: A survey-based quantitative study has been carried out with a sample of 254 industrial Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the Basque Country (Northern Spain). The questionnaire looks at different aspects of the relationships which firms and schools develop around student internships, as experienced by the companies: Motives for receiving students, implementation of the internships, and outcomes. Special attention is paid to the impact of dual VET on firm-school relationships. Results: The evidence gathered shows that firms and schools have developed rich, reciprocal relationships around student internships (both standard and dual). Firms having experience of dual VET have a more intense relationship with schools in aspects such as training in competencies needed by the firm, selection and supervision of students, frequency and depth of communication with the school tutor, organisational width of the intern student experience, use of the training contract, better knowledge of the school curriculum, and hiring the student after graduation. However, other variables, related to the innovative culture of the firm, exert also a wide influence on the relationship in aspects like student selection and integration in the firm, long-term view of training (affecting all employees in the organisation), participation in intern student evaluation, formalisation of student training plans and contribution to the quality of the school curriculum. Conclusion: The key message emerging from the study is that dual VET has an effect on the intensity of firm-school relationships, but that it does not alter radically the character of the relationship which had been established before, based on standard student internships. Along with the dual experience, the innovative culture of the firm also has an important effect on the relationships.
Copyright (c) 2026 Beatriz Otero, Mikel Olazaran, Cristina Lavía, Eneka Albizu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vocational Teachers as AI Pioneers: A Study of Professional AI Competence in the Norwegian Vocational Field of Information Technology and Media Production
Context: Artificial intelligence (AI) integration into education is advancing rapidly, yet vocational education and training (VET) remains underexplored in AI and education research. The limited attention to VET is particularly salient given that vocational teachers are expected to prepare students for a digitalised labour market in which AI increasingly informs and transforms occupational practices. This article explores how vocational teachers in the Norwegian Information Technology and Media Production (ITMP) programme integrate AI in their teaching and how it affects their professional digital competence. Approach: Using a qualitative, exploratory case study design, we investigated two upper secondary schools in Norway that were identified as early adopters of AI in vocational teaching. Data sources included interviews with four teachers, classroom observations, documents (e.g., assignments and presentations), and field notes from teacher-industry network meetings. The data were analysed using abductive thematic analysis, supported by generative AI tools to explore emergent patterns. We employed a framework for vocational teachers' professional digital competence to guide the analysis. Findings: The study identifies three main deyvelopments. First, AI tools such as ChatGPT and image generators are widely used to support students' autonomous learning and enable real-time feedback in coding, design, and text-based tasks. Second, teachers use AI in profession-specific ways to enable students to develop digital products, business ideas, and portfolios, thus fostering creativity and entrepreneurship. Third, AI transforms teachers' professional identity and digital competence. They transition from knowledge transmitters to facilitators in a co-learning relationship with students and AI systems. Teachers also report relying on informal networks and personal initiative for upskilling, while systemic support remains limited. Conclusion: Vocational teachers in the ITMP programme emerge as AI pioneers, developing innovative didactic practices and digital strategies through bottom-up experimentation. However, the findings also highlight tensions concerning assessment, deep learning, ethical concerns, and unequal access to AI tools. These point to the need for revised frameworks of vocational digital competence, targeted teacher training, and institutional support. The study contributes to the emerging field of vocational AI didactics and provides empirical grounding for future policy and curriculum development in VET.
Copyright (c) 2026 Svanhild Kristine Berntsen, Øyvind Granborg, Steinar Karstensen, Leif Chr. Lahn, Nina Aakernes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Professionalisation of Future VET Teachers Through Assignment-Related Action Competence
Purpose: This study investigates the effectiveness of Cooperation Laboratories (Co-Labs) in strengthening competences in the analyse, modification, and development of teaching assignments (assignment-related action competences) among Vocational Education and Training (VET) teacher students. Furthermore, it examines how this learning arrangement contributes to their professionalisation by addressing the so-called double theory–practice gap in VET teacher education, which requires future teachers to connect theoretical knowledge with both school-based and company-based practice. Method: The study follows a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative pre-post survey (N = 156 observations) with a qualitative analysis of reflection-based student portfolios (N = 13). The dimensions of knowledge, ability, and willingness were assessed based on the competence model of the German Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). The quantitative part provides standardised insights into competence development across two course cycles, while the qualitative part offers context-specific perspectives on how VET teacher students perceive their learning processes within the Co-Lab. Findings: According to the KMK competence model, the results show (i) a slight improvement in assignment-related knowledge, (ii) a significant increase in ability to handle teaching assignments, and (iii) consistently high motivation levels to work with teaching assignments with no significant changes over time. The qualitative data provide context-specific insights into the VET teacher students' perspectives: They highlight that students perceive assignment development, the multi-perspective collaboration with practitioners, and feedback loops as central to their learning progress. Conclusion: The findings highlight the potential of the Co-Lab format to foster the professionalisation of VET teacher students. By focusing on teaching assignments in a cooperative and multiperspective way, the format strengthens assignment-related action competences. The combination of theory with school and company practice in Co-Labs helps to address the double theory–practice gap in VET teacher education. The study thus contributes to the discussion on innovative university formats that enhance professionalisation processes and promote action-oriented competence development among future VET teachers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Valentina Conty, Nina Langen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Are Young Refugees More Likely to Enter Training Places With Vacancy Problems? Comparisons Between Immigrant Youths in Germany
Context: In Germany, young refugees participate in vocational education and training (VET) at significantly lower rates than non-migrants and migrants without a refugee background. At the same time, the German training market is increasingly characterized by shortages of applicants in specific training occupations, resulting in a growing number of unfilled training places. During the refugee inflow of 2015 and 2016, policymakers, employers, and researchers emphasized the potential of vocational training to promote refugees' labor market integration while simultaneously alleviating recruitment problems in shortage occupations. Entering VET may also improve refugees' prospects for remaining in Germany, particularly for those with insecure residence status. Against this background, this study examines whether young refugees are disproportionately likely to enter training occupations with vacancy problems and whether legal insecurity further shapes these transitions. Methods: The analysis draws on pooled cross-sectional data from the BA/BIBB Applicant Surveys 2018 and 2020, linked with official statistics on unfilled training places at the occupational level. The analytical sample includes 7,176 applicants who successfully entered dual vocational training. The dependent variable measures the proportion of unfilled training places in the occupation entered. Ordinary least squares regressions are used to estimate differences by migration status. To test whether human capital endowments account for group differences, mediation analyses focusing on school-leaving certificates recognized or acquired in Germany are conducted. The role of residence status is examined using a subsample of refugee applicants from 2018 (N = 2,043), for whom detailed legal status information is available. Findings: The findings show that young refugees enter training occupations with significantly higher vacancy rates than both non-migrants and migrants without a refugee background. Compared to non-migrants, refugees transition into occupations in which the share of unfilled training places is, on average, 39 percent higher. Differences in school-leaving certificates partially, but not fully, mediate this association. Among refugees, those with an insecure residence status or who are still in the asylum process are more likely to enter shortage occupations, even after controlling for formal qualification levels. This pattern suggests that legal considerations shape occupational choices beyond human capital constraints. Conclusion: The results indicate that disadvantaged legal and educational positions contribute to the concentration of young refugees in training occupations with vacancy problems. While this dynamic may appear as a short-term win–win situation for employers and refugees, it also entails risks such as increased training dropout rates and long-term occupational segregation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alexander Christ, Oliver Winkler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
National Hydrogen Workforce Studies and Just Transition: A Comparative Framework and Typology Across 13 Countries
Context: National hydrogen strategies are increasingly accompanied by workforce and skills studies intended to anticipate labour-market implications of an emerging hydrogen economy. Yet these studies differ markedly in how deeply they analyse skill needs, how far they specify implementable measures, and whether they integrate social justice beyond rhetorical references. This article addresses the resulting fragmentation by developing a comparative framework that positions hydrogen workforce planning at the intersection of vocational education and training (VET), labour-market governance, and just transition. Approach: The study employs a conceptual review design combined with structured qualitative content analysis of a purposive sample of national hydrogen workforce/skills studies (29 studies from 13 countries). A deductive coding scheme operationalises four analytical dimensions: Skills Analysis Depth (SA), Skills Implementation Depth (SI), Just Transition Analysis Depth (JTA), and Just Transition Implementation Depth (JTI). Each dimension is assessed on a four-point rating scale from 0 (absent) to 3 (fully quantified and road-mapped). Dimension profiles are then aggregated through decision rules into a typology that emphasises configurational patterns. Findings: The analysis yields five ideal-typical stages of workforce planning configuration. Stage 0 (Workforce Analysts) provide diagnostic scoping without implementation. Stage 1 (Strategic Workforce Framers) integrates workforce and justice primarily at the level of strategic discourse, with limited operationalisation. Stage 2 (Skills-Centric Planners) provides comparatively developed skills forecasting and training pathways, but keeps justice largely marginal. Stage 3 (Just Transition Integrators) links skills and justice considerations – often through territorial development and restructuring – yet remains uneven in the institutionalisation of justice measures. Stage 4 (Integrated Transition Governance Architects) combines advanced skills planning with operational just-transition instruments, including costed programmes, defined governance arrangements, and monitoring systems. The typology does not assess policy effectiveness or transition outcomes. Rather, it captures the degree of institutional specification and governance integration in national workforce planning. Higher stages therefore indicate more explicit and operationalised planning architectures, not superior social, economic, or environmental results. Conclusion: The proposed four-dimension framework and typology offer a tool for comparing national hydrogen workforce studies and clarifying how planning logics shift from technocratic forecasting to transition governance. Substantively, the findings reposition VET from a delivery system for technical skills to a mediating governance actor whose contribution to hydrogen transitions depends on coordination with labour-market regulation, regional development, and social protection. The key message is that socially sustainable hydrogen transitions require workforce strategies that institutionalise justice, not merely acknowledge it.
Copyright (c) 2025 Michael Gessler, Jan Naumann https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Cultivating Learning Cultures: Building Trust With Apprentices in a Swiss Telecommunications Company
Context: In Switzerland, about two-thirds of young people start dual vocational education and training (VET) at around 15 years of age. Research shows that they are challenged in many ways during this phase of their lives and are therefore particularly vulnerable. Thus, supporting the transition of apprentices from school to the workplace environment requires careful attention. Trust is predicated upon the individual's willingness to be vulnerable, and as such enterprises which offer VET to young learners must consider how they structure trust-building processes into their learning cultures. Method: A case study approach was adopted to investigate apprenticeship provision in the largest telecommunications company in Switzerland. Over the course of one year, 24 semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted with apprentices, coaches and managers. The qualitative data were processed through condensation, building categories and paraphrasing, by following Bohnsack's formulative interpretation method. Findings: The initial investigation of the learning culture within the company found that a cooperative culture of trust is crucial for educational success. In this context, the way relationships were formed in the workplace was particularly significant. Expressed through constructive feedback and error culture, learners were supported to take risks and learn from their mistakes. Active participation was also highly valued, leading to a felt sense of recognition and belonging to the organisation. Conclusion: Trustful relationships within the apprenticeship proved to be a foundational conviction in the company, and while it must be noted that trust is not the sole predictor of success in VET, the learning culture facilitated by trust-building processes afforded opportunities for apprentices to take ownership of their own learning, through negotiated outcomes; leading to creative autonomy and contributions that were to the benefit of the enterprise.
Copyright (c) 2026 Antje Barabasch, Christina Donovan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How Chinese Higher Vocational Education and Training (HVET) Students Determine Their Post-College Pathway in the Post-Covid 19 Era
Context: Vocational training has been a critical issue in China, where large percentages are regularly cited for unemployment statistics. In addition, Chinese higher vocational education and training (HVET) students are from relatively disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and they are experiencing a more complex and high-risk post-college transition than previous generations in the context of the economic shock from COVID-19. The policy of extending university enrolment since 2012 to recruit HVET students across China has led to an increase in the number of HVET students opting to enter university. This article reports on the perceptions of 27 HVET final-year students from five colleges about their decisions on their post-college pathway prior to finishing their studies and training. Methodology: This study adopted a qualitative research design and the semi-structured interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Using the conceptual framework of possible selves, this paper examines the key factors shaping the formation of HVET students' possible selves in determining their future pathways. Findings: The findings reveal several key insights. First, both individual and contextual factors play a significant role in influencing HVET students' decisions about their future trajectories. Second, there is a noticeable shift in the focus of HVET graduates' possible selves, with most participants envisioning pathways that diverge from immediate entry into the labour market. This study reports a major transition, with 23 out of 27 respondents intending to pursue higher education, reflecting a departure from the trends observed in previous research. Third, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact, disrupting the development of occupational skills and shaping post-college pathways for recent HVET students. Finally, the findings underscore the strong desire among Chinese HVET students to escape the HVET identity, which emerges as a significant driver in their pursuit of higher education trajectories. Conclusion: This study highlights the critical factors influencing HVET students' post-college transitions, including COVID-19, social stigma, socio-economic constraints, and competitive societal pressures, which drive their pursuit of higher education. It shows the complex challenges faced by HVET students in post-COVID-19 China within a broader systemic context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zihao Liu, Rita Hordósy, Volker Wedekind https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Digitization and School Development: Results of an Interview Study for the Implementation of Digital Technologies at German Vocational Schools
Context: The digital transformation affects vocational schools and poses new requirements on teaching as well as on schools as an organization. For schools, the implementation of digital technologies in everyday school life is an innovation that entails a lengthy and complex process of change, since it affects a wide range of areas (e.g., teaching, teacher qualifications, technical equipment and technical support). Schools can actively shape this process as a part of school development involving the five dimensions of organizational, education, personnel, cooperation and technological development. Approach: This interview study (n=46) looks at the school development of 16 vocational schools in one federal state in Germany to determine typical patterns of organizational design in the digitization process. This was done by a type-building content-structuring analysis. Assigning weights to each category, the differences in the schools' school development regarding the implementation of digital technologies can be observed. Findings: Two profiles based on the five dimensions of school development were identified. Two school development dimensions seem to make the difference between the two profiles. The focus of the interviewed schools in school development is on personnel and technological development, which play a decisive role in the digitization process of schools. Both types have similarities as well as differences in the dimensions. In the area of personnel development, both profiles appear to be similarly conducive. The decisive factor is the extent to which digital technologies are used in the classroom, which is closely linked to teachers' attitudes toward digitization. Conclusion: The outstanding importance of personnel and technological development demands investment in further qualifications for teachers on the one hand and in better IT equipment and processes on the other hand. Professional IT support that combines both perspectives thus seems essential for the future school development of German vocational schools to prepare them for the digital transformation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anne Wagner, Karl-Heinz Gerholz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Knowledge Monopoly and Policy Change: EU-Backed VET Reforms in Azerbaijan
Context: Azerbaijan's vocational education and training (VET) system has undergone a significant reform, culminating in the enactment of the Law on Vocational Education in 2018. Despite not being a member of the European Union (EU) and lacking formal political, economic, or cultural alignment with the union, Azerbaijani policymakers adopted EU-backed policy solutions in designing the country's new VET system. This raises important questions about the motivations behind this policy shift and the factors that shaped it, especially given the limited formal influence of the EU in non-member states. Approach: This study applies a Cultural Political Economy (CPE) framework to examine the adoption of EU policy ideas in Azerbaijan's VET reforms. The research focuses on the policy transfer process, tracing how EU-driven concepts were introduced, negotiated, and institutionalized within Azerbaijan's education system. It explores the role of international organizations, domestic political actors, and political agenda in shaping policy decisions. The analysis draws on a qualitative case study approach, using document review and interviews with key national stakeholders to explore how decisions were shaped. It pays close attention to the interplay of ideational and material factors that influenced the design and content of the 2018 law. Findings: The findings show that, even in differing political and economic contexts, education sectors can independently shape policy directions. In the case of Azerbaijan, policymakers turned to EU VET models not as a result of direct pressure, but as a response to pressing domestic challenges. This engagement was not a simple replication of EU practices, but a selective and negotiated process shaped by the interaction between international frameworks and national institutional conditions. A key factor in this process was the EU's role as a provider of technical expertise and policy knowledge. Although the EU did not impose specific reforms, its control over policy-relevant knowledge and technical expertise structured the reform space, guiding Azerbaijani decision-makers toward particular options while limiting the visibility of alternatives. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of policy transfer in non-EU contexts, emphasizing the role of external knowledge provision in shaping national reforms beyond direct political or economic leverage. The findings underscore the subtle but powerful ways international organizations influence education policy, even in the absence of formal conditionality agreements.
Copyright (c) 2026 Majid Bayramli https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Circular Economy: An International Needs Analysis for Vocational Learning in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Context: Extensive theory-based research on academic and vocational education has long explored the connections between emotions, motivation, and learning as drivers of behavioral change in occupational contexts. Emotions and motivations play a crucial role in shaping how individuals and organizations adopt new practices, yet their role in fostering larger-scale shifts, such as the transition to a circular economy, has received limited attention. Meanwhile, the global shift toward a circular economy has gained increasing priority, with governments, industries, and international organizations promoting various initiatives aimed at encouraging companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to adopt sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular practices. These initiatives predominantly emphasize the cognitive and practical dimensions of circular economy strategies, focusing on actionable knowledge and technical skills. However, the emotional drivers—such as enthusiasm, apprehension, or resistance—of such transformative changes are often overlooked. Sentiments, which significantly influence individual and collective behaviors, could be critical to understanding how ready SMEs are to embrace circular economy principles. Despite their importance, the role of sentiments in shaping organizational and behavioral responses to circular economy transitions remains underexplored and warrants further investigation. Approach: Grounded in the multiple R framework and Plutchik’s multifactor-analytic theory of emotion, this study sought to address this gap by analyzing the sentiments expressed by SME members. We conducted a sentiment analysis on statements from employers and employees across 100 SMEs in Germany, Italy, and Poland. Findings: The results indicate that the overall sentiment among SME members was predominantly positive, suggesting that these companies are largely optimistic and supportive of transitioning to circular economy practices. This positive outlook implies that emotional attitudes are not the primary barriers to adopting circular economy principles. Instead, systemic challenges—such as regulatory, infrastructural, and financial barriers—appear to be the main obstacles impeding SMEs' progress toward circular practices. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the need for more comprehensive systemic vocational education on circular economy practices to better equip SMEs for this transition. Understanding this need provides valuable insights into the real-world challenges faced by SMEs and emphasizes the importance of addressing structural barriers to facilitate this critical transformation. By considering both cognitive and emotional dimensions, this study sheds light on key factors influencing the adoption of circular economy practices in SMEs, ultimately supporting policymakers and business leaders in devising more effective strategies for sustainable development and economic resilience.
Continuing Vocational Education and Training
Copyright (c) 2025 Anett Wolgast, Caroline Pape, Metje Rocklage https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Dual Apprenticeships in Mexico: Insights Into the First Employment
Context: Dual apprenticeships (DA) are a type of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that emphasize the development of work skills through collaboration between the education sector and the labour market. DA are believed to facilitate smoother transitions to work for youth by combining vocational training in schools with workplace-based learning. Despite claims of improving youth employability, evidence on DA's effectiveness is limited, especially outside Europe. This study investigates the employability outcomes of graduates from the Mexican adaptation of the DA model. Approach: The study utilizes a survey conducted with DA graduates in Mexico in 2021 to analyse their likelihood of securing employment post-graduation. A probit model is used to estimate the probability of employment across three scenarios: (1) Securing any type of job, (2) being employed by the company where the DA was completed, and (3) obtaining employment with social security, which serves as a proxy for formal employment. The dependent variables are not mutually exclusive, as overlaps exist between the different employment categories. The sample includes 307 graduates from Coahuila and the State of Mexico, and the analysis controls for individual characteristics and contextual factors. Findings: The analysis reveals that receiving job-relevant additional training (e.g., language courses) significantly increases the probability of securing both general employment and formal employment with social security. Similarly, longer participation in DA improves employment chances across all models, though with smaller effects. Gender disparities are evident, as women are less likely to obtain formal employment compared to men. Additionally, graduates from the Electricity and Electronics field have higher employment probabilities than their peers in service-related training areas; while graduates from the Technology and Transportation careers have lower chances of obtaining formal employment than their peers in service-related training areas. Conclusion: While DA in Mexico shows promising results in employability for graduates, significant areas require attention to ensure equitable and widespread benefits. Policies should focus on increasing access to job-relevant training and extending the duration of apprenticeships to enhance apprentices' opportunities for formal employment. Our findings underscore the importance of local conditions and economic structures in shaping employment opportunities and, ultimately, DA outcomes.
Transition From Education and Training to Employment
Copyright (c) 2026 Jimena Hernández-Fernández, Erik Marsan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Beyond Traditional Governance Actors in VET Policy Transfer: An Analysis of Fundación Bertelsmann's Role as a Policy Entrepreneur in Dual VET Adoption in Spain
Purpose: Following the Great Recession and in response to EU pressures, Spain initiated processes to adopt or expand Dual VET, beginning with the approval of Royal Decree 1529/2012. This decree established the legal framework for Dual VET and granted Autonomous Communities the authority to determine its implementation within their respective regions. The process culminated in the enactment of Organic Law 3/2022, which made Dual VET the nationwide standard, transforming it from an optional modality into the central pillar of the VET system. Throughout this process, foundations operating outside official governance structures have emerged as active agents in promoting Dual VET. This article examines the role of Fundación Bertelsmann in advancing these policies and explores its interactions with other VET governance actors. Methods: The research adopts Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze qualitative data from various sources. These include grey literature produced by Fundación Bertelsmann, testimonies before the Education and Vocational Training Commission regarding the forthcoming Organic Law on the Regulation and Integration of Vocational Training, and semi-structured interviews. The interviews involved senior representatives from the foundation and stakeholders from Spain's central, Andalusian, and Basque VET governance. Findings: The findings show how Fundación Bertelsmann positioned itself as an actor in the transfer of Dual VET to Spain. This involved a clear strategic vision, the use of pilot projects as its main way of operating, and the creation of alliances with established governance actors. Its work focused on three areas: Supporting implementation, promoting the Spanish model and the concept of duality, and producing practical publications. While business organizations praised these efforts, other actors (especially governments and unions) were more skeptical, even if they acknowledged the value of certain activities such as advisory services and guide development. Conclusion: Fundación Bertelsmann has played the role of a policy entrepreneur in the process of adopting Dual VET in Spain. There is no detailed evidence of another nationally autonomous foundation taking on a similar role. However, the work of this foundation parallels that of development aid agencies, organizations, and foundations from Central Europe or directed from this region in the processes of Dual VET adoption on a global scale.
Copyright (c) 2026 Luis Martínez-Izquierdo, Mónica Torres Sánchez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Estimating the Impact of Industry 4.0 Automation on Curricular Competence Indicators in Brazilian Vocational Education and Training: A Mixed-Methods AI-Supported Analysis
Context: The Fourth Industrial Revolution has accelerated the integration of automation technologies into the world of work, raising important questions about the future of Vocational Education and Training (VET). While existing literature has primarily focused on the labor market impacts of automation, few studies have investigated its direct effects on VET curricula. This article addresses this gap by assessing how automation may influence the structure and content of technical courses offered by Brazil's National Service for Commercial Apprenticeship (Senac), one of the country's largest VET providers. Approach: We implemented a three-stage methodology to estimate the impact of automation on technical education: (i) Technological mapping, (ii) prompt development, and (iii) assessment. In the third stage, we combined human expertise with generative Artificial Intelligence tools (GPT-4 and Claude 2) to evaluate 2,100 Course Competency Indicators (CCIs) across 35 technical courses. This dual approach enabled a scalable yet context-sensitive analysis, leveraging both the depth of human judgment and the efficiency of AI. Findings: The technological mapping identified seven key categories of automation technologies: 3D/4D Printing and Modeling, Applied AI, Data Analytics, Digital Platforms and Applications, Extended Reality, IoT and Connected Devices, and Robotics. The developed prompt provided structured guidance for assessing automation impact on CCIs, including instructions for classifying technologies, estimating impact levels, and justifying the results. The assessment showed that 70.3% of the CCIs are at Medium (39.1%) or Low (31.2%) levels of automation impact, suggesting that the courses remain current and relevant, challenging the narrative of rapid obsolescence in technical education. Digital Platforms and Applications were the most frequently cited technology, appearing nearly three times more often than Applied AI and Data Analytics. In contrast, 3D/4D Modeling and Extended Reality had limited relevance in the current course content. Conclusions: This research contributes to global discussions on the future of VET in the context of rapid technological change. It also highlights how automation risk assessments can support curriculum development by identifying where updates or innovations are most needed. Strengthening the alignment between training programs and emerging labor market demands will be essential to ensuring inclusive, future-oriented vocational education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Yuri Lima, Inês Filipa Pereira, Cícero Augusto Silveira Braga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vocational Teachers' Work at the Boundary of School and Work: A Scoping Review
Context: VET programmes in most countries are organised as a combination of learning in schools and learning in workplaces, with elements of workplace learning ranging from a few hours of job shadowing to longer duration internships or full apprenticeships. While there is no doubt about the benefits of work-based learning opportunities for young people, combining school learning and on-the-job learning also poses challenges for learners. Learning in a school context and in the workplace are inherently different, with different rationales, cultures and purposes, and research has emphasised that students and apprentices often experience difficulties in their transitions between school and the workplace. Approach: This scoping review aims to systematically map the international research over the last two decades on vocational teachers’ work at the school-work boundary in upper secondary vocational education and training. Following a comprehensive search of seven databases, 18 studies from 10 countries were selected as eligible in line with predefined inclusion criteria. These articles were systematically screened by means of a coding scheme to identify the following information: country of origin of the study, its aim, research de­sign and methods, theoretical framework and key findings. Findings: Findings show that vocational teachers employ a range of school-specific and work-resembling activities and practices that can potentially facilitate student learning; however, there is a lack of research on the effects of teacher work on student learning and outcomes. Furthermore, the findings show that communication with workplace supervisors is in many ways crucial to the work of vocational teachers in their efforts to facilitate learning between school and the workplace. At the same time, however, teachers experience various obstacles to communication with workplaces, and there is a gap regarding evidence on how to address the challenges that teachers experience in their communication with workplaces. Conclusions: This review presents numerous examples of how vocational teachers can play a crucial role in supporting students and apprentices in their learning between the two learning environments. However, the findings highlight the need for quantitative, longitudinal and intervention studies to analyse the effects of different pedagogical and didactic approaches on facilitating learning between school and the workplace and to identify and evaluate measures to facilitate communication between teachers and workplace supervisors.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kari-Anne Kverneggen, Evi Schmid, Silje Andresen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Inclusive Teaching, Institutional Support, and Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Persistence of Effort
Purpose: This study investigates how inclusive teaching practices and institutional support influence entrepreneurial intentions among disadvantaged students in technical vocational education and training (TVET), with persistence of effort as a mediating variable. Although persistence of effort is widely acknowledged as critical for both student success and entrepreneurial outcomes, its mediating role in the context of TVET remains underexplored— particularly among marginalized student populations. Approach: Using a simple random sampling technique, data were collected from 393 disadvantaged TVET students who had exposure to inclusive pedagogical practices and institutional support systems. A two-stage structural equation modeling approach was employed using Mplus to test the proposed relationships. The study was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island nation with a long-standing tradition of TVET, established well before the development of more recent educational approaches. Results: The results show that inclusive teaching and institutional support—comprising financial aid, information and communication technology (ICT) access, campus accessibility, and business mentorship—significantly boost students' persistence of effort. This persistence, in turn, strongly predicts entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, persistence of effort was found to mediate the effects of both inclusive teaching and institutional support on entrepreneurial intentions. Conclusion: This study advances theoretical understanding by integrating Tinto's student retention theory with Duckworth's grit framework, offering a dual-lens analysis of how educational environments foster entrepreneurial pathways. Persistence of effort emerges as the underlying psychological mechanism linking institutional and pedagogical supports to entrepreneurial intentions. Beyond content delivery in entrepreneurship education, the results highlight the enabling role of equity-driven practices in cultivating entrepreneurial intent, especially among disadvantaged students. These insights are particularly relevant for TVET institutions globally and for policymakers seeking inclusive strategies to address youth unemployment and inequality. Filling this gap strengthens the evidence base for designing TVET systems that not only enhance employability and resilience but also promote inclusive participation in entrepreneurship as a pathway to sustained economic participation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Priscilla Bahaw, Ghulfam Sadiq, Abede Mack, Ayanna Stephens https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
T Levels in England – an Example for a Hybrid Qualification as Sloping Bridge Over the Academic/Vocational Divide
Context: T levels are level 3 vocational qualifications introduced in England in 2020 as a rival to the long-established A levels. Combining vocational and academic content, they are intended to prepare young people both for employment and for further educational progression. Thus, they combine vocational and academic subjects. The political ambition behind their introduction was to create a qualification that would become the primary pathway for post-16 learners — an ambition that can only be realised if T levels succeed as a hybrid qualification in bridging the deeply entrenched academic/vocational divide that characterises the English education system. The example of England clearly illustrates that 'technical' (the 'T word'), 'vocational' (the 'V word'), and 'academic' educational pathways (the 'A word') continue to be perceived differently regarding their “standing” in the education system. Approach: The paper examines the impact of T levels on the academic/vocational divide in England. Drawing on a systematisation of existing theoretical considerations, it combines a structured literature and document analysis with two explorative expert interviews. The theoretical framework traces the historical and cultural roots of the academic/vocational divide and locates T levels within this broader context, in order to assess their potential to overcome — or their risk of reinforcing — existing hierarchies between academic and vocational education. Findings: The academic/vocational divide is not merely a structural feature of education systems but a culturally entrenched hierarchy, sustained by historically grounded distinctions and reinforced by meritocratic logic, which systematically devalues vocational education and the people undergoing it. Based on these roots of the academic/vocational divide, the paper suggests that T levels as structural adjustment of the English education system will not be able to bridge the academic/vocational divide. The divide is based on a certain social value attitude system towards academic and vocational education, whereby vocational education is perceived as inferior. T levels are likely to reinforce this perception. Conclusions: The paper argues that T levels exemplify how qualification reforms risk perpetuating the academic/vocational divide through academic drift and credential hierarchy, and suggests that structural change alone cannot be a substitute for a deeper cultural shift in how society values vocational learning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Vera Braun, Thomas Deissinger https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Competency Profiles for Brazilian Vocational Educators and Professionals: Toward Digital Sustainability
Context: The concept of digital sustainability has gained attention in recent years, driven by the rapid advancement of digital transformation. Vocational education and training (VET) plays a crucial role in equipping individuals with the digital competencies necessary for advancing digital sustainability. VET not only supports the development of competences among students but also fosters the professional growth of educators, which is vital for achieving sustainable development goals. This study aims to facilitate the transition to digital education while addressing sustainability challenges by offering a comprehensive vision for vocational education and training. Approach: We conducted an exploratory, qualitative multi-case study in four stages. To strengthen the proposed competencies, the first three stages involved literature reviews and validation workshops with experts. In the final stage, a program was designed around five mentoring cycles, incorporating project management methodologies such as Agile and Design Thinking, along with instructional design strategies like Active Learning, Backward Design, and Formative Assessment. This program was implemented in four vocational education institutions in Brazil to pilot the development of these competencies. Results: Our study presents a digital competency profile for VET professionals and teachers. The profile for VET professionals encompasses competencies in sensing technologies, digital communication, data processing and analysis, as well as operational and managerial skills. It also includes socio-emotional competencies and specific knowledge of technologies and practices linked to sustainable development. VET teachers should align their digital competencies with digital teaching technologies. Conclusion: Our study proposes a digital sustainability framework for VET, offering policy recommendations aligned with education, innovation, and sustainability pillars. The approach fosters hands-on learning, accelerates technology transfer, and enhances digital sustainability competencies. It also emphasizes contingency planning to ensure learning continuity and attract co-investment. Prioritizing low-cost, scalable pilots and simplifying administration strengthens partnerships with startups and industries, advancing sustainable education models while fostering green innovation and reducing environmental impacts.
Copyright (c) 2026 Laura Visintainer Lerman, Paolla Polla Pontes do Espírito Santo, Camila Costa Dutra, Maria Auxiliadora Cannarozzo Tinoco https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Global Gap Between the Skills of Technical-Vocational School Graduates and the Manufacturing Industry's Needs: A 2020-2025 Scoping Literature Systematic Review
Context: This research systematically evaluates the global skills mismatch between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates and the evolving demands of the manufacturing sector from 2020 to 2025. As industries integrate advanced digital technologies, concerns have arisen about TVET systems' ability to equip graduates with relevant skills. This study aims to provide an evidence-based understanding of the gaps in TVET education and recommend future work to enhance workforce preparedness. Approach: A systematic literature review was conducted between October and December 2024, analyzing studies indexed in the Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and EBSCO databases. Relevant research on manufacturing and technical and vocational education was identified, yielding 37 documents. The selection criteria focused on empirical studies addressing skill gaps, workforce readiness, and industry-aligned TVET curricula. Richard Freeman's educational mismatch theory guided the analysis. The authors classified each study into a single mismatch category (out of eight) and synthesized the findings through an inductive thematic analysis, comparing objectives, results, and contexts. Similar ideas and patterns were grouped into broader themes, producing descriptive categories that reflect the common experiences reported across the 37 studies. Findings: Manufacturing is undergoing a transition marked by the rapid adoption of new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, while educational institutions advance more slowly. This gap has intensified industry demands for new competencies and has contributed to the expansion of companies seeking highly specialized skills, making the horizontal mismatch increasingly evident and widening existing skill gaps. The reviewed documents, thematically analyzed, converge on the conclusion that TVET graduates often lack sufficient handson experience and limited exposure to industry-relevant innovations. The skill gaps include technical skills (digital literacy, STEM proficiency, robotics, electrical and electronic expertise, machinery operation, coding, and technological adaptability), methodological skills (problem- solving, decision-making, critical thinking, learning agility, creativity, self-management, and innovation), and interpersonal skills (communication, teamwork, leadership, adaptability, emotional intelligence, job placement readiness, and industry collaboration). Conclusions: Addressing these skill gaps requires a multi-faceted approach, including curriculum modernization, stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industries, and targeted upskilling programs. Integrating skills development, employability, job placement, and productivity into a holistic strategy may enhance workforce readiness and industrial competitiveness.
Copyright (c) 2026 Patricia Vázquez-Villegas, Maura Borrego https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From TPACK to N-TPACK Framework for Vocational Education and Training With a Focus on Nutritional Science and Home Economics
Context: In Germany, vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in the transition from school to working life. Due to its proximity to the labour market and an increasingly digitised, connected world, the professional knowledge requirements of VET teachers are changing and an adjustment of competence frameworks for vocational teachers is needed. Approach: Since its introduction, the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge) framework of Shulman and Mishra and Koehler has been repeatedly used in the international research discourse as a framework for capturing teachers' professional knowledge. Given the infrequent reference to TPACK in the field of vocational education and training (VET), this theoretical article aims to adapt the TPACK framework for VET teachers. A literature review revealed the importance of developing an adapted TPACK framework that takes into account the peculiarities of the German vocational school system as well as the non technical personal service sector. Based on this research gap, an appropriately adapted TPACK framework was developed. The focus of this article lies on VET of nutritional science and home economics. Findings: After considering and analysing the requirements of the VET system in Germany in the context of digitalisation, it is suggested to adapt and enlarge the existing TPACK framework, thus creating an N-TPACK framework, taking into account "Networking and Collaborative Knowledge (NK)" as an aspect of essential VET teachers' professional knowledge. Conclusion: The present theoretical article considers the research desideratum of extending the TPACK framework by developing a theoretical N-TPACK framework as well as examining and discussing the various knowledge areas. Building on this theoretical article, a survey of the current status quo of these professional knowledge areas among (prospective) VET teachers in the subject area of nutrition and home economics is necessary, in order to provide orientation and to be able to derive recommended actions for an up-to-date and forward looking teacher education and training.
Copyright (c) 2023 Carmen Torggler, Susanne Miesera, Claudia Nerdel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Scoping Review of Positive Mental Health Research for Students in Vocational Education and Training
Context: In this scoping review, we examine the knowledge base concerning positive mental health studies for students in vocational education and training (VET). The VET student population embraces approximately 30-52% of secondary school students in the Nordic countries, and 40% of the global student population. The risk of early school leaving (ESL) is substantially higher in VET than in general education and mental health may be a relevant factor in this matter. Yet, an overview of mental health studies in VET is lacking and therefore, this article aims to map empirical research studies that have explored positive mental health in VET students. The positive mental health framework, with its origin in Antonovsky's (2002) salutogenesis and positive psychology, focuses on factors that promote mental health and wellbeing rather than taking on a pathological perspective. Methods: For our scoping review, we searched four databases, and 19 articles were found eligible for inclusion. These articles were systematically screened by means of a coding scheme to identify the following information: Country of origin of the study, its aim, research design, measures, conceptualization of mental health, and main findings. Results: The evidence suggests that positive mental health is understood as a multifaceted concept, and wellbeing is the dimension that is explored most often, followed by resilience and quality of life. The majority of the included studies used a validated questionnaire to assess various aspects of positive mental health, and most of them sought to explore correlations between different dimensions of positive mental health. Main findings of the studies suggest that a supportive school environment, physical activity, and a strong vocational identity may contribute to positive mental health for students in VET. Furthermore, correlations have also been identified between environmental factors and positive mental health. Finally, findings from the review illustrate how even small-scale interventions may have far-reaching effects, due to the interrelatedness of the different dimensions within the positive mental health construct. Conclusion: Findings from this review illustrate that numerous factors may affect the wellbeing of students in VET. In particular, a strong vocational identity, a supportive school environment, and physical activity may contribute to positive mental health. These findings suggest that VET teachers may promote the wellbeing of their students by providing a supportive psychosocial learning environment at school.
Copyright (c) 2023 Stine Solberg, Øyvind Laundal, Veerle Garrels https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
An Empirical Case of Education Policy Implementation in Serbian VET
Purpose: Education policy implementation is as important as policy design. This study applies a literature-based, multi-dimensional framework for success factors and barriers to vocational education and training (VET) reform implementation in the case of a new dual VET law in Serbia. We use the framework to assess factors related to implementation, then relate these factors to actual implementation progress to determine how factors relate to progress. In this application of the framework, we examine whether implementation success requires high scores in every dimension. Methods: This is a mixed methods study. We conduct document analysis of key resources related to the structure and intention of the reform. We also statistically analyze a dataset of two rounds of interviews conducted during the pre- and early-implementation phases. These interviews include key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, and from national, regional, and local-level actors. We examine how the framework's dimensions and determinants relate to implementation progress. Results: The implementation of the law is moving forward in Serbia, making this a successful case of progress in policy implementation. Despite this progress, the factors for implementation are not all strong. We find that the content dimension of the framework is a barrier, capacity is unclear, and context, commitment, and clients—actors' engagement— drive implementation progress. Thus, although the implementation process is imperfect in its determinants, it is successfully progressing and already forming the new system. Conclusions: Based on our results we argue that—even if the framework describes factors that affect VET reform implementation—not all elements are necessary for VET reform implementation to progress. Policymakers can start without perfect implementation conditions and may benefit from striving for "good enough" across dimensions rather than perfect in any one dimension. We discuss potential mechanisms and identify pathways for future research, including moving in the direction of causal research.
Copyright (c) 2023 Katherine Marie Caves, Maria Esther Oswald-Egg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
New Higher Education Model? Degree Apprenticeships as a Strategy to Modernize Apprenticeships: Rationale, Current Development in the U.S., and a Conceptual Framework
Purpose: To better prepare young people for the increasingly complex world of work in the global knowledge economy, apprenticeships are receiving renewed attention in countries without a strong history of vocational education. One of the strategies to promote and modernize apprenticeships in these countries is to offer apprenticeships integrated into degree programs, known as degree apprenticeships at the tertiary level. However, little research has been done to explore this new degree pathway. The purpose of this study is to explore the rationales and recent development of degree apprenticeships in the U.S. and to present a conceptual framework for designing and delivering such programs. Approach: Through an extensive literature review, this study examines the underlying justifications for the integration of apprenticeships into degree programs. Subsequently, it delves into the current progress of degree apprenticeships in the U.S., substantiating the rationales. Finally, it explores multiple facets of degree apprenticeships, offering a conceptual framework for higher education institutions to consider when implementing such programs. Findings: This study discusses two rationales for degree apprenticeships. First, they enable permeability of vocational education credentials, one of the features of a robust apprenticeship system. Second, they also equip higher education institutions to effectively prepare young people for work in response to globalization. For these reasons, recently, community colleges, the primary vocational education providers in the U.S., have actively been implementing apprenticeships within degree programs. This study also outlines four interconnected dimensions of apprenticeships - occupational, pedagogical, relational, and aligned – as a conceptual framework for implementing degree apprenticeships. Conclusion: By providing a useful context and framework for degree apprenticeships, this study contributes to the growing body of research on apprenticeships and provides a foundation for on-going research to advance the theory and practice concerning degree apprenticeships. Future studies can explore the process of implementing degree apprenticeships using the suggested framework and develop strategies to further modernize apprenticeships based upon this study.
Copyright (c) 2023 Jooyoung Voeller https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills and Media Literacy in Initial VET Students: A Mixed Methods Study on a Cross-Country Training Program
Context: In the last few decades, the constant and exponential changes in the society's consumption of information have increased the awareness of practitioners from the education and training field, on the need for training programs for the enhancement of critical thinking skills and media literacy among students from Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) who are less exposed to intellectual trainings than their peers in traditional education pathways. Approach: With this impetus, the present paper reports the results of a mixed methods study evaluating a training program for such competences. Based on a cognitive psychology theoretical framework, the training program consisted in three main techniques through which trainers can work with students in the classroom. N= 35 trainers from five different countries (i.e., Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands) were instructed about the training techniques and implemented them in their training centres. Then, a total of N= 288 students among these countries were involved in the testing of the training, which took place on a duration average of 5 months. Mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of the training. Notably, prospective statistical analysis evaluated the training's impact of the participating students and compared with a control group. Qualitative interviews examined the training's lived experience with a group of students and trainers. Findings: The quantitative and qualitative analysis of pre/post- measures of critical thinking skills and media literacy of the experimental group, and the comparison with the control group, indicate an increase in these competences and confirm the efficacy of the training intervention. Conclusion: These results inform about the usefulness of the training program cross-culturally and the feasibility of training strategies based on cognitive psychology. Moreover, the paper offers a methodological contribution thanks to the proposition of the mixed methods approach for training programs assessment.
Copyright (c) 2023 Francesco Tommasi, Andrea Ceschi, Sara Bollarino, Silvia Belotto, Silvia Genero, Riccardo Sartori https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Could Vocational Education Benefit From Augmented Reality and Hypervideo Technologies? An Exploratory Interview Study
Context: This study investigates the perspective of vocational educators on the possibility of adopting augmented reality (AR) and hypervideo (HV) technologies to support their teaching practice. Vocational education and training (VET) is particularly concerned with the learning of resources (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that are immediately transposable into conduct and procedures in the workplace. AR and HV can provide means to answer this requirement, but both technological solutions are still not so diffused in VET. The purpose of this study is to inquire into the perception of educators on the main advantages and disadvantages of using AR and HV to support teaching-and-learning. Methods: A semi-structured interview protocol has been proposed to 73 teachers, intercompany trainers and in-company trainers in 10 professions (at least two per category within each profession). The interview was organized in two main steps: A need analysis, in which the most important and difficult operative skills are identified for the interviewee's profession; and a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of AR and HV. Content analysis was applied to the interview transcriptions. Results: The results show that the main advantages reported in the literature for the two technologies – such as the ability to switch between 2D and 3D and carry out simulations – are also found in the VET context by educators. For HV the main technical advantages (such as the use of active points, and non-linear navigation of video content) were autonomously recognised, while the potential of the instrument to support reflection has not been clearly identified. Conclusions: AR and HV are considered as tools able to support apprentices' procedural learning especially with regard to the operational skills which were judged by the educators to be most relevant for VET.
Copyright (c) 2023 Vito Candido, Patric Raemy, Francesca Amenduni, Alberto Cattaneo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
The Influence of Innovative Characteristics, Work Readiness, and Vocational Self-Concept on Employability of Vocational College Students
Purpose: Vocational education and training is important to produce skilled and innovative labor to drive the country's development in the 4th industrial revolution (IR 4.0). The employability of vocational college students is crucial to meet the country's demand for 21st-century workers. This study aims to identify the influences of innovative characteristics, work readiness, and vocational self-concept on the employability of vocational college students. The study also examined the moderating role of gender. Methods: A quantitative correlational design was carried out to achieve the objectives of the study. The samples consisted of 395 vocational college students from five vocational colleges located in the states of Kedah and Penang, Malaysia. Data were collected through online questionnaire survey, which is made up of four instruments: Youth Innovation Skills Measurement Tool, the Work Readiness Scale, the Vocational Rational Scale and the Perceived Future Employability Scale. The validity and reliability of these instruments were well established. Descriptive and structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses were carried out. Findings: Innovative characteristics (β = 0.252, t = 5.041, p < 0.001), vocational self-concept (β = 0.386, t = 7.131, p < 0.001) and work readiness (β = 0.219, t = 3.787, p < 0.001) had significant effects on employability of vocational college students. The model explained 53% of the variance in employability. Gender, however, did not moderate any of the three direct significant relationships. Conclusion: This study found that innovative characteristics, work readiness, and vocational self-concept are factors that should be taken into consideration when developing education and career programs, interventions, and support services for vocational students. The graduate employment issues faced by vocational college students can be overcome if factors identified in this study can be enhanced. Similar approaches can be applied for both male and female students since gender is not a significant moderator. Overall, this study sheds light on the employability of vocational graduates and contributes towards improving career guidance and counseling practices for vocational students.
Copyright (c) 2023 Suhailah Sahul Ahmid, Tiew Chia Chun, Melissa Ng Lee Yen Abdullah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
The Role of VET in a Green Transition of Industry: A Literature Review
Purpose: This article examines the role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in a green transition of industry. In the world of industry, battling climate change is often treated as a technical issue, but recent research on VET has tried to balance the technological paradigm with more human-centric approaches. The literature review addresses emergent VET research that presents various and partially competing perspectives on the purpose of VET in relation to climate change. Methods: We use an integrative literature review to investigate this complex topic. This technique is particularly useful for making sense of emergent research concepts, as well as various, and partially competing, theoretical and methodological approaches. It also allows us to incorporate literature from different countries and VET systems. The main search was performed in Scopus during March 2023, and included studies published within a timespan of eight years (2016–2023). Findings: Through a qualitative content analysis, we have identified five cross-cutting themes in the literature: Conceptualising ill-defined concepts of green jobs and skills; high-tech solutions in the movement towards a fourth industrial revolution versus inclusive growth for VET greening; towards sustainable work-based learning for green skills in VET; radical transformative approaches to a just green transition; and the co-creation of skill-formation ecosystems. The analysis has highlighted the ways in which VET can take on different roles in the green transition, and that these roles can be developed successively in parallel with a green transition in industry. In the development of the role of VET, it is also relevant to consider the contrast between transitional approaches and transformative approaches in VET research. While transitional approaches are recurrently marked by empirical research in specialised areas and subsystems within society, transformative approaches are characterised by a stronger focus on societal transformation (large-scale changes), power dynamics, and social justice. Conclusion: In conclusion, we suggest an analytical model that synthesises research on what role VET can play in a green transition of industry. The development model highlights that VET can take on different roles in a green transition and can gradually develop in parallel with a green transition in industry.
Copyright (c) 2023 Daniel Persson Thunqvist, Maria Gustavsson Gustavsson, Agneta Halvarsson Lundqvist https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0