2026-02-22
Luis Martínez-Izquierdo, Mónica Torres Sánchez
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.
2026-02-22
Peter Gavora, Adriana Wiegerová
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.
2026-02-22
Lea Besser, Stephan Salber, Anne Traum, Franz Kaiser, Renate Rau
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.
2026-01-22
Zihao Liu, Rita Hordósy, Volker Wedekind
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.
2026-01-22
Anett Wolgast, Caroline Pape, Metje Rocklage
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.
2026-01-11
Jimena Hernández-Fernández, Erik Marsan
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.
2026-01-11
Antje Barabasch, Christina Donovan
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.
2026-01-11
Anne Wagner, Karl-Heinz Gerholz
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.
2024-04-02
Laure Tremonte-Freydefont, Matilde Wenger, Marina Fiori
Context: Research on emotional intelligence (EI) shows this concept's decades-long positive influence on well-being, self-efficacy, employability, and academic and professional achievement. Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that students with high EI have better grades and quality of life, as well as are more employable than students with low EI. By considering the two conceptualizations of EI as either an ability or personality trait, the present study investigates EI's influence on training achievement in initial vocational education and training (IVET). We posited that the two types of EI positively influence training achievement in a complementary way: Ability EI relates to achievement in theoretical training, while trait EI relates to achievement in practical training. Furthermore, these links are mediated by apprentices' engagement at school and in learning. Method: To test our hypotheses, 92 dual IVET health and social care apprentices in their last year of vocational school completed an online survey composed of validated scales measuring EI as an ability, EI as a personality trait, personality traits, and school engagement. The apprentices' grades were also obtained with their permission. Results: The findings confirmed our hypotheses and reflected EI's positive influence on training achievement. We observed that participants with high EI (as an ability and personality trait) obtained better grades than participants with lower EI. Moreover, our results showed that ability EI has a direct influence on achievement in theoretical health and social care training, while the link between trait EI and practical training is indirect and mediated by engagement in learning. Conclusion: The present study confirms EI's positive influence on school achievement in the VET context and further corroborates the important role that EI can play in dual IVET apprentices' achievement, particularly in the health and social sectors. This original study contributes to research on the VET system by placing EI among the skills necessary to ensure professional success.
2024-01-18
Martina Wyszynska Johansson, Ingela Andersson
Purpose: The article focuses on the contribution of didactics and didactic theory as a distinct strand in research on vocational education and training (VET). Empirical research is reviewed to further explore what characterizes vocational didactics in the Swedish context of Upper Secondary VET. Approach: Semi-structured and flexible review methodology was used to identify didactic research and map its emergent features. An analytic framework was constructed for this purpose and used iteratively throughout the review process. The framework expresses the constitutive simultaneous interdependence of the relationships A-B-C. They refer to A) the ways of how the actors engage with the content as meaning and matter or relationship between the actors and the content, B) the relationship between the actors and the method through interaction with the content, and C) relationship between the methods embedded in work tasks and school assignments and how they underpin the content. A total of 26 sources was identified and thematized as school-based vocational didactics, collaborative vocational didactics, and work-based vocational didactics. Findings: Four distinct features of vocational didactics in Upper Secondary Vocational Education and Training (USVET) are outlined: 1) Diversification of the use of simulation as a method in school-based education pointing to vocational knowledge and skills 2) broadening of instruction (and reflection) as a method by inclusion of several parties (e.g., supervisors, workplace staff, instructors-practitioners), 3) work tasks as a method pointing to vocational knowledge and skills as content, 4) interaction between several parties using verbal and non-verbal means. Despite a growing interest in the importance of work tasks in their dual affordance of meaning and matter, few sources deal with students' learning processes in alignment with the logic of the production of goods and services. Conclusion: The analytic framework we have put forth strengthens the conceptual boundaries of vocational didactics from a point of view of profession-related learning objectives (content), actors, and methods involved. Applying the didactic theories to review empirical research on VET strengthens the integrity of vocational didactics as a particular field.
2024-01-09
Sebastian Turda
Context: Adolescence is the training ground for adult life. In a relatively short period, the adolescent will undergo a metamorphosis. During the high school years, the majority of adolescents move from persistent dependence to true independence, from logical thinking to abstract, complex and hypothetical thinking, from impulsivity to consideration and from a diffuse feeling about one's own person to a reasonably defined self-identity. Adolescent's vocational identity formation during high school is an extremely important process in vocational and career counseling, because it helps them to make rational choices regarding the choice of a career gaining an increased level of career maturity. Methods: The present study had as participants 300 Romanian teenagers which belong to the following paths of studies/profiles: formal sciences (specializations: Mathematics-informatics and Natural Sciences), services (specializations: Economics, trade, tourism and food) and humanities (specialization: Philology). The tools used in the adolescent evaluation process were Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy-Short Form Scale (CDMSE-SF), the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-3). Results: After the interpretation of the obtained results, the following aspects were demonstrated: The identity status career commitment correlates with the personality traits - neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness, and regarding the career decision-making self-efficacy it correlates with the self-evaluation process, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, career planning and the problem-solving process. Identity status identification with career commitment correlates with personality traits - extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness, and from the perspective of the career decision-making self-efficacy, it correlates with the process of self-evaluation, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, solving problems and career planning. The identity status career commitment flexibility correlates with the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness, and from the perspective of the career decision-making self-efficacy it correlates with the problem-solving process. Identity status career self-doubt correlates positively with the personality trait neuroticism and negatively with conscientiousness, the process of self-evaluation, obtaining information about self and professions, setting goals, career planning and problem solving. Conclusion: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between vocational identity, personality factors and career decision-making self-efficacy. The results demonstrated that certain personality traits, respectively certain components of career decision-making self-efficacy are predictors for the adolescent's vocational identity formation.
2023-07-05
Jooyoung Voeller
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.
2023-07-05
Francesco Tommasi, Andrea Ceschi, Sara Bollarino, Silvia Belotto, Silvia Genero, Riccardo Sartori
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.