In what way are academic studies for VET teachers organized in other European countries and what challenges do these VET teachers and their educators face?

In an "ERASMUS+" program the EU promotes "Strategic Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training" to improve vocational training in Europe. The Institute for Vocational Education and Training at the University of Rostock, under the responsibility of Prof. Dr. Franz Kaiser, is cooperating over a period of 18 months with several universities that offer academic studies for vocational teaching professions. The partner countries are Finland (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki), Norway (University of Oslo - OsloMet), Spain (University of Valencia) and Sweden (University of Linköping) as well as the associated partners from Switzerland (University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and University of Teacher Education Bern). The project started with a virtual kick-off meeting on 21 October 2020.

The project’s aim is to analyze the challenges vocational schoolteachers are facing in the partner countries and to exchange good practice examples on the following topics:

• Promoting civic engagement: Ways of promoting civic engagement and critical thinking in the training of vocational training personnel.
• Work-based learning: Approaches through which pedagogical and practical measures can support teacher students in order to better integrate learning at the workplace into training processes.
• Continuous professional development: Design of teacher training courses to ensure that VET professionals update their knowledge and skills in technological, organizational, pedagogical and social terms.
• "Career guides" for trainees and learners: Measures how vocational training personnel can support learners in shaping their future careers.
• Integration of disadvantaged people: Ways in which teacher training can promote the integration of disadvantaged groups.
• Digitization in the workplace and in learning: Digital strategies of supporting the above-mentioned issues.

The aim of the strategic partnership is to connect colleges and universities and, where appropriate, other education providers in the field of initial and continuing training of vocational schoolteachers from several European countries and to establish a network ("VETteach"). Therefor we start by analyzing the different requirements and training pathways for vocational schoolteachers in Europe within their unique structures of the respective vocational training systems. These requirements and the design of future approaches or innovations are of central importance for European vocational education and training. The project is contributing to this by promoting good practice, to overcome current and future challenges in vocational schools and by formulating a need for further development and research within this field.

The exchange of experience and good practice can help to realize the following:

• Broadening the researchers' horizons and improving their own practice and theory as well as the training at the participating partner institutions,
• Dissemination of innovations in their respective institutional, regional and national networks and in the local qualification strategies for vocational schoolteachers,
• Consider extending the network of partners to other countries, and to other actors such as teachers' associations or training providers at European level.

High-quality initial training of future teachers and trainers in vocational education and training and their continuous professional development is a prerequisite and guarantee for successful vocational education and training. Considering the manifold challenges faced by VET personnel, the VET providers need to find answers on how to organize best their initial and continuing training. The "VETteach" network aims to exchange best practices on current and future requirements in developing and applying curricula, as well as on pedagogical and didactic approaches. The network contributes to the general objective of the EU to increase the attractiveness of vocational education and training for teachers, trainers, and employers.