- Professionalisation of teachers and curriculum development
- Occupational and occupational structure research
- Critical subject-oriented VET theory and biographical learning
- Group work and learning methods in vocational education and training
- Promotion of disadvantaged groups of people in vocational training
- European vocational training systems

- since 2016 Founding Director of the Institute for Vocational Education at the University of Rostock
- since 10/2014 Professor for Vocational Education at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rostock
- 2000-2014 Research assistant and project manager at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in the       departments “Teaching and Learning”; “International Affairs and Knowledge Transfer” and “Organisation and Structure of Vocational Education and Training”
- 2007 Doctorate at the Faculty of Human Sciences of the Technical University of Darmstadt with Prof. Dr. Josef Rützel   and Prof. Dr. Karlheinz A. Geissler (Munich)
- 1998-2000 Research assistant at the Institute for Vocational Education and Continuing Vocational Training, University of Erfurt
- 1993-1997 Research assistant at the Institute for Vocational Education of the Technical University of Darmstadt
- 1991-1993 Tutor at the Institute for Vocational Education of the Technical University of Darmstadt                             - 1987-1990 Tutor at the Institute for General Pedagogy of the Technical University of Darmstadt
- 1985-1993 Teacher training at vocational schools for construction and Catholic theology and Master's degree in vocational pedagogy at the Technical University of Darmstadt
- 1983-1985 Training as a carpenter

- Member of the Society for Socio-Economic Education and Science 
- Scientific Advisory Group of the Trade Unions IGM and Ver.di
- Advisory Board of the International Journal for research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET)
- Advisory Board of the Nordic Journal of Vocational Education and Training (NJVET)
- Liaison lecturer of the Hans Böckler Foundation
- Education and Science Trade Union
- German Association of Universities
- Co-opted board member and Reviewer of European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
- German Society for Educational Science
- Faculty Council of the Faculty of Humanities
- Steering Committee E-Administration of the University of Rostock
- Member of the editorial board of the book series: “Communicating at Work. Perspectives on Specialist and Didactic Studies” at Narr Verlag