Service

After two years of intensive exchange with our partners from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Spain and Switzerland, our Erasmus+ VETteach project is coming to an end. During this time, we have not only exchanged ideas among ourselves, but have also taken every opportunity to exchange ideas with other colleagues. This was also the case at the final project conference on June 16, 2022, to which the Institute of Vocational Education at the University of Rostock invited national and international stakeholders in vocational teacher education to Rostock. The conference was opened by Prof. Dr. Hillard von Thiessen (Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy), Ulrike Bruhn (Consultant for Teacher Education at the State Ministry of Science, Culture, Federal and European Affairs) and Prof. Dr. Franz Kaiser (Institute for Vocational Education).

In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Franz Kaiser, project leader VETteach, emphasized that the professional demands on teachers at vocational schools are extensive and challenging, and thus the training of prospective vocational teachers must involve the current scientific discourse. An exchange on a European level, as it took place in this project, contributed significantly to the change of perspective of all participants.

Dr. Birger Brevik presented the first findings of the survey initiated within the project on the professional challenges of vocational school teachers in the six participating countries. Although there were differences in the answers of the VET teachers between the countries, it is the similarities in the answers that show the necessity of an exchange beyond the national borders. Moderated by Dr. Melanie Hoppe our project partners presented an insight into the discussions on focal points in the poster presentation that followed and invited the participants to exchange their views.

• VET teachers as innovators - results of the international comparative study presented by Dr.Birger Brevik, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
• Integration of disadvantaged presented by Prof. Fernando Marhuenda, University of Valencia, Spain
• Teacher's roles in supporting careers of students presented by Prof. Barbara E. Stalder, PH Bern & Dr. Christof Nägele, PH FHNW, Switzerland
• VET teachers' continuous professional development presented by Prof. Per Andersson, Linköping University, Sweden
• Civic engagement in VET teacher education presented by Prof. Franz Kaiser, University Rostock, Germany

In the plenary discussion that followed, Stefan Nowatschin (Deputy Federal Chairman of the BvLB and Headmaster of the Berufsbildende Schule in Uelzen), Prof. Dr. Haege Nore (Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway) and Konstantin Krämer (Master's student of vocational education) provided insight into their views on how a sustainable and innovative university education should be designed for future vocational school teachers.