Report on the research workshop during the second VET Skills Week in Brussels, 22.11.17

This report gives a short overview of the discussion at the research workshop during the VET Skills Week in Brussels, parallel session 4. The workshop aimed to advance the discussion on the development of a European VET research agenda that was started last year at the VET Skills Week in Brussels and continued at the Crossing Boundaries Conference in Rostock. The research workshop brought together VET researchers from many European countries. Research topics mentioned by the participants reflect the country-specific status of VET, as well as it social and cultural embeddedness and historical context. This is reflected in a wide array of topics mentioned. What seems necessary and feasible to do in one country or region is not an option in another country or region. VET is always embedded in a socio-political-historical context in a way that one solution cannot fit all needs. That’s why we developed a framework to organise VET research along three analytical levels and three analytical foci. As VET is on education and training and on becoming a subject-specific expert and a professional expert in a specific vocational area, the analytical foci highlight the role and needs of the learners or students, the trainers and teachers and the object or work process. This model aims at integrating not only different needs expressed by the participants concerning their region or country but also to various scientific theories and methods. VET is multi-faceted and interdisciplinary. There is still a lot to do, do make VET an attractive educational option for learners and students, companies and governments. The feedback from the roundtable chairs shows that research on VET is needed. The workshop was designed as a workshop for researchers. This was very valuable. In the future, this research workshop should be complemented by a workshop on practice and research to foster the exchange