Vocational education and training: learning from international cooperation to build green and digital skills

 ‘Systemic changes need to be made for the VET system to be able to respond swiftly to changing skills needs,’ says, Susanne M. Nielsen, Coordinator of GRETA.

The first phase of GRETA started in 2021 with a core group of 17 institutions from Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye and Ukraine. In the current, second phase of GRETA, good practice is shared among its active participants and Centres of Vocational Excellence with the wider ETF Network for Excellence (ENE). 

Another key undertaking of the ETF’s ENE initiative deployed to understand the success factors of COVES, is a study on leading vocational institutions of excellence from across the globe. Led by the ETF’s Stefan Thomas, the ETF is working with the Danish Technological Institute to examine COVES from the European Union and neighbouring regions and beyond including the Americas, Asia and Australia. The aim is to identify national policies and institutional practices that make them leaders in both the green and digital transitions.

The research involves nine case studies [1] covering four layers: national and regional policies as well as their own strategies; management and organisation; pedagogical approach and educational content and programmes.

What are the key factors of outstanding centres of excellence?

“National and regional policies supporting the green transition are important drivers for the greening of VET having an impact on institutional green goals and industry practices and green skills demand,” says  ETF’s Stefan Thomas, Senior Expert in Human Capital Development Expert.

Moreover, training programmes are developed closely with industry with the majority of COVES having formalised agreements and industry participation in boards and committees to develop curricula. Research institutions may also be involved. 

“Practical experience is a strong focus across all the centres examined,” says Thomas, “which applies to both students and teachers.”

Professional staff development takes high priority, with teachers and trainers required to update their skills and qualifications and systematic processes in place allowing them to integrate green content into curricula. Peer observation and feedback processes are important components of professional development.

For digital skills in particular, partners from industry can contribute with expertise and digital technical equipment to be used in vocational education, the development of curricula, the analysis of skill needs and the formulation of learning outcomes. Industry partners provide company placements for teachers and work-based learning for students, in the form of apprenticeships, and other opportunities for practice-based and self-directed learning including real-life case studies.

“Green technologies  are constantly evolving, and the development of green and digital skills needs to be just as dynamic using project-based and problem-based learning that develops learners technical and transversal skills,” says Thomas.  

All nine case studies focus strongly on each of the four layers examined, proving that no single component can be left behind and that system level vocational excellence is very much a holistic undertaking.