Report On The Vetnet Programme At Ecer 08

TEMPLATE FOR ANNUAL REPORT (to be handed in before 20 November 2008) Network: 2)

vetnet: research network on vocational education and training (network

Report year:

2008

Overview on past ECER (will be displayed on the Annual Report section of your network) Please present a general overview on what happened during ECER in your network. Especially report on number of sessions, attendance and thematic focus of presentations. Also indicate joint network activities and any other important issues concerning the network. (600 words) The VETNET programme at ECER’ 08 was attended by ca. 120 participants. This year the VETNET network reached the 11 years’ milestone as an active network of the EERA. The electronic proceedings for the VETNET programme at ECER’08 available on the VETNET page www.vet-research.net . The web page covers all the sessions including abstracts and other VETNET-related information (joint sessions, social event, about the organisation of VETNET and other information). At the same time VETNET has produced proceedings of the earlier years’ papers; also at the VETNET as well as on the page of WIFO. The VETNET programme consisted of 30 sessions including 88 individual papers, 7 symposia, 2 research workshops, 1 cross-network round table (with the network on teacher education research), two VETNET plenary sessions and of the VETNET General Assembly. • As a VET researcher from the host country Sweden, Per Erik Ellström from Linköping University gave an opening speech "Knowledge Creation through Interactive Research: A Partnership Approach". The speech was commented by an invited discussant, Bernd Hofmaier from Halmstad University. The speech provided insights into the interactive research activities and in particular on relations between university and industry • The VETNET Forum session focused on the topic of the publication of VETNET journals; this session was organised by Martin Mulder as a joint event for the VET researchers and journals with interest in VET and workplace learning. • The VETNET Board meeting was organised as a public meeting that was open for all participants of the VETNET programme . The meeting discussed the implementation of the VETNET programme at ECER’08 and the preparation for the ECER’09 in Vienna as well as the recent upgrade of the VETNET website (www.vet-research.net). In this context the Board notified the members that term of the current board comes to an end at ECER'09. The issue of supporting PhD students across Europe was discussed in the meeting. Also, the VETNET network is looking for an active role in the joint EERA initiative to develop “European Educational Research Quality Indicators (EERQI)”

Network Activities (will be displayed on the Network Activities section of your network)

Has there been further activities in the Network during the course of the past year? Please report on special websites, newsletter and any other projects like publications and co-operations with other research associations or conferences. (600 words) VETNET participated as co-organiser in the international conference of the Inap network on innovative apprenticeships in Vienna, February 2008. The Inap network contributes to some of the priority areas of VETNET and extends the cooperation beyond Europe.

Future Plans for your network (will be displayed on the Network Activities section of your network) Please report on future plans within the network: Do you plan any other activities/developments within your network? Please also indicate if and for what you would possibly like to apply for funding by the EERA Council. Contributions to the VETNET programme are made publicly available on the VETNET homepage Another conference on innovative apprenticeships will be organised n collaboration with INAP at the European Training Foundation (ETF), Turin, Italy. The VETNET board will have an interim meeting in December at BIBB (the Federal insitute for vocational education and training. The main points are the preparation of the VETNET programme for ECER'09, the election of the VETNET board for a new three-year term and specific initiatives to improve the network activities.

Upcoming ECER (will be published on the Upcoming ECER section of your network) Do you want to suggest a special network-focus for next ECER? Please also indicate if you plan joint sessions or symposia. not yet clear will be discussed on the next board meeting; the discussion of how to arrange a TVET Pisa and the different competence and testing concepts behind it as well as the dicussions about European core profiles in VET; May be its possible to launch the FORUM session in the plenary programme of ECER and in cooperation with other networks

Updated list of Convenors (will be published on the Convenors Section of your network) Please only indicate changes as compared to the actual status on the website.

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Ludger Deitmer, University of Bremen, ITB, Germany (Convenor) M’Hamed Dif, University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg, France Krista Loogma, University of Tallinn, Estonia Jeroen Onstenk, Inholland Professional University Haarlem, Den Haag, NL Barbara Stalder, Bern, Switzerland Magda Balica, Bukarest, IES, Romania David Guile, Institute of Educational Science, IoE, UK Johanna Lasonen, Jyväskylä, Institute of Educational Research, IER, Finland Fernando Marhuenda, University of Valencia, UV, Spain Marja-Leena Stenström, Jyväskylä, IER, Finland Magdolna Benke, Budapest, NFI-National Institute of Adult Education, Hungary Phillip Grollmann, Bremen, ITB, Germany Lorenz Lassnigg, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Austria

Co-opted members on particular questions: • Mr. Graham Attwell, Pontydysgu, Pontypridd, Wales • Mr. Pekka Kämäräinen, University of Bremen, ITB, Fill in your information here

Do you have suggestions for EERA or upcoming ECER conferences? (Will not be displayed on the Website, but brought to Council) Suggestions to the EERA Office and the EERA Council.