Boosting Pedagogical Competence for VET Teachers (Study Visit Included)

Description

Many VET teachers are strong in industry expertise but lack a structured pedagogical toolbox.

As “dual professionals”, VET educators require a mix of pedagogical skills and occupational knowledge and experience, and need to keep these up to date to reflect the changing skills needs in the labour market and evolving teaching and learning environments.

This course intends to support VET professionals in strengthening the pedagogical foundations and competencies that complement their professional expertise.

It will offer participants a structured and transferable overview of the core principles of vocational pedagogy, helping them identify their own professional needs.

They will have the chance to explore student-centred strategies that bridge learning and real workplace practices, discussing various pedagogical approaches, such as experiential and hands-on learning, project-based learning, and problem-based learning for entrepreneurial skills.

Through group discussion and practical examples, participants will examine how these methods can support both technical and transversal competencies.

In fact, as digital transformation reshapes industries, a good understanding of digital technologies and AI tools is an essential part of modern VET.

For this reason, this course also sheds light on digital pedagogies and AI literacy, offering participants practical tools and methods for blended and online learning, making them reflect on the educational use of digital technologies and AI tools, and make them consider how to support learners’ digital competence and responsible technology use.

This course will also include a visit to a local institute, offering participants the opportunity to observe vocational pedagogies in practice, to understand the local system, and to exchange ideas with local VET teachers and build an international VET network for future collaboration.

Also, rather than being just a system-focused study visit, this experience will serve as a starting point for a professional reflection and peer exchange on competence-based assessment, sustainability, and lifelong learning.

By the end of the course, participants will take away useful pedagogical tools and knowledge, stronger confidence in supporting students’ learning and development, and international connections with fellow VET teachers.

This course will help them build a stronger capacity to combine industry expertise with educational practices, boosting their teaching techniques and supporting better learning outcomes: having their students thrive in real workplaces.

Concept by Pui Ying Law

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Apply core principles of vocational pedagogy to design more effective and engaging learning experiences for VET students;
• Integrate industry experience with pedagogical strategies by using hands-on, experiential, problem-based, and project-based methods that connect learning to authentic workplace practices;
• Use digital tools and AI-supported solutions to enhance teaching quality and support students’ digital and AI literacy;
• Observe, analyse, and reflect on real VET teaching practices through interaction with a local VET institute, identifying new approaches and adapting them to one’s own context;
• Create a concrete personal action plan to strengthen pedagogical competence and implement improved teaching practices that enhance learner outcomes in VET education.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Vocational pedagogies and personal development needs

• Discuss the key principles of learner-centered pedagogy in competence-based VET education;
• Reflecting on the role of the VET teacher as a “dual professional”;
• Identify personal development needs of pedagogical competence.

Day 2 – Pedagogies to bridge learning to authentic workplaces

• Hands-on and experiential learning for real-world connection in VET;
• Problem-based learning to develop entrepreneurial and transversal skills;
• Project-based learning to connect education with real workplace contexts.

Day 3 – Digital pedagogy and AI literacy in VET education

• Different blended, hybrid/hyflex, and online solutions to support learning;
• Online pedagogy practices and effective use of educational technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, gamification, online platforms, mobile learning, virtual environments, etc.);
• Supporting students’ digital competence and AI literacy for future workplaces.

Day 4 – Visit to a local VET institute

• Discover the local VET system;  
• Visit to a local VET institute;  
• Exchange pedagogical practices and network for future collaboration.  

Day 5 – The future of VET education: trends and challenges

• Personalized competence-based learning and assessments;
• Lifelong learning and sustainability, and evolving labor-market needs;
• Action plan for boosting pedagogical competence and new practices.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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