Conference Agenda

This symposium focuses on the complexities of the transition between higher education (HE), vocational education and training (VET), and the world of work. We will consider aspects that facilitate successful transitions to the world of work such as diversity of programmes and permeability, and will discuss the diverse pathways young people utilise to progress to HE and/or to work. The symposium highlights a number of ways young people progress to both, HE and the world of work (e.g. from general education to VET; from VET to HE; from HE to VET and, in all cases, to the world of work).

This symposium focuses on young people when preparing for or making transitions into HE, VET and the workplace in three European countries, Germany, England and Austria. Transitions, however, are not linear (Fettes et al., 2020), hence we consider transition as vertical and horizontal transition. A vertical transition moves a young person closer to their ‘ultimate’ goal, HE or the world of work. Under a horizontal transition we understand when a young person moves ‘sideways’ and adds an additional step before making progress towards their ‘ultimate’ goal. In reality, transitions are complex, non-linear, and often are a combination of vertical and horizontal.

How are issues of transition considered by policy makers when implementing and expanding study programmes which connect HE and VET? How prepared are HEIs for preparing young people for the world of work? How do young people navigate this transition? Who and what facilitates their progression in the different pathways?

Equipping HE students with both practical skills and theoretical knowledge, to prepare them for the world of work have become central to HEIs (e.g Mason et al 2020; Bridgstock and Tippett, 2019). Consequently, HE has been increasingly moving towards preparing young people for the world of work through developing work-related degree models where general (academic) and vocational learning are intertwined.

The first paper is based on document analysis and a qualitative interview study focusing on education policy at macro-level concerning hybrid study programmes in Germany, England and Austria. Taking the empirical data into account current policy perspectives on these programmes against the background of their national historical origins are analysed. Aspects of diversity, permeability and transition resulting from these programmes within the three education systems are discussed.

The second paper employs case study approach to explore emerging patterns characterising models of practically-based HE in England, particularly considering how universities develop their strategies to enhance the relevance of academic studies to the world of work. The paper identifies some common characteristics of innovation and diversity of practically-based HE, and some implications for graduate employability and successful transitions.

The third paper explores Degree Apprenticeships (DAs) in England, which were introduced in 2015 to bridge the gap between higher vocational learning and HE. The paper explores the different ways DAs can diverse the learners who are entering HE and the workplace. It is argued that DAs offer the opportunity to prepare learners for a smoother and faster transition into the world of work, through equipping them with the technical and, notably, the transferable skills required by employers to be successful in the workplace.

The fourth paper investigates typical transition points between VET and HE in the German context, including the ways VET qualifications are used to gain access to HE-level courses, and opportunities for HE students who are not able to finish their course to enter VET programmes. The paper will draw on quantitative data compiled by the integrated training and education statistics, the national educational panel study, as well as studies focussed on the labour market outcomes of different educational pathways.

Integrated degree programs here referred to as hybrid study programs (HSP) have gained attention and importance in Germany in recent years. Initiated and supported by large industrial companies in the 1970s, their development was a reaction to changing labour market requirements at the time (Brodsky, 2022, p. 41). Accordingly, the aim was a higher education provision more strongly oriented towards the labour market. Thereby, these programs aimed to offer alternative and thus a wider range of study and training options to an increasing number of eligible students resolving the strict institutional separation between VET and HE (Brodsky, 2022, p. 2; Kuhlee & Irmscher, 2018, p. 9). The number of HSPs and students in these programs has been increasing steadily (Hofmann et al. 2019, p. 12 ff.). There has been growing interest in such programs in other countries, too. A more recent development is the introduction of Degree Apprenticeships (DA) in England rolled out in 2015 (McEwan, 2019), by now being structured on the basis of so-called standards within an employer-led system (Hubble & Bolton, 2019). They get offered by 81 universities, 6 colleges and over 68 employers (Which?University?, 2020, pp. 10-11). In comparison, the proportion of HSPs in Austria is rather small. Apart from the first HSP at the Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in 2002 a gradual expansion has only been taking place since 2011 (Haas & Humpl, 2019, p. 113). An analysis on the introduction of these programs in the three countries based on a systematic document analysis (n=32) indicates that despite similar conceptual approaches, there seemed to exist rather different policy intentions connected to HSPs (Graf, 2015, Welbourne & Reynolds, 2019, Wissenschaftsrat, 1996). The current expansions seem to be associated with different intentions by policy stakeholders again, as the empirical data of a qualitative interview study indicate (n=9). The findings point to different perspectives regarding the systematic integration, the role and described function of hybrid programs within each national education system. Taking the empirical findings into account, the contribution examines the conceptual structures of HSPs in the reference countries and the educational policy intentions associated with them. It debates the role of these programs in promoting permeability and diversity for the national system structures, and hence in enhancing pathways of transition. The aim is to clarify the system-specific integration and mode of action of HSPs from the perspective of education policy for their national context over time.

Brodsky, A. (2022). Lernen am Arbeitsplatz im dualen Studium. Springer. McEwan, T. (2019). Degree apprenticeships: up to standard? Policy Connect. Graf, L. (2015). Hybridisierung von Berufs- und Hochschuldbildung in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. In U. Banscherus, O. Engel, A. Mindt, A. Spexard & A. Wolter (Hrsg.), Differenzierung im Hochschulsystem. Nationale und internationale Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen (pp.163–176). Waxmann. Haas, J., & Humpl, S. (2019). Duale Studienangebote. Ein Zukunftsmodell für Österreichs Hochschulen? In A. Pausitis, R. Aichinger & M. Unger (Hrsg.), Qua vadis Hochschule? Beiträge zur evidenzbasierten Hochschulentwicklung (pp. 113–127). Waxmann. Hofmann, S., Hemkes, B., Leo-Joyce, S., König, M., & Kutzner, P. (2020). AusbildungPlus in Zahlen. Duales Studium 2019. Trends und Analysen. Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung. Hubble, S, & Bolton, P. (2019). Degree apprenticeships. House of Commons Library: Briefing Paper Number 8741. Kuhlee, D. & Irmscher, M. (2018). Duales Studium vs. duale Ausbildung: Zur Diskussion um die Relevanz dualer Studienangebote unter Berücksichtigung der Unternehmensperspektive. bwp@, 34, 1–24. Welbourn, J., Devins, D., & Reynolds, M. (2019). Degree apprenticeships: Reflecting on university-employer partnership practice to improve workforce development in the United Kingdom. (33)6, 403–413. Which?University (2020). The Complete Guide to Higher and Degree Apprenticeships. Wissenschaftsrat (1996). Empfehlungen zur weiteren Differenzierung des Tertiären Bereichs ...

Innovation and diversity in HE have become increasingly related to enhancing employability, life chances and career opportunities for students (Harvey et al., 2002; Cranmer, 2006; Fettes et al, 2020). Institutional responses have been characterised by implementing diverse and innovative approaches to make the academic provision more relevant to both the current and future realities of the world of work (Kersh and Laczik 2022) and to develop the appropriate capacity for self-learning and life-long skill and personal capabilities which will support their transition to the workplace and beyond (Emms et al, 2021). This paper is reporting on an ongoing research study, funded by the Edge Foundation, that aims to address these complex issues, and identify emerging patterns and approaches characterising models of practically based higher education, and the ways, universities develop their strategies to enhance the relevance of academic studies to the world of work. In this study we are drawing on the concept of practically-based higher education, which goes beyond a mere integration of theory in practice, and involves curriculum innovation, diversity of approaches to develop job-ready transferrable skills, and collaboration between key stakeholders. (Huegler and Kersh, 2020). Specifically, the following research questions have been explored: • What are the emerging patterns characterising models of practically-based higher education? • What are the features of innovation and diversification of practically-based higher education models, and how these prepare young people for their transitions to the word of work? • What is the role played by key stakeholders involved in these developments ? The project methodology has involved researching 3 selected case studies of examples of practically based higher education (in the context of HE in England, across different occupational sectors). The study includes undertaking both individual and group interviews with some key informants (identified through purposeful and snowball sampling), including HE lecturers and curricula leaders; industry representatives, students and other relevant stakeholders. The sample size is 10-15 participants per case study. The findings indicate that, although each case has illustrated a range of unique features, there are some common characteristics of innovation and diversity of practically-based higher education, including curriculum re-design to make it more relevant to the world of work, incorporating specific approaches (e.g. simulation or client-facing projects), and putting industry engagement into practice, to provide opportunities for the students to experience the realities of the workplace.

Cranmer, S. (2006). Enhancing graduate employability: best intentions and mixed outcomes, Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 169-184 Emms, K., Laczik, A. & Dabbous, D. (2021). Rethinking higher education: Case studies for the 21st Century. London: Edge Foundation Harvey, L., Locke, W. and Morey, A., 2002, Enhancing Employability, Recognising Diversity. London, Universities UK Huegler, N and Kersh, N. (2020). Evaluation of the Edge Hotel School. Final report. London: Edge Foundation. Kersh, N., & Laczik, A. (2022). Reconsidering the nature of the learning space in practically-based higher education: Innovative approaches to higher education in the UK context. Hungarian Educational Research Journal. doi:10.1556/063.2021.00095 Trisha Fettes, Karen Evans & Elnaz Kashefpakdel (2020) Putting skills to work: it’s not so much the what, or even the why, but how…, Journal of Education and Work, 33:2, 184-196, DOI: 10.1080/13639080.2020.1737320 Wren, J. & Wren, B. (2009). Enhancing Learning by Integrating Theory and Practice, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Volume 21, Number 2, 258-265 http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/ ISSN 1812-9129

Launched in 2015, Degree Apprenticeships (DA) were introduced in England as an alternative route to obtaining a degree (UK Government, 2015). DAs offer a debt-free, vocational pathway into higher education, through the integration of university-based study and in-company training. DAs intend to support national economic growth, address levels of low productivity and, to meet higher-level skills shortages by establishing a pipeline of skilled entrants into the workforce (DfE, 2020). Beyond economic factors, DAs intend to contribute to workforce diversity and upward social mobility. DAs may attract disadvantaged school leavers who may have previously been deterred by university study because of concerns related to the cost of studying and value for money as a traditional HE entrant (OfS, 2019a, 2019b). In this paper we explore the experiences of those that have opted for DAs and the background experiences and motivations for applying for DA places. We also have investigated the transition for these learners into the world of work, and whether both of these aspects lead to diversity in higher education as well as in the work place. The research consisted of semi-structured interviews with key informants, including apprentices, employers, training providers (universities) and policy makers. Interviews generally lasted up to one hour, were audio-recorded and then transcribed. Interviews were anonymised. Over 70 interviews were completed in total between March 2022 and January 2023. The data is analysed using thematic analysis to draw out common themes within the data (e.g. Braun & Clarke, 2006). Early analyses indicate that some degree apprentices are entering higher education via DA route who would have not otherwise applied for a university place. This is particularly the case for mature degree apprentices who began employment on a different, usually lower level, career trajectory. However, school-leavers are generally considering traditional higher education courses alongside DA as an option. DAs often attract those who wouldn’t have otherwise entered into HE at all. Many new recruited degree apprentices were motivated to start a DA as a means to enter the workplace quicker and gain work experience. Early analyses also indicate DAs provide a successful and smooth transition into employment, particularly by equipping apprentices with transferable skills that allow them to transition into and sustain employment.

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Department for Education (2020) Statistical data set: Apprenticeships and traineeships data 2019/20. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships Office for Students: Insight (2019a) ‘Degree apprenticeships: a viable alternative?’ 02.03.19. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/c791216f-a1f1-4196-83c4-1449dbd013f0/insight-2-degree-apprenticeships.pdf Office for Students (2019b) Degree Apprenticeships Motivations. Research Report by Wavehill Social and Economic Research. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/12bf6e97-2163-4f0d-a547-e28c02e573e0/degree-apprenticeships-motivations-research-report.pdf UK Government (2015). Government rolls-out flagship Degree Apprenticeships. Published 12 March 2015. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-rolls-out-flagship-degree-apprenticeships

Mainly due to its important role in ensuring skilled labour, vocational education has long been regarded as a vital part in the overall educational system in Germany, co-existing separately but on an equal footing with higher education. However, the boundaries between the two sub-systems have become increasingly blurred. Clear indications for this are the changing participation patterns in the two sectors. On the one hand, vocational qualifications are an important stepping stone to higher education. An increasing number of students enrolled in higher education institutions in Germany hold a full, state-recognised initial vocational qualification, accounting for about 22 per cent of all higher education students. In universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), around a third of students hold a vocational qualification (Middendorf et al. 2016). On the other hand, a substantive part of higher education students who do not finish their degree aim at gaining access to vocational qualifications at different levels. For them the question is whether their learning experience in higher education can be accredited in vocational programmes (Graf 2013). Drawing on quantitative data compiled by the integrated training and education statistics (Illiger & Dionisius 2022), on data generated by the national educational panel study (Siembab 2022), as well as on studies focussed on the labour market outcomes of different educational pathways(Hayward et al. 2022), this paper aims at answering the following questions: • How well prepared are students for making these changes? • How prepared are receiving institutions to make use of the students’ prior learning and experiences? • To what extent does the German education systems allow for recognition of competences? • Does the fact that for both intersections numbers are growing result in HE and VET “growing together”? The paper will also discuss how employers assess different educational pathways when making recruitment decisions and how combination of different types of qualifications are used in developing professional careers (Annen & Maier 2022), given the current shortage of skilled labour in the German context.

Dionisius, R. & Illiger, A. (2022): Das (Aus-)Bildungsgeschehen im Überblick, in: Datenreport 2022 (Bonn: BIBB), 73-86. Graf, L (2013): The hybridization of vocational training and higher education in Austria, Germany and Switzerland (Berlin & Toronto: Budrich UniPress). Hayward, G., Kartarzi, E., Ertl, H., Hölscher, M. (2021): Degrees of Success: The Transitions from Vocational to Higher Education (Bingley: Emerald Publishing). Middendorff, E., Apolinarski, B., Becker, K., Bornkessel, P., Brandt, T., Heißenberg, S., Poskowsky, J. (2017): Die wirtschaftliche und soziale Lage der Studierenden in Deutschland 2016 (Bonn: BMBF). Siembab, M (2022): Berufliche und akademische (Höher-)Qualifizierung – Ergebnisse aus dem Nationalen Bildungspanel (NEPS), in: Datenreport 2022 (Bonn: BIBB), 273-278.

Adults with low or no formal qualifications are at risk of losing their jobs or slipping into precarious employment. Upskilling can improve their situation and is becoming even more important due to increasing reskilling needs in response to the transformation of the world of work. However, prior research shows that low-qualified adults tend to participate less in in continuing VET than better educated individuals (Nieuwenhove/De Wever 2022, Kruppe/Baumann 2019, Müller/Wenzelmann 2019). If they do participate in vocational training their dropout rate is comparatively high (Baas/Philipps 2019). And although already disadvantaged in terms of their education, the learning intentions of low-qualified workers can be below average (Kyndt et al. 2011).

Nevertheless, there are efforts in many countries to set up more workplace preparation programs to address urgent shortages of skilled workers. This is also the case in Austria, where the AMS - the Austrian labor office - finances competency-based VET programs for the unemployed as part of its active labor market policy. These programs are meant to ease the transition in employment.

Often, these vocational education and training measures can not achieve the purposes for which they were established. This leads to the question of how competency-based approaches to vocational education and training for low-qualified people need to be designed. Therefore, the presented study aims to formulate a set of design principles to develop vocational competencies for the transition to the labor market.

Since the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force in Germany in 2009, inclusion has become increasingly relevant in vocational education and training. What is missing so far is a foundation of inclusive VET, namely concerning the micro level of the teaching-learning situations in classrooms.

Joint (inclusive) teaching-learning processes represent action situations that depend on comparable interpretations of the situation by the actors involved. A starting point for enabling joint teaching-learning processes are the lifeworlds (Lebenswelt) of all those who are involved in this process. An important prerequisite for teachers at VET schools to deal with the heterogeneity prevailing in VET, especially from the perspective of inclusion, is therefore to recognise and understand the life worlds of the students. It needs to be clarified how teachers can access these lifeworlds and how learners can (learn to) understand them among themselves. While in relatively homogeneous groups it is comparably easy to understand and often accept another one’s lifeworld, this process becomes more difficult with the increase of the distance of one’s lifeworld from others. Therefore, one important question that needs to be explored in order to foster inclusive teaching and learning is how teachers (and pupils) can gain access to the understanding (in the sense of comprehension) of disparate lifeworlds.

Teachers usually attempt to classify their pupils on the basis of reports, diagnostic instruments etc., which is necessarily subjective. Often this leads to labelling and stigmatisation, which impedes the process of inclusion. Another way that could facilitate the pedagogue’s access to the process of understanding are critical situations in the sense of situations in which teachers and learners perceive a lack of comprehension towards others and their intention. In these moments, consciously or unconsciously - according to the assumption - a process of reflection on each other's access to the world begins

The presentation shows the results of an empirical study within the framework of the BMBF project InklusiBuS "Inclusive vocational education and training and situation definition", in which the possibilities and limits of inclusive teaching and learning in vocational school teaching situations were investigated. To this end, inclusion is first explained on the basis of system-theoretical and action-theoretical approaches as well as with the help of a phenomenological concept of lifeworld and situation. The first survey phase followed a Grounded Theory oriented approach. Codes were developed which include on the one hand basics of recognizing and interpreting other lifeworlds, the externalization of one's own lifeworld and the perception of its limitations as well as recognizing and creating common situation definitions. Those codes were operationalized and investigated in a nationwide questionnaire survey with vocational school teachers. The presentation will show results on how teachers and pupils understand and externalise their lifeworlds to support inclusive teaching and learning, and what can be done to facilitate the understanding of others lifeworlds to support inclusive teaching and learning.

Over the next ten years, there is expected to be a significant increase in the demand for high-skilled and STEM jobs around the world, with some specific fields in engineering projecting increases of up to 14 percent while there has been a decrease in the number of students enrolling in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and majors (National Science Board, 2010; Ognenova, 2019; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022a). Additionally, in recent years there has been a specific call to address the lack of diversity in STEM fields, including individuals with disabilities (Ladner & Burgstahler, 2015). This group has received attention given that individuals with disabilities have lower overall educational attainment in engineering than their peers without disabilities and are significantly less likely to have a STEM-related career (Campaign for Science and Engineering, 2014; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Though current data availability makes disaggregation by specific type of disability difficult, students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) make up a substantial proportion of all students and are therefore an important population on which to focus educational and career progression.

As one potential means of promoting persistence along one STEM pipeline—engineering specifically—we explore how participation in engineering career-related coursework (E-CTE) may relate to a set of key college preparatory measures. To this end, we asked the following research questions:

1. For SWLDs, how does E-CTE coursetaking in high school link to key college preparatory achievement and coursetaking outcomes?
2. For SWLDs, how does E-CTE coursetaking in high school link to secondary-to-postsecondary transition outcomes?

E-CTE represents one strand of STEM-focused CTE coursework. Examples of such courses include surveying, structural engineering, and computer assisted design. Through participation in these courses, students gain the necessary skills and education to excel and persist in STEM-related areas by completing rigorous projects related to engineering design, manufacturing process implementations, and quality improvements (Gottfried et al., 2014). These courses are meant to complement the material and reinforce the conceptual and academic knowledge from these traditional STEM courses (Bozick & Dalton, 2013; Shifrer & Callahan, 2010).

Participation in this type of coursework links to improved student outcomes such as higher math scores, better chances of participating in advanced math/science coursework, higher postsecondary earnings, and better chances of graduating from high school (Bozick & Dalton, 2013; Dougherty, 2016; Gottfried, 2015). Additionally, there is reason to believe these courses are particularly beneficial to certain subgroups of students. For example, female students who complete engineering technology coursework in high school receive a boost in probability of earning an engineering credential in college greater than the boost for male students (Gottfried & Plasman, 2018a), and students with learning disabilities who participate in AS-CTE receive a boost in their probability of graduating from high school above and beyond the boost for the general population (Plasman & Gottfried, 2016).

There are three potential mechanisms by which E-CTE participation may link to improved college preparatory outcomes. First, students reinforce academic skills through opportunities to build on learning from traditional STEM coursework through more applied and hands-on experiences (Bozick & Dalton, 2013; Shifrer & Callahan, 2010). Second, students develop new skills through use of multiple learning techniques to teach these skills is an important pedagogical method to help students understand their own abilities and encourage interest in future pursuits along the engineering pathway (Stone & Lewis, 2012; Stone et al., 2008). Finally, the applied nature of CTE coursework in high school is designed to help students make the connection between high school coursework and later opportunities in college and career (Gottfried et al., 2016).

The demand for workers in the labour market is changing as a result of the integration of different megatrends: digital, green and demographic (Opik et al., 2018). There is therefore a particular need to develop systems for forecasting labour demand. Matching skills supply and demand is crucial for the development of education, economic development and inclusion policies.

To this end, Cedefop has developed a system that provides comprehensive estimates of labour market trends up to 2030 in all EU Member States. However, it has two limitations. First, its estimates are not directly linked to the system of skills provision, including Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET). IVET is of particular interest because of its strategic importance for industrial development and employment (Spöttl & Windelband, 2021). This importance is growing in some countries (Germany, Denmark, Austria) with a high share of the labour force with post-secondary vocational education (Hoeckel & Schwartz, 2010).

Similarly, the data it provides is at the national level. In this respect, the regional level offers a particularly appropriate scenario for analysing the dynamics generated between human capital and development (Canal Dominguez, 2021; Sevinc et al., 2020). Some authors have also highlighted the relevance of technical profiles linked to Vocational Education and Training studies (ILO, 2012) as conducive to regional development (Navarro, 2014; (Retegi & Navarro, 2018; Spöttl & Windelband, 2021). Finally, within the same country, at the regional level, there may be significant differences between VET systems, both in terms of both supply and demand for VET workers (Moso-Diez et al., 2022).

For all the above reasons, the main contribution of the article is to present a new methodology for estimating the degree of horizontal mismatch of graduates with VET studies per Spanish region between 2020 and 2030, by economic sector (NACE code letter). This type of mismatch, known as ‘horizontal mismatch’ (Robst, 2007), occurs when the job held by a worker is not related to his or her field of study. This type of discrepancy is also known as ‘field-of-study mismatch’. This allows us to check whether VET fields of knowledge are properly aligned with labour market demand at regional level...

Among other things, the proper matching of supply and demand in the labour market can increase the productivity of firms because, when individuals are well matched to their occupations, the knowledge and skills that are acquired through education are optimally used in the labour market (Somers et al., 2019). This model is built based on Cedefop estimates and the Spanish Labour Force Survey, two accessible sources that would allow it to be replicated and improved for the rest of the regions in all EU-27 countries.

The current VET policy and practice orthodoxy is not working despite the efforts of educators and learners. The futures for which VET is intended to prepare people are ever more precarious at the individual, societal and planetary levels. While better futures are possible, VET is poorly positioned to respond to the new skilling needs these will require.

Therefore, we ask 1) what a VET system would look like that could play a supportive role in just transitioning and 2) what implications this question has for a future-oriented research agenda for VET.

Our research foregrounds the skills ecosystems approach, drawing most from Spours and his four key elements: collaborative horizontalities, facilitating verticalities, mediation through common mission and ecosystem leadership, and ecological time.

In expanding the approach to African contexts, we find the basic analytical tools hold. Nonetheless, we extend the approach significantly.

We argue for a strong ontological grounding in constructing such ecosystems and including some of what has historically been excluded from VET thinking and praxis (e.g., a wider notion of work). We offer three main dimensions.

1. Our more explicit engagement with political ecology points to further development of an account of VET’s purpose distinct from the productivist–human capital origins that permeates VET thinking. We make an axiological and ontological move by arguing VET’s purpose should encompass furthering collective human flourishing and integral human development.

2. We make the realtional aspect more explicit through application of notions of relational agency and relational capability.

3. We draw on critical realism to underpin how we see the interaction of vertical and horizontal. By drawing on Bhaskar’s laminated approach, we can address the question of how levels interact.

Whilst social ecosystems thinking proved useful, it did not provide sufficient conceptual tools to drive our work. Rather, it provided the middle layer of our conceptual approach. At a more generalised level, we located our expansion of the approach in critical realism.

In our empirical work, we adopted a further set of lenses.

1. We addressed informality, reflecting the majority reality of global economic life. The settings we researched included large numbers of actors, simultaneously engaged in enterprise activities and living lives as humans; always operating in complex relational webs. In such settings, anchor institutions are hard to find. Rather, we saw network catalysts, providing frameworks for fractal processes of deepening relationality. We explored the dynamism of young people’s navigational capabilities for finding new paths through living, working and learning. Their use of relationships and social media were apparent.

2. We considered the part played by vocational teachers, taking an expansive view of who counted as such. We see tthem as central to all ecosystem aspects, as interpreters of curriculum, scaffolders of learning and connectors to work. We explore the importance teachers place on building horizontal relationships within and across institutions and community organisations.

3. We examined how the ecosystem approach could inform the education–to–work transitions debate. In agreeing with those who problematise such transitions and point to nonlinear and blocked transitions, and the role of intersectional inequality therein, we considered questions of how the vertical and horizontal, and mediation between them, contribute to facilitating transitions. Indeed, in more formal or hybrid labour market contexts, anchor organisations remain crucial. Here, leadership was being provided by diverse learning institutions including VET institutions. How localised colearning networks can be support became an important focus.

4. We considered universities' roles in supporting skills ecosystems and localised colearning networks. Through our experience as actors in skills ecosytems, we explore universities' potential to make verticalities more facilitating through the particular advantages that they have in convening other actors.

Costa Rica is recognized as one of the Latin American countries that invests the most in education. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017, Costa Rica's education system ranks 35th in the world, one of the highest in Latin America. However, most students in Costa Rica leave school with a weak foundation for work, amid concerns about low productivity and skills shortages (OECD, 2016), compounded by the fact that Costa Rica is the OECD country with the highest unemployment rate (34.2%) among 15-24 year-olds (ILO, 2022). To resume economic growth, Costa Rica needs a labour force with the competencies and skills demanded by the labour market and a TVET system that meets this need. One of the main institutions active in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Costa Rica is the Ministry of Public Education (Ministerio de Educación Pública - MEP) and the National Institute for Apprenticeships (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje – INA) (Rommel & Vargas Méndez, 2022). However, employers argue that there are insufficient graduates in technical specialties of increasing labour market demand. Furthermore, there is a lack in the supply of skilled TVET teachers in order to strength the quality of TVET. For example, not all teachers of TVET have vocational pedagogical and subject didactic competencies (Álvarez-Galván, 2015). This has brought the demand for more research on TVET to the center in Costa Rica. At the same time, it can be observed that, despite the growing attention from the political and economic side, a development of theoretical and methodological approaches on TVET and its scientifical knowledge does not take place. Although TVET is considered as an important and valuable alternative for the insertion of the young population in the labor market with a growing importance for the society, the relevance of TVET research is not yet that present so that research efforts have remained in the background (Alvarado Calderón & Mora Hernández, 2020). Lascarez & Baumann (2018) state that TVET research in Costa Rica is still in its infancy and that there is still no university chair conducting TVET research.

In Germany, for example, TVET is supported by the academic sub-discipline of TVET research and is characterized by chairs, courses of study in TVET teacher qualification, its own research community, academic journals and appropriate support for young researchers. Thus, although the Costa Rican discourse on TVET has typical elements such as the currently formulated need for TVET research and existing courses of study in TVET teacher education, as well as some academic scientific research efforts, this has not yet led to the promotion or institutionalization of a specific TVET-related scientific focus. This paper deals with the status and needs of TVET research in Costa Rica within the framework of the CoRiVET - Costa Rican Vocational Education and Training Project, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research. The project aims to actualize the current curriculum on teacher qualification for TVET at the National Technical University (UTN) and to further institutionalized TVET research. In order to fulfil this last objective, a diagnosis of the current state of research on TVET will be carried out, which will provide updated information to detect in which sub-themes of TVET it is necessary to make greater research efforts in the future. In this context CoRiVET deals with the question: What is the status of TVET research in Costa Rica and which are the associated research needs for TVET?