Conference Agenda
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Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 19th Aug 2026, 21:29:11 EET
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02 SES 12 B: VET Pathways II
Paper Session
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02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Paper From Know-How to Recognition: The Vocational Capital of an Immigrant Car Mechanic in Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden Presenting Author:The research presented in this paper investigates how vocational competence is recognized, valued, and transformed within immigrant integration processes in Sweden. Through the biographical case of “Amir,” a car mechanic who migrated from the Middle East and rebuilt his career in a Swedish automotive workshop, the study applies Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptual triad—capital, habitus, and field—to vocational education and training (VET). Using restorative hermeneutics and narrative analysis, the research traces how Amir’s embodied cultural capital—his practical know-how, diagnostic intuition, and workshop ethos—intersects with the institutional demands of Swedish VET, where evidence-based documentation, linguistic fluency, and certification shape professional legitimacy. The paper shows how immigrant workers translate and convert their pre-migration capital portfolios within a new socio-institutional field, revealing that competence is not an individual attribute but a social relation mediated by recognition. Amir’s trajectory illustrates the cumulative conversion of embodied, linguistic, social, and symbolic capital, resulting in the reconstruction of professional identity and belonging. By situating this analysis within the literature on vocational capital and immigrant integration, the paper contributes to theoretical and policy discussions about equitable pathways in contemporary VET. It concludes with implications for pedagogical design, emphasizing mentor brokerage, language-embedded learning, and institutional scaffolds that enable capital conversion rather than assimilation. While the research focuses on Swedish context findings are relvant to other European national contexts particulalrly having significant migran population working in the automotive sector. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used This study adopts a biographical and interpretive qualitative approach to examine how immigrant vocational workers reconstruct their professional identities through processes of recognition. Biographical research offers a means of connecting individual trajectories with wider social structures, capturing the dialectic between lived experience and institutional context (Alheit & Dausien, 2002; Merrill & West, 2009). In vocational education and training (VET), where learning often occurs through embodied and relational practices, narrative inquiry is particularly suited to revealing how meaning is made through everyday encounters (Goodson & Sikes, 2017). Amir’s case was selected not as a representative sample but as a critical case (Flyvbjerg, 2006) — one that illuminates broader mechanisms of capital conversion within immigrant integration. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Amir’s journey reveals that the heart of vocational learning lies not in the acquisition of techniques but in the pursuit of recognition—the moment when one’s competence becomes visible and valued by others. His transformation from a peripheral worker to a respected professional embodies the conversion of vocational capital through linguistic mastery, social trust, and institutional endorsement. Yet his story also exposes the fragility of recognition: it depends on fields willing to see beyond their own norms. In a global era of migration and labor mobility, the capacity of VET systems to recognize diverse capitals is both a moral and practical imperative. By designing pedagogies and policies that honor the multiplicity of vocational knowledge, societies can move toward what Honneth (2012) called a “recognitive order”—one where social freedom arises from mutual respect. Ultimately, the lesson of Amir’s case is that integration begins not with teaching newcomers what they lack, but with recognizing what they already know. When vocational systems learn to see that, they do more than integrate individuals—they renew their own fields. References Alheit, P., & Dausien, B. (2002). The “double face” of lifelong learning: Two analytical perspectives on a “silent revolution.” Studies in the Education of Adults, 34(1), 3–22. Andersson, P., & Fejes, A. (2010). Mobility of knowledge: Patterns of recognition of prior learning in Europe. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 29(4), 407–426. Bathmaker, A.-M., Ingram, N., & Waller, R. (2013). Higher education, social class and the mobilisation of capitals. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 34(5–6), 723–743. Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. Routledge. Billett, S. (2011). Vocational Education: Purposes, Traditions and Prospects. Springer. Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge University Press. Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Harvard University Press. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood. Bourdieu, P. (1990). The Logic of Practice. Stanford University Press. Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and Symbolic Power. Harvard University Press. Goodson, I., & Sikes, P. (2017). Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. Open University Press. Honneth, A. (2012). Freedom’s right: The social foundations of democratic life. Polity. 02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Paper Navigating Pathways to Adulthood for Persons with Disabilities: An Ecological and Capabilities-based Study of the PEI Program in São Paulo, Brazil 1: University of Glasgow, United Kingdom; 2: Autonomus University of Barcelona Presenting Author:People with disabilities face several challenges when transitioning from school to work and broader adulthood, facing barriers related to education, social stigma, and institutional discrimination (Cheatham & Randolph, 2020). This reality is also seen in Brazil (Vale, 2019), where even with institutionalized legal frameworks such as the Quota Law, which mandates the hiring of persons with disabilities by companies above 100 employees, and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, only 26.6% of working-age individuals with disabilities are employed (IBGE, 2023; Governo Federal, 2023). This highlights a persistent gap between policy intentions and lived realities that is reflected internationally. Nearly one in six people lives with a disability (16% of the global population), yet only around 30% with working age participate in the labour market, compared to 60% for persons without disabilities (ILO, 2022). Those who do work earn on average 12% less per hour compared to their non-disabled peers, and those who don't work are more likely - especially among youth - to be NEET, (neither in education, employment, nor training) (Myers, 2024; ILO, 2025). In Brazil, the state of São Paulo has responded to this challenge by setting an inclusive employability hub program, the Polos de Empregabilidade Inclusiva (PEI). PEI was founded in 2019 by the State Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disabilities to promote labour inclusion through personalized guidance, qualification, and job placement support, while simultaneously educating employers to foster inclusive workplaces. These practices position PEI as an informal but significant educational space, closely linked to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), lifelong learning, and capability development. Participants are expected to expand skills relevant to employment, but also expand confidence, self-determination, and agency, which are foundational elements for meaningful adulthood. The literature on disability inclusion largely examines education, vocational training, or employment outcomes in isolation, less attention has been paid to integrated programs supporting the transition to adulthood through combined agency-building and inclusive employability practices.This study addresses that gap by analysing PEI as a case-study, having as a central question: How does the PEI program affect the capabilities of people with disabilities to achieve meaningful adulthood and employment? Complementary questions explore how personal aspirations and agency influence engagement, how peer and trainer relationships shape learning, what support networks sustain participation, and how policies and societal norms affect outcomes. Conceptually, the study draws on the Capabilities Approach to define capabilities and meaningful adulthood, emphasizing substantive freedoms, agency, and the conditions that enable individuals to lead lives they value (Nussbaum, 2011; Walker, 2012). Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory situates participants within overlapping systems, illustrating how individual, interpersonal, institutional, and policy-level factors interact to shape participants´ experience (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Insights from Brazilian disability studies further ground the analysis, highlighting how inclusion emerges from transforming social and institutional environments rather than adapting individuals. (Sassaki, 2002; Gesser, Block and Guedes, 2020; Vale, 2019). A qualitative cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing observation, research diary, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis through thematic coding. The research offers insights of global relevance, as it addresses not only barriers to employment but also the persistent lack of access to society and training that reinforces long-term exclusion. Overall, this research positions PEI as more than an employment program: it is a site of lifelong learning, TVET, and capability development, where adults with disabilities gain practical skills, critical agency, and pathways to meaningful employment, illustrating how inclusive vocational initiatives can bridge gaps between policy frameworks and the lived realities of transitioning into adulthood. Ethical clearance from the University of Glasgow has already been secured for this research. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Case Setting The research took place at the capital’s Inclusive Employability Hub (PEI) in the city of São Paulo. PEI operates in over 69 cities through 17 hubs, with the capital hub alone responsible for 11 cities and more than 3300 participants. PEI supports adults with disabilities in accessing and sustaining employment. Its program My Inclusive Employment emphasizes six core principles: 1) active candidate search, 2) individualized guidance, 3) job placement support, 4) professional qualification through in-person and online courses, 5) assistance with medical assessments, and 6) support to companies to promote inclusive workplaces. Although not formally an educational institution, PEI embeds pedagogical practices, fostering lifelong learning, skill development, and personal agency, supporting individuals whose prior trajectories have been systemically disrupted by exclusion. The program is fully funded by the State and operated by ITS Brasil (Institute of Social Technology), and institutionalized through the Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disabilities of São Paulo. Data Collection Multiple instruments were used to ensure data triangulation and capture the full scope of PEI’s work. 1. Document analysis included training materials, flyers, sensitization presentations, and academic references, alongside the official addendum to the PEI Work Plan. 2. Semi-structured interviews with 20 participants, including 7 candidates (covering different phases of the program), 7 staff members, 3 policymakers, and 3 hiring institution representatives. 3. Observations involved three months of immersion (December 2025–February 2026) in daily activities, workshops, employer sensitisation sessions, partnership meetings, and cultural inclusion events, totalling an average of 120 hours analysed. Observational notes were recorded in a field diary and, when consented, supplemented by transcribed audio recordings. Data Analysis A qualitative, explanatory, cross-sectional, case study design (Boynton, 2016) guides the analysis, focusing on how PEI promotes inclusive vocational skills and participant empowerment. Data will be analyzed thematically using Nvivo, carrying out systematic deductive coding of data, then identifying key themes. Special attention is given to how PEI educates partner companies, shapes inclusive workplace cultures, and supports participants in building professional capabilities. Guided by the capabilities and ecological perspectives, the analysis emphasizes PEI’s role in fostering TVET, lifelong learning, agency, and sustainable employment trajectories for people with disabilities. The PEI methodology is also included in the research, outlined in Supported Employment and Quality of Life: How to Put It into Practice? (ITS Basil and PRONAS, 2017), defining the understanding of Supported Employment, grounded in Wehman’s work (2012). Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Early findings from this ongoing study indicate that beyond providing job placement, PEI functions as an educational space that builds agency. Participants report that individualised guidance, skills training, and ongoing support enable them to better navigate the labour market, enhancing their technical abilities, independence, and self-esteem. Employer sensitisation and company-focused interventions are impactful on creating inclusive workplaces. Some participants noted that even after securing employment, they maintain contact with PEI, which continues to serve as a learning and advisory space. Most participants (6 out of 7) emphasized that PEI’s greatest contribution is building capacity and autonomy, particularly in facing interviews and preparing for the work life. Many also highlighted that acting as a bridge between candidates and companies increased their sense of support and helped them feel integrated into their teams following PEI’s employer sensitization activities. Findings also reveal structural limitations. Despite serving a significant number of participants (averaging 253 per technician), PEI remains relatively unknown in São Paulo and reaches only a small fraction of people with disabilities facing unemployment. Available positions often target entry-level or assistive roles, neglecting profiles with more extensive experience or academic backgrounds, contributing to underemployment. Participants expressed a desire for more sustained post-employment engagement, such as regular monthly meetings, training sessions, and networking with other PEI alumni, which remains limited. These preliminary results suggest that PEI operates as a hybrid vocational and educational intervention, contributing to lifelong learning, skills development, and agency-building, while supporting systemic change through employer engagement. Data collection continues through February 2026, and these findings provide a foundation for deeper analysis of how PEI mediates transitions into meaningful work and adulthood for adults with disabilities. References Boynton, P.M. (2016). The Research Companion. Taylor & Francis. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Cheatham, L.P. and Randolph, K. (2020). Education and Employment Transitions among Young Adults with Disabilities: Comparisons by Disability Status, Type and Severity. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 69(2), pp.1–24. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912x.2020.1722073. Conn, C. and Murphy, A. (2022). Inclusive Pedagogies for Early Childhood Education. Routledge. Gesser, M., Block, P. and Guedes, A. (2020). Estudos da deficiência: interseccionalidade, anticapacitismo e emancipação social. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348190994_Estudos_da_deficiencia_interseccionalidade_anticapacitismo_e_emancipacao_social. ILO (2025). Advancing disability inclusion in the global labour market. [online] International Labour Organization. Available at: https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/advancing-disability-inclusion-global-labour-market. Myers, J. (2024). Workers with disabilities are paid 12% less per hour - ILO. [online] World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/09/disabilities-workforce-inclusion-wage-gap-ilo/. ITS Brasil and PRONAS (2017). Supported Employment and Quality of Life: How to Put It into Practice? ISBN: 978-85-6453-721-7 Lynch, P., Schuelka, M.J., Brown, R., Johnstone, C. and Tshewang, U.S. (2023). Meaningful employment opportunities for youth with disabilities in Bhutan: piloting an employment assessment toolkit. International Journal of Educational Development, [online] 101, p.102820. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev. Nussbaum, M.C. (2011). Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. Harvard University Press. Sassaki, R.K. (2002). Inclusão : construindo uma sociedade para todos. Rio De Janeiro: Wva. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. New York, N.Y. Anchor. UNESCO (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for action on special needs education. International Review of Education, 40(6), pp.495–507. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01102826. UNESCO (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. [online] Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda. United Nations (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-crpd. Vale, I. (2019). Educação Inclusiva no Brasil: Deficiência Intelectual e Empregabilidade. Coleção Educação Inclusiva no Brasil ed. Paco e Littera. Walker, M. (2012). A capital or capabilities education narrative in a world of staggering inequalities? International Journal of Educational Development, 32(3), pp.384–393. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2011.09.003. Wehman, P. (2012). Supported Employment: What is it? Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 37, pp.139–142. doi:https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR20120607. 02. Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Paper Non-formal VET, Trapped between the Needs of Learners and Companies University of Valencia, Spain Presenting Author:Context and international dimension. Formal VET provision is in most countries delivered by schools or training centers that are either part of the public system or accredited or allowed by the authorities that are responsible of the offer, funding or official accreditation of the qualifications achieved. Non-formal VET provision is often delivered by organizations and institutions that are not part of that system. That is the case in Spain, where municipalities and non-governmental organizations are involved in training provision without that being their main purpose or mission. Markowitsch, Scharle, & Csillag (2024) have illustrated their relevance in European policies, both Vocational Education and Training and Active Employment policies, as Crespo & Serrano (2013), Heidenreich & Graziano (2014) and Heidenreich & Rice (2016) have also explained. VET is part of the European Employment strategy, even if it has been subject to criticism (Sanz de Miguel, 2016). Molpeceres et al. (2024a, 2024b) have addressed the role of VET and adult education in employment policies and discussing the contribution of social institutions that, even if they have other interests than VET, engage in relevant ways in the provision of VET and qualifications. Research question. The paper is embedded in four-year funded research by the Spanish Government (PID2021-125912OB-I00) that covers several issues. The research question addressed in this contribution attempts to find out what the commonalities and differences in the understanding of VET are in these non-formal VET providers. The question will be answered by looking at three different dimensions that we have explored empirically: a) The practice, tasks and procedures that these organizations conduct with individuals as well as with stakeholders and companies in their context. b) The knowledge that these organizations generate in relation to VET, careers guidance, intermediation and professional practice; and c) The mission of these organizations and the weight of VET in that mission. Theoretical framework. NGOs in general find themselves at the crossroads of power tensions and forces of the public administration, the market and the community and, as Dubet (2006), within a context where the public administration is losing social legitimation, within the larger changes explained by Castel (2003) that affect the social contract centered around the role of employment as the main inclusion mechanism. The increasing precarization process signaled by Standing (2011) has an impact upon vocational education and training and activation policies, that has been analyzed by Arqueros-Fernández (2022) or Martínez-Morales, Mezzadra and Molpeceres (2024): These are precisely the policy frameworks and the practices in which NGOs involve themselves when training, skilling, assisting and preparing vulnerable people in their access to employment and the labor market, once these people are getting back into track after leaving processes of severe exclusion or marginalization. Given that the purpose of NGOs is rather social inclusion than skilling for the sake of training in itself, they need to find legitimation for their actions before their own members, the people they serve, the institutions that give funding to make these practices possible and the stakeholders in the context in which they find themselves. These legitimation processes have been recently studied from an educational perspective (Imdorf and Leeman, 2023) and from the perspective of the employment policies (Semenovicz, 2023) and transitions into the labor market (Ye, 2024). We rely upon these sources in order to analyze our empirical data. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Our research has been conducted with twelve Third Sector Organizations that offer non-formal VET in one of the seventeen Spanish regions. The selection of these organizations was done out of a sample of 60, that the research team had to develop itself as there is no official registry of these organizations. We constructed our database employing several sources of information: a) the list of officially awarded funded by the Department of Labor; b) the list of institutions that were members of the Incorpora network in the region, which has been developed by the major private funding institution in the whole country; c) the list of members of the EAPN in the region and the list of members of the members of the Platform of the Third Sector. We searched to maximize variety of institutions, so we considered the following criteria to select our twelve organizations: a) organizations based in each of the provinces of the region; b) state-wide, regional and local scope of their action; c) type of organization (association or foundation); d) civil vs religious origin; e) date of establishment; f) variety of VET provision; and g) serving people with or without disability. Furthermore, we considered other criteria like quality management system in the organization, networks in which it takes part, relying upon voluntary work; and profile of the learners. We have conducted in-depth interviews, with all the safeguards of anonymity, confidentiality and rights to reverse their views. Interviews lasted between 2 and a half and 4 and a half hours each, with staff working in those organizations; at least 3 members of the staff and a maximum of five, reaching out for people in different positions: management, training, employment and intermediation services. We transcribed the interviews, arranged and anonymized them and we coded them using MaxQDA 24. We used two range of codes, one to address the individual dimensions of the interviews and the second to address the organizational dimensions. In this paper, we rely upon the second set of codes. We also conducted three discussion groups on three topics: management of the provision, vocational training and access into the labor market and the generational shift within the organizations. In this paper, we refer to the first and second groups. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings We are still analyzing data from the interviews and the discussion groups are being conducted in February 2026; therefore, we cannot yet present conclusions here. Our hypotheses go in the following directions. a) Some organizations attempt to satisfy both the demands of the population they serve and the companies, while others opt to focus upon one of those two groups. Their practice is shaped by those choices. b) There is a variety of practices that depends on the specialization of the organizations: Basic vocational training with an exploratory aim, mixed with the attempt to motivate and activate trainees; instrumental training through workshops to conduct an interview for a job, preparing one’s CV or handling sources in the process of search for a job; intermediation practices with companies including work placements. c) Most of these organizations count on professional work (and therefore, despite being NGOs, no voluntary work is involved in VET nor active employment policies). But professionals have different backgrounds and there is no proper community of practice of reference. d) The knowledge produced by professionals in these organizations is mostly idiosyncratic and remains the domain of the professional rather than the organization. Anyhow, we expect to find organizations that develop their own materials and procedures, therefore consolidating that knowledge. e) The VET practice of these organizations is subject to subsidiarity: the end-users of their services cannot pay for them and therefore the NGOs need the support of funding sources that shape their ways and constrain their outreach and potential. f) The loss of the worth of employment is impacting the organizations and the professionals, that try to make sense of their own practice even if they are aware of the limitations of VET and active employment policies for the kind of population that they work for. References Arqueros-Fernandez, F.M. (2022) Activation and precariousness: The rewards of investing in the vulnerable. Ethnos 87(1): 152–167 Brandl , J. (2022) Frames of reference in managing employment from the perspective of economics of conventions. Industrial Relations 61(3): 290–302. Castel, R. (2003) From Manual Workers to Wage Laborers. Transformation of the Social Question. Transaction Publishers. Crespo, E. & Serrano, A. (2013) Las paradojas de las políticas de empleo europeas: de la justicia a la terapia. Universitas Psychologica 12(4): 1113–1126. Dubet, F. (2006). El declive de la institución. Gedisa. Heidenreich, M. & Graziano, P.R. (2014) Lost in activation? The governance of activation policies in Europe. International Journal of Social Welfare 23: 1–5. Heidenreich, M. & Rice, D. (2016) Integrating Social and Employment Policies in Europe: Active Inclusion and Challenges for Local Welfare Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing. Imdorf, C. & Leemann, R.J. (2023) Education and conventions. In: Díaz-Bone, R. & de Larquier, G. (eds) Handbook of Economics and Sociology of Conventions. Springer, pp.1–33. Markowitsch, J.; Scharle, A. & Csillag, M. (2024). The Role of NGOs in Up- and Reskilling: Esploring ESF+ Supported Initiatives in Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Spain. Social Innovation Iniatiative. Martínez-Morales, I.; Mezzadra, J. & Molpeceres, M.A. (2024). Changes in vocational and adult education work in the context of the transformations of advanced modernity and flexible capitalism. Paper presented at the 31st VET&Culture conference, Cultures of work and education, Valencia, 2-4 October 2024. Molpeceres, M., Martínez-Morales, I., Bernad, J. C., & Marhuenda-Fluixá, F. (2024a). Non-profit organizations in training for employment: On the transformative potential of their critique of education. European Educational Research Journal, 23(5), 673-691. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041241257018 Molpeceres, M.A.; Martínez-Morales, I.; Zacarés-González, J.J. & Marhuenda Fluixá, F. (2024b). Navigating between welfare and workfare: Constraints and challenges for social work institutions providing inclusion through employment. In J. Mali et al. (eds.) The Breakthrough of the social, pp. 181.213. Tirant lo Blanch. Sanz de Miguel, P. (2016). Does the European Employment Strategy favour the convergence of activation policies? The cases of Spain and the United Kingdom. Journal of Contemporary European Research 12(2): 615–633. Semenowicz, P. (2023). Labor Inclusion Seen Through Convention Theory: A Matter of Intermediation. In: Diaz-Bone, R., Larquier, G.d. (eds) Handbook of Economics and Sociology of Conventions. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52130-1_86-1 Standing, G. (2013). The precariat. Bloomsbury. Ye, R. (2024). Convention Theory and Education to Work Transitions. In: Diaz-Bone, R., Larquier, G.d. (eds) Handbook of Economics and Sociology of Conventions. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52130-1_118-1 | ||