Conference Agenda

In the context of overlapping global crises, particularly climate change and related sustainability challenges, educational research is increasingly concerned with how knowledge translates into meaningful action. Education is widely attributed to a decisive role in empowering leaners to contribute to a more sustainable world. Vocational education and training (VET), in particular, is attributed considerable potential in this regard due to its strong practical orientation, its close connection to the world of work and the economy (Slopinksi et al., 2020). In Switzerland, VET is predominantly organized as a dual system, in which apprentices acquire practical skills in training companies alongside theoretical knowledge at vocational schools, complemented by occupation-specific intercompany courses (SERI, 2026). However, if VET aims to empower apprentices to develop sustainability awareness and encourage action there is a need to go beyond the transmission of operational skills or subject-specific declarative knowledge, and instead systematically address goal conflicts, ambivalences, and contradictions inherent in professional practice (Fischer et al., 2020). There is little research on the development of sustainability awareness in vocational education and training, and the present contribution therefore focuses on this issue.

Sustainability awareness historically emerged from the concept of environmental awareness and refers to an individual’s recognition of the transgression of natural planetary boundaries and the resulting threat to the living conditions of both present and future generations (Michelsen et al., 2015). This understanding encompasses both the cognitive and the emotional–affective dimensions. In addition, sustainability awareness includes a conative dimension, which reflects individuals’ perception of their ability to actively contribute to change (Franzen, 2023). Only the interaction of all three dimensions leads to a comprehensive form of sustainability awareness.
Adolescents’ sustainability awareness is shaped by influences both outside and within educational contexts (Holfelder, 2018; Wendt & Görgen, 2017). Youth studies indicate that sustainability awareness among young adults is generally high, however, adolescents in VET tend to adopt a more pragmatic approach and show greater distance from sustainability issues compared to peers with an academic background (Holfelder, 2018). Apprentices already bring this emotionally distanced approach with them when they enter VET, as a result of their socialization and their prior encounters with sustainability (Pettig & Singer-Brodowski, 2025). Depending on apprentices` experiences VET, these emotions may be reinforced, remain stable, or be transformed.

Sustainability challenges are particularly permeated by emotions due to their complexity and inherent goal conflicts and contradictions (Grund & Singer-Brodowski, 2020). Moreover, emotions constitute a core element of transformative learning processes, as profound changes in one’s self- or worldview are often accompanied by experiences of emotional discomfort (Grund et al., 2024). When individuals experience negative emotions such as anger or sadness in response to climate change, this may increase their willingness to engage actively and to take action themselves (Trott, 2022). Perceived opportunities for action can also contribute to improved emotional regulation. However, emotions have so far been largely neglected in VET research on sustainability, underscoring the relevance of examining this topic in greater depth (Grund et al., 2024).

Therefore, this contribution examines the development of vocational sustainability awareness within VET, with a particular focus on its emotional–affective component. It explores which emotions are articulated by apprentices in the context of sustainability-related issues in VET and analyzes the role these emotions play in the emergence and further development of sustainability awareness. In addition, the study investigates the influence of apprentices’ experiences in vocational contexts on these emotional processes. The main research question underlying this contribution is: What kind of emotions regarding sustainability do apprentices experience in their educational and vocational contexts, and what role do emotions play in the development of vocational sustainability awareness?

The contemporary landscape of Vocational Education and Training (VET) is increasingly defined by its capacity to serve as a catalyst for "sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience". As articulated by the Council of the European Union (2020), modern VET systems must transcend traditional classroom boundaries to ensure educational and training outcomes align seamlessly with the dynamic requirements of the global labour market. In this context, Spain’s Organic Law 3/2022 represents a structural shift toward a more flexible, accessible, and inclusive model designed to promote lifelong learning and professional qualification. A primary innovation of this reform is the elevation of work-based learning through Intensive Dual VET, where students spend between 50% and 70% of their training within a company under an apprenticeship contract, effectively transitioning from a traditional student role to that of a "worker-learner".

The phenomenon of "Early Leaving from Education and Training" (ELET) has been viewed as an individual failure; however, modern institutional perspectives now interpret it as a systemic indicator of a lack of synchronicity between the educational offer and student’s expectations (Böhn & Deutscher, 2022; Cedefop, 2016; de Graaf & van Zenderen, 2013; Psifidou et al., 2021). Within the European Quality Assurance in VET (EQAVET) framework, completion rates serve as a core indicator of institutional health, shifting the focus toward the quality of the training provided. Academic literature suggests that dropping out is not a static event but a progressive process resulting from the intersect of various factors over time (Böhn & Deutscher, 2022; Bosset et al., 2022; Findeisen et al., 2022; Krötz & Deutscher, 2022; Krötz, 2024; Schmid, 2017), subjectively interpreted by the individual (Krötz & Deutscher, 2022).

Research identifies two critical stages in this process. First, pre-enrolment factors such as prior academic performance (Böhn & Deutscher, 2022; Bosset et al., 2022; Michaelis & Richter, 2022), socioeconomic status, and parental education levels significantly influence the transition to VET. When students are unable to access their preferred programs due to limited places, the risk of disengagement increases exponentially. Second, the "quality of fit" during training—both at the educational institution and within the company—is a primary determinant of retention. Adverse conditions, such as excessive workloads or tasks misaligned with the professional profile, act as strong predictors of dropout. Conversely, strong interpersonal relationships with mentors and the perceived utility of the curriculum promote successful pathways (Böhn & Deutscher, 2022; Fix et al., 2019; Krötz & Deutscher, 2022).

The urgency of this reform is particularly evident in Spain, which faces persistent challenges regarding youth unemployment and high ELET rates. The Balearic Islands present a critical case study, as regional data often reflects higher dropout rates than the national average. In response, the research project "Completion and Dropout Pathways in Intensive Dual VET" seeks to analyse the factors influencing these outcomes over a four-year period.

The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate the longitudinal processes of completion and dropout and to develop actionable, evidence-based proposals to foster educational success. By monitoring a cohort of 450 students, the research aims to define specific student profiles and categorise students’ pathways based on engagement and satisfaction. Ultimately, this project intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of how the Intensive Dual VET can serve as a robust dropout prevention mechanism, reframing VET from a purely classroom-based model into a viable and sustainable career pathway.

The shift towards a knowledge economy has intensified demand for more complex technical competencies and renewed attention to skills formation, including VET’s role in supporting productivity and economic transformation (World Economic Forum, 2016; OECD, 2021; Kovalchuk et al., 2022). Employer involvement is widely seen as key to strengthening the relevance of VET and its alignment with labour-market needs (Huddleston and Laczik, 2018; Haybi-Barak and Shoshana, 2020). Yet, while policy and institutional debates widely acknowledge the importance of employer engagement, we know less about how employers publicly justify and position their engagement, especially in contexts shaped by state steering and policy mobilisation.

This paper focuses on VET in China, where higher vocational education has been elevated within national development and education reform agendas (Xu, 2020; Xue and Li, 2022). This repositioning has unfolded alongside China’s transition towards “high-quality development” and industrial upgrading, increasing expectations for a more highly skilled technical workforce (Pan and Yang, 2024; Wang, 2024). Labour market evidence suggests persistent skills mismatch and shortages, reinforcing policy attention to strengthening skills development (Tan, 2020). At the same time, concerns persist about the responsiveness and quality of higher vocational education, often attributed to weak linkages between education providers and employers (Ma and Guo, 2018; Zhuang, 2018). National reforms have increasingly framed industry–VET partnership as a strategy for improving training relevance, graduate employability, and the contribution of VET to wider economic priorities (Xue and Li, 2022; Shi, 2024). In this setting, employers are expected to become active partners in workplace learning, curriculum alignment, and skills certification.

The paper asks: How do employers justify and position their engagement in higher vocational education in China? It further examines patterned variation across employer types. Here, “employers” refers to enterprise organisations (firms) that report their engagement with higher vocational institutions. The study aims to (1) identify recurring justificatory themes in employer-authored accounts; (2) examine how these narratives vary across employer types, using sector, region, and firm size as key comparative dimensions; and (3) relate observed justificatory logics to broader questions about how responsibilities, authority, and resources in skills formation are organised.

The analysis is guided by the political economy of skill formation, which shifts attention from whether firms are willing to invest to how skill systems allocate responsibilities for providing, financing, regulating, and certifying training across the state, education providers, enterprises, and intermediary bodies (Hall and Soskice, 2001; Busemeyer and Trampusch, 2012). Historical institutionalist accounts emphasise that skill formation arrangements are politically contested and structured around settlements over who provides training, who pays for it, and who holds authority over standards and certification (Thelen, 2004). Building on these insights, the paper reads employer narratives through PESF questions—who is presented as responsible for provision, who is portrayed as bearing costs and risks, and who is positioned as having authority over standards and certification—linking organisational justification to system-level governance debates (Busemeyer and Trampusch, 2012; Bonoli and Emmenegger, 2022). While much of this scholarship is grounded in European cases, its organising questions can be extended to contexts with different forms of state steering and employer organisation (Oliver, Yu and Buchanan, 2019).

Empirically grounded in China, the paper contributes to European and international dialogue on employer engagement in VET by extending political economy questions about responsibility allocation, legitimacy, and governance into a large, state-steered skills regime. Methodologically, it shows how large-scale employer-authored texts can be analysed systematically to examine patterns and variation in employer narratives of engagement.

At the conference, the paper will present the completed analysis, including cross-group comparisons and implications for research on employer engagement and the governance of skill formation.