Policies and Work Market Demands/Challenges and Potentialities for Vocational Education and Training

National systems of Vocational Education and Training (VET) are currently facing the challenges from changing governmental policies and new demands from the work market. Significant within the new context of development is the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and its more specific implementations in the form of the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF). In the specific Swedish context, what could be labelled a "vocationalization" of the upper secondary school poses new challenges and equally opens possibilities of development for VET. Likewise there are concerns in relation to future impact of early career choice on social equity and the individual opportunities to further professional development. The labour market, it is argued, is also in great need of qualified forces particularly for the technical and service sectors.

This conference and research workshop intends to be a forum where the voice of research could be heard concerning controversial issues/questions such as:

• What are the new challenges and potentialities arising from the implementation of the European qualifications Framework (EQF) and the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF)?
• To what extent could early career choice hinder further professional and personal development?
• What is the place of apprenticeship in this new context?
• What models of curriculum design are likely to be successful in this new context?
• What indications can be found of how professional identities are shaped in order to face the new challenges?
• What identities are constructed by and for VET-students?

These are some of the questions that are expected to encourage the discussions. Outcomes are expected to be better informed approaches to the new challenges and potentialities of development of VET. Paper presentations, round table and panel sessions are all expected to be the forums where these key questions will be discussed.

Contributions
The conference and research workshop welcomes paper, panel and roundtable proposals, addressing a variety of issues related to the central questions mentioned above. This goes from policy analysis to project reports and case studies. A selection of the contributions will be published.

Important dates!
* Deadline for abstract submission: 25 March, 2012
* Deadline for registration: 22 of April, 2012

Organizing committee
Professor Lázaro Moreno Herrera (Chair)
Associate professor Viveca Lindberg (Chair)
PhD candidate Enni Paul (Conference administrator)

Conference fee: 3.000 SEK

Organizer: Stockholm University

Venue: The conference will be held on board Viking Line cruise vessel and at Hotel Park Alandia, the Åland islands.

For more information
Please contact Enni Paul, enni.paul@edu.su.se