In Europe there has been a noteworthy increase of enrolments in vocational education and training (VET). This paper focuses on the case of Finland, where more than 50% of young Finns choose VET as their secondary level studies (CIMO, 2010). Similarly to their peers, mostly young people with special educational needs choose vocational upper secondary schools rather than academic ones (Aaltonen et al., 2013). The trend is seen also in the growing number of studies on Finnish VET (Stenström & Lasonen, 2000; Ministry of Education and Culture, 2006; ReferNet, 2012; Aaltonen et al., 2013). There is, however, little research on inclusion and special needs education in VET and particularly on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers, who critically contribute to successful inclusion in VET and employment of their students.
Students in VET and young people in general, are facing unprecedented challenges: global economic depression, high rate of unemployment, and an increasing alienation of school education from the society (UNESCO, 2012; Wang, 2012; International Labour Office, 2014). One out of ten youngsters around the world is unemployed, and millions hardly can find decent jobs. Skills acquired and competencies do not correspond to the labor market. These uneven situations have more far-reaching and profound impact on those marginalized, for example, students with special educational needs (European Agency for Special Needs Education Development, 2013; Lehtomäki, 2003). As the channel of service delivery of special needs education, SEN-teachers play pivotal roles. Good quality SEN-teachers assure students, as human capital to the labor market, are well educated and trained (Jahnukainen, 2000; Itkonen & Jahnukainen, 2007). Globally, there is a growing demand to understand the linkages between education and employment. Recent research has highlighted gaps in transitions from school to work, and between policy and practice concerning VET and teachers’ roles (e.g. Niemayer, 2007; Nilsson, 2010).
This paper aims to profile Finnish SEN-teachers working in inclusive vocational schools within the shaky and unstable context due to the global economic depression, disappearance of jobs and rising unemployment rates. The research questions focus on the teachers’ perspectives and experiences pertaining to their work in VET and perceptions of their teacher roles in enabling links between education and employment and of their students’ future.
The theoretical framework applied in this research is social inclusion, particularly the significance of education as means for social inclusion of young people (Nilsson, 2010) and the role of pedagogy and teachers in realizing and promoting inclusion (Niemayer, 2007). Social inclusion implies that all are included, equitably and equally treated without discrimination. Inclusive education, as a global commitment, aims to reduce inequalities, remove barriers to learning and enable participation of all. Transitions from school to work and in the case of this study, from VET to work, are challenging, as employment has become very competitive and support measures are limited. Consequently, it can be assumed that VET teachers’ experiences and perspectives provide valuable information about possible solution.