The topic of the proposal is rooted in the research of learning regions and learning communities, in connection to my PhD dissertation in preparation.  

All learning region concept emphasizes the importance of learning within and between organizations. This process is a learning partnership that will create added value for the participants. The learning region concepts have some common building blocks, as of dialogue, partnership, recognizing the importance of local knowledge, innovation processes launch, bottom-up initiatives, development and co-operation of networks (Florida, 1995; Asheim 1996; Morgan 1997; Putnam, 1993; Lundvall 1996).

The learning region concept represents a serious promise for development policy in support of lifelong learning. The European Commission supported a number of projects and programs aimed at the creation of that learning regions (R3L + program, Telson, PENR3L, the Learning Regions Network in Germany).

Based on the literature it is clear that in recent years, along with the continuation of the discourse on the learning regions, growing attention is being paid to the learning communities, as well.

Some authors are linking the topic learning community to vocational education and training. „The linking of learning to regional economic development will invoke a new organisational paradigm for education and training that is embedded more within the community, not in central policy agencies”. (Kimberley, 2003) And, also Kimberley emphasizes the new challange VET meets in relation to the learning communities. ”VET can meet the postmodern challenge to satisfy the paradox of simultaneously working from the bottom up (learning community enterprise) and the top down (policy imperatives) (Kimberley, 2003). According to the vision of a new EU project, new, untraditional partnerships can play an important role in the development of learning communities. Interest and capacity of citizens about learning means the most precious resource of the learning community matters (Gejel, 2012). And as regards previous experiences, the challenging ideas of Gustavsen, Nyhan and Deitmer on the learning regions (Cedefop publication 2007), and some concrete European and German pilots, f.e. the Golo project, the works of Kämäräinen and Grollmann are interesting resources to be discussed, too.

The research aims to explore how the different stakeholders involved in the Hungarian secondary vocational education and training system consider the role and the efficiency of dialogue and partnership related to the formation of secondary VET, particularly in respect of the development of local communities.

The main research question is, how local VET institutions can make a contribution to the development of local learning communities, in partnership with the different interestgroups.

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