This symposium is based on three major research & development projects, each of which represents a relatively new phase in a project history:

a) The Kompetenzwerkstatt projects have recently linked German-based didactic analyses of occupational fields and vocational learning to the development of e-portfolios and other web tools.

b) The EU-funded Learning Layers project can be characterised as a cross-over project between a chain of European projects on technology-enhanced learning in organisations and more VET-oriented studies on ICT in SMEs and on promoting work process knowledge.

c) The EU-funded EmployID project can be characterised as a cross-over project between earlier UK-based and Europe-wide research on employment services and uses of labour market information and more recent research on technology-enhanced learning.

In addition, the invited discussant from the Netherlands has a long experience in leading interactive R&D projects that promote innovations in vocational learning environments.

Firstly the symposium will examine internal evolution in the contributing projects - looking back at the roots and reflecting on the current phase as well as on the emerging spin-off projects:

1) In the case of Kompetenzwerkstatt this evolution can be seen as the enrichment of a strongly system-bound improvement of curricula and working & learning tasks with a context-adjusted development of e-portfolios and web tools.

2) In the case of the Learning Layers work in the construction sector this can be seen as a transition from a more stable field for participative design (of vocational learning projects in working and learning contexts) to a more vulnerable pilot context (support for individual learners and their continuing training projects alongside work).

3) In the case of the EmployID this can be seen in the learning challenges concerning the use of customised labour market information (by the employment services) and in the support strategy based on massively open online courses (MOOCs).

Secondly, new prospects for transnational and cross-cultural cooperation in VET  will be discussed. Here, the following questions will guide the examination of the three contributions:

1. To what extent can the use of e-portfolios and web tools open new possibilities for cross-cultural cooperation on working & learning tasks (Kompetenzwerkstatt)?

2. What commonalities and differences can be seen between project-based learning in initial VET vis-a-vis the situation of individual adult learners with work-related focus in continuing training (Learning Layers)?

3. What is the relevance of the new learning concepts in employment services (adapted MOOC) for the field of VET?

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