Teaching in a culturally diverse setting will become one of the challenges for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems in Europe because of increasing immigration and demographical developments. Due to the innerstate changes and the European economic zone with intercultural interpersonal (business) connections it will be necessary not only to integrate migrant students into the VET systems but also to promote their intercultural knowledge and skills as a resource for individual and collective capacities to act sucessfully in modern societies. Facing this fundamentally changing situation, it is paramount to engage with questions about new conditions of teaching and learning - especially concerning necessary competencies of pedagogical professionals in order to become an intercultural part in a more inclusive and resource focused education system. The goal should be to create a qualification system for teachers and trainers based on a understanding that contains cultural diversity and its chances as a normal and regular part of pedagogical behaviour. As there is currently a lack of adequate models for initial and recurrent training or support of pedagogical professionals to tackle the above issue the research project aimed to answer the following research questions: a) Which competencies are required for teachers or trainers in the VET system in order to handle multiculturalism professionally? In this context professional behaviour is based on a transformative understanding of cultural diversity that takes into account relations between the ethnic, religious and language background and other personal factors like social context, age or gender of students. b) Which competencies are required for teachers and trainers in the VET system in order to faciliate chances and potentials of culturally diverse students? Are there structures and processes possible similar to international Diversity Management concepts in the Business World? In order to find a sucessful way to implement these necessary competencies into the teacher/trainer education and training system the purpose of the research process was to define corresponding diversity-standards for pedagogical professionals in the VET. In this context standards are meant as brief, criteria based descriptions of best practice performance as well as the related necessary competencies in a situation. Standards must be founded empirically, theoretically and through criteria of quality. This includes a connection to the practice of teachers and trainers as well (Oser, 1997). A standards system might be used then as an evident tool for assessment of the status quo but also as a base for modules, materials and structural foundations for a comprehensive education and training system. The results could even be a part or issue within the current discussion about common European qualification issues and contents in the education/training of pedagogical professionals in the VET as the international sources used in the research process don`t limit the effectiveness of the standards system to Germany. Because of the focus on teachers and trainers it also takes account to the school and business context in the VET. That makes the standards system more interesting for a transfer to other European countries beyond the dual system in Germany.

The standards are based on a two-fold circular empirical design combining the international literature on teacher education, management and pedagogy in the context of diversity with correlating practical needs, competencies or experiences of the pedagogical professionals. This theoretical base also includes an analysis of existing international standards systems and resources in teacher education. In an empirical study I conducted interviews with German school teachers, trainers in companies, intercultural trainers and national experts for intercultural pedagogy. Besides this, I arranged and evaluated standards based intercultural workshops with bachelor and master students of our department. Scientifical discussions about the standards were arranged by various presentations throughout the research process - e. g. during an international congress at our University in 2008 attended by experts, diversity oriented companies, teachers, trainers and other participants working in the VET context.

The results are the first structured overview of standards for the education and training of teachers and trainers in the German VET system concerning culturally diverse students with a special focus on their potentials and requirements. The standards system is embedded in a new designed pedagogical diversity management concept and consists of 7 dimensions, containing 22 groups of standards with a total of 58 individual standards. The dimensions deal with the most relevant fields of pedagogical behaviour: personality of the pedagogical professional, curricular planning, social interactions, didactics, conflict management, language and communication, cooperation and organizational development. Every standard description contains a list of the necessary competencies - split in knowledge, skills and attitudes - as well as a brief summary of the theoretical and empirical discussion behind the theme of the standard and the actual (good or bad) practice of pedagogical professionals as it was recorded in the research project. For all standards there are three levels defined in order to show the possible development from beginners and advanced to best "Diversity Professionals". Therefore the standards could be both a model for the initial and recurrent education and training system of pedagogical professionals in Europe. Examples of good practice underline the conclusions.