The EU-funded Centre of Vocational Excellence ProVEST (https://provest-cove.eu) fosters   joint research focusing on the professionalization of teachers and mentors in secondary Vocational Education and Training (VET) for sustainable transitions in practical subjects. This approach applies a case study method implemented by vocational education researchers from Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and Spain. The 23 European partner institutions all come from the fields of VET. Although they cover a wide diversity in approaches, ranging from predominantly school-based models to work-based and cooperative ones (Greinert, 1983), they share a common interest in investigating Powerful Transformative Learning Environments for Sustainability (PTLES) by comparing training practices at the intersection of the education sector and the labor market.

This symposium introduces a trans-European perspective on secondary VET. Research focuses on identifying sustainable practices in European VET systems, deliberately shifting attention away from the dominant labor-market perspectives that characterize much existing research. Instead, it foregrounds learners’ perspectives and the diversity of work-based learning arrangements across Europe. The study outlines key criteria for identifying inspirational practices in VET promoting inclusivity, sustainability and long-term educational value.

The first paper from Belgium introduces the integrated theoretical framework underlying Powerful Transformative Learning Environments for Sustainability (PTLES) in practical subjects in secondary VET. Such environments create favourable conditions to both counter student drop-out (Vugteveen et al., 2016) and to promote Europe’s climate-neutral goals (European Green Deal, 2021). This theoretical framework for PTLES will be used as the guiding lens throughout this symposium.

In the second paper, we zoom in on the PTLES framework and focus on the perspectives of VET students in Estonia. This paper examines the experiences of students with diverse backgrounds enrolled in the Choice of Profession programme, who act as co-designers of a powerful learning environment (PLE, Placklé et al., 2020; Roos et al., 2021). Specifically, we investigate how they experience the different elements of a PTLE within their study programme.

The paper from Germany presents the results of case studies of VET providers featured on the collaborative ProVEST Edusynergy platform, showcasing transformative learning practices in PTLES in Germany. While these cases share common characteristics, they also reveal diverse dimensions shaped by institutional frameworks. The strength of the dual system in German VET is well documented (Gessler & Peters, 2023), nevertheless this study features learning environments in highly specialized VET centers that differ from common institutional settings, which either focus on marginalized groups of at-risk learners with international or migration backgrounds, or foster cooperative use of technical learning environments to tackle regional apprenticeship shortages. 

Lastly, the paper from France investigates how PTLES can cultivate student agency in secondary VET. This paper focuses on two core elements of PTLES, authenticity and collaboration, as architectures of student agency in VET  (Rupnik & Avsek, 2025)

In this symposium we thus explore the creation of PTLES in various European contexts and focus on how these learning environments are perceived by students in secondary VET. Authentic, real-world learning as well as collaboration emerge as foundational elements of PTLES in VET. Contributions emphasize learning environments connecting students to real professional contexts while fostering collective capacity, achieved through practical curriculum ties, or through multidimensional agency of students within PTLES. These studies also suggest that cooperative patterns between education and the labour market require further strengthening and that the integration of sustainability in powerful and transformative learning environments requires professional development of teachers and mentors. 

Greinert, W.D. (1983). Organisationsmodelle und Lernkonzepte in der beruflichen Bildung: Analytische Grundlagentexte (Studien zur Vergleichenden Berufspädagogik). Placklé, I., Könings, K. D., Struyven, K., Libotton, A., van Merriënboer, J. J., Engels, N. (2020). Powerful learning environments in secondary vocational education: towards a shared understanding. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(2). Roos, L., Trasberg, K., Kõiv, K., & Säre, E. (2021). Characteristics of powerful learning environments in VET transition program for at-risk students: qualitative insights from teachers and support specialists implementing the program. Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 13(1), 1‒21. Rupnik, D., & Avsec, S. (2025). Student Agency as an Enabler in Cultivating Sustainable Competencies for People-Oriented Technical Professions. Education Sciences, 15(4), 469. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15040469 The European Green Deal. (2021). https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en. Vugteveen, J., Timmermans, A. C., Korpershoek, H., Rooijen, M. van, & Opdenakker, M.-C. (2016). Overgangen en aansluitingen in het onderwijs. Deelrapportage 3, Empirische studie naar de cognitieve en niet-cognitieve ontwikkeling van leerlingen rondom de vmbo-mbo overgang. GION Onderwijs/Onderzoek.