Annual Report 2017, Copenhagen

The VETNET-program was launched in an opening session, which was dedicated to reflections on challenges and trends in the Nordic VET systems. During the conference, there was a rich diversity of presentations, highlighting important thematic, theoretical, and methodological discussions in the VET field.
Presentations addressed questions about VET governance and financing, the comparison and transfer of VET systems, learning in and through VET, the qualification of VET teachers and trainers, workplace learning, how to support the talented young people in VET, and how to include the excluded through VET. A focus was on discussing methods in VET and on VET in the health care sector. An important message of many presentation was that VET is an attractive way to develop competences, to get access to the labour market, and to advance the career.

VETNET attracted many new participants, who had not been attending ECER before. Overall, VETNET received 70 proposals (papers, symposia, workshops) with an 90% acceptance rate. Attendance was high in all sessions. The presentations were of high quality. The discussions during the sessions were very lively, engaged and focused. An overview of all topics with a link to the presentations can be found on <link http: vetnetsite.org _blank>vetnetsite.org -> conferences -> presentations.

VETNET has been active in networks and at conferences over the past year. Networks in which VETNET and its members participate are for example IRNVET (Internationalisation of Research in Vocational Education and Training), under the umbrella of the World Education Research Association (WERA), or INAP, which will take place this year in Washington, DC, US.

Conferences with a close link to VETNET include the “Crossing boundaries” (August 2017, Rostock, DE), and the "Stockholm International conference" (Mai, 2017). The next crossing boundaries conferences will take place in Spain (2019) and Switzerland (2021). The next Stockholm International conference is scheduled for spring 2018.

VETNET has been engaged in the EU VET skills week in Brussels 2016 and will contribute to the VET skills week in 2017 (November). VETNET has been invited to organize a workshop with the aim to develop a European research agenda for VET. VETNET has also been mandated to organize the process and to propose a person or project for the EU VET research award. The award winner in 2016 was Prof. Dr. emer. Martin Mulder.

<link http: vetnetsite.org _blank>Vetnetsite.org is positioned as the VETNET online platform to get access to the latest information on VETNET and other VET research activities

The International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training IJRVET, <link http: www.ijrvet.net _blank>www.ijrvet.net is the peer-reviewed, open access journal of VETNET. The journal has gained high attention by readers and authors and is listed in a growing number of databases, as for example ERIC, or the Chinese and Taiwan academic databases. The number of downloads has increased considerably, the journal is established in the VET community. There are several special issues in preparation or planned.

VETNET ist also linked to the Nordic Journal of Vocational Education and Training (NJVET) <link http: www.njvet.ep.liu.se index.asp _blank>www.njvet.ep.liu.se/index.asp. VETNET members and other interested authors are encouraged to submit papers to the IJRVET and NJVET.

The network meeting received a high attendance. The VETNET board was elected by VETNET assembly for the period 2017 - 2020 and consists of 10 members, plus the link convenors. The meeting took note that Dr. Ludger Deitmer has been awarded honorary membership of EERA. The assembly voted unanimously to propose Prof. Dr. Johanne Lasonen as EERA honorary member to be approved by the EERA council.