2018 - Project
Linked to ECER 2018 and funded by EERA, VETNET initiated an introduction of ePosters and hybrid presentations for ECER. The project aimed at developing an integrative digital toolset with which traditional posters and presentations can be enriched with 'digital handouts' that enable presentation of digital documents, specific web resources and interaction between authors and audience during the ECER and after it.
2016 - Change in Link Convenor
Christoph Nägele (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern, Switzerland) and Barbara E. Stadler (University of Teacher Education Bern, Switzerland) took over from Margaret Malloch and Michael Gessler as new Link Convenors after ECER 2016.
2016 - 20th Anniversary
In 2016 VETNET celebrated its 20th anniversary. VETNET’s development and the evolution of European VET research 1992 - 2016 is documented by Pekka Kämäräinen on the vetnetsite: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.
2014 - Project
Our own journal, the International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training was launched. IJRVET is a double-blind peer-reviewed Journal for VET-related research. It is the official journal of the European Research Network on Vocational Education and Training VETNET, as part of the European Educational Research Association EERA, supported by the International Research Network Vocational Education and Training IRNVET as part of the World Education Research Association WERA. The journal provides full open access.
2012 - Change in Link Convenor
Since 2012 two convenors are carrying for the network: Michael Gessler (University of Bremen, ITB, Germany) together with Marg Malloch (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia).
2011 - Network Activity
The VETNET network was involved as co-organiser of the International Conference of the INAP network on innovative Apprenticeships in Beijing. For more information click here.
2011 - Interview with Link Convenor
At ECER 2011 "Urban Education" in Berlin, Graham Attwell and his colleagues from Pontysysgu interviewed the link convenor Ludwig Deitmer .
2009 - Project
At ECER2009 in Vienna, Pontydysgu worked together with VETNET to explore the potential of using multimedia to support the conference. The aims were threefold: to raise the profile of VET and ECER in general, to provide a digital record of the issues arising at the conference, and to explore how multimedia could be used to enhance learning and the experience of the conference, for those not able to attend face to face. The results were reported back both to the VETNET Board and to EERA in order to inform possible future uses of social software and multimedia for conference support in the future.
2005 - Change in Link Convenor
Since 2005 Ludger Deitmer acted as Link Convenor for network 2.
2003 - VETNET Board
A new VETNET board was elected with Ludger Deitmer (University of Bremen, ITB, Germany) as the new convenor.
2002 – Change of Name
In 2002 the title of the network changed into 'Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)'.
2000 - VETNET Board and new Link Convenor
Since ECER 2000 the VETNET network has had an elected board that consists of the Convenor and 10 Board members (Co-vonvenors). At ECER 2000 in Edinburgh Toni Griffiths (University College London) was elected as the new link convenor.
1998 - Conference Proceedings
VETNET developed its own conference proceedings based on conference papers starting from ECER’98.
1996 - Network Founded
The research network for vocational education and training (VENET) was launched at ECER '96 in Sevilla, Spain in an open meeting of VET researchers. The initiative was taken by Martin Mulder, the representative of the Dutch Educational Research Assciation at the EERA Council. Since ECER 1997 in Frankfurt the VETNET network has organised regular network programmes with several parallel sessions and special events.
Between 1996 and 2000 the VETNET network was run by an executive board (appointed by the EERA council) with Martin Mulder (then University of Twente) as convenor and Johanna Lasonen (University of Jyväskylä) and Sabine Manning (WIFO) as co-convenors.
Since ECER 2000 the VETNET network has had an elected board that consists of the Convenor and 10 Board members (Co-vonvenors).
During the period 2000-2003 the convenor of VETNET was Toni Griffiths, and from 2003 to 2011 the convenor was Ludger Deitmer (University of Bremen, ITB). In 2011 Michael Gessler (University of Bremen, ITB) took over the convenor position, and since 2013 two convenors are carrying for the network: Michael Gessler together with Marg Malloch (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia).
During the last ten years the VETNET programme at ECER has become the main European forum for presenting research in vocational education and training (VET). The community of European VET research brings together researchers with different disiplinary backgrounds and methodological interests. The scope of VET research covers different models of vocational education and training and workplace learning. VETNET covers also research in career development, organisational learning and web-supported learning.
Since the beginning the VETNET programme has served as a platform for dissemination of the results of EU-funded European cooperation projects and networks. At the same time the VETNET network has been actively promoting wider European participation and integration of new participants in European cooperation.
VETNET has developed its own conference proceedings based on conference papers starting from ECER’98: www.ecer-vetnet.wifo-gate.org