Welcome to the website of the Department of Vocational Education and Training

About Us

In research and teaching, our goal is to develop and implement innovative concepts for vocational education and training processes. In doing so, we aim to serve as a source of ideas for education policy and provide regional impetus for the design of initial and continuing education. We train students to actively take responsibility for their own learning and development processes throughout their lives.

In teaching, we are involved in the degree programs of the Faculty of Educational Sciences—“Educational Science (B.A. – Bachelor of Arts)” and “Adult Education/Continuing Education (M.A. – Master of Arts)”—as well as in the “Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Sustainable Innopreneurship” program of the Faculty of Computer Science.

In research, we advocate for evidence-based, empirical vocational education research focused on describing, explaining, and improving the processes, conditions, and resources of vocational teaching and learning. Through various externally funded projects (BMBF, DFG, EU), we investigate the demands placed on trainees and employees in light of changing workplace requirements, new job profiles, and individual career trajectories and developments.

We share our expertise in a variety of ways: whether through continuing education and professional development programs for adult education instructors or in the field of vocational training and continuing education, or through activities related to our third mission. For example, we are co-founders of the Ruhr School of Design Thinking and are actively involved in supporting the startup community in the Ruhr region.