Vocational education and training (VET) plays a central role in preparing young people for work, developing the skills of adults and responding to the labour-market needs of the economy. Teachers and leaders in VET can have an immediate and positive influence on learners’ skills, employability and career development. However, when compared to general academic programmes, there is limited evidence on the characteristics of teachers and institutional leaders in VET and the policies and practices of attracting and preparing them. VET teachers require a mix of pedagogical skills and occupational knowledge and experience, and need to keep these up to date to reflect changing skill needs in the labour market and evolving teaching and learning environments. This report fills the knowledge gap on teachers and leaders in VET, and produces new insights into what strategies and policies can help develop and maintain a well-prepared workforce. It zooms in on VET teacher shortages; strategies for attracting and retaining teachers; initial training and professional development opportunities for teachers; the use of innovative technologies and pedagogical strategies; and the important role of institutional leaders and strategies for better preparing and supporting them

1. Centre for skills
Shinyoung Jeon and Rodrigo Torres
Policy analysts
13 April 2021, OECD Webinar
Teachers and Leaders
in Vocational Education
and Training (VET)

2. Overview
2
• To help countries develop, maintain and improve their
teaching and leadership workforce in VET.
Main objective
• Challenges and policy practices of
(1) VET teacher supply, (2) VET teacher training,
(3) innovative VET pedagogy and (4) VET leadership.
Four topics covered
• VET teachers by programme orientation
(vocational vs. general programmes)
• VET teachers by subject taught
(vocational subjects vs. general subjects).
• In-company trainers are not included.
Two definitions of VET teachers used in this report

3. 3
1. VET Teacher Supply

4. VET teacher shortages: a significant policy concern
4
80%
0
600
1 200
1 800
2 400
3 000
3 600
Average 2018-30
Germany
Supply Demand
70%
0
200
400
600
800
1 000
1 200
Average 2015-19
Korea
New Retirees
44%
0
200
400
600
800
1 000
1 200
Average 2019-33
Sweden
Supply Demand
• England: Half of further education college principals reported shortage.
• The United States: Half of states reported shortages.
• Denmark, Portugal and Turkey: 1/3 VET school principals reported shortages in TALIS.
• Germany, Korea and Sweden (Number of VET teachers on average per year):

5. VET teachers are ageing
5
41%
37%
44%
39%
20 25 30 35 40 45 50
VET programmes
General educatino programmes
% of upper secondary teachers aged 50 or older
2018 2013
General education
programmes

6. The limited attractiveness of the VET teaching
profession contributes to shortages
• VET teachers’ wages are often less attractive compared to general
education teachers’ or industry professionals’.
• VET teachers are more likely than general education teachers and
tertiary-educated workers to have a temporary contract.
• Only 31% of VET teachers feel that the teaching profession is valued by
society in 6 OECD countries.
• Lack of career development opportunities also have effects on job
satisfaction.
6

7. Policy recommendations: VET teacher supply
7
Increasing the attractiveness of teaching careers in VET by
providing targeted incentives and offering career development
support.
Providing flexible pathways into VET teaching by relaxing
entry qualification requirements, if needed, for industry
professionals while providing means to obtaining necessary
teaching qualifications.
Attracting more industry professionals to teach in VET by
facilitating flexible work arrangements in VET teaching and
increasing collaboration between VET providers and industry.

8. Country examples to improve VET teacher supply
Flanders (Belgium)
• Industry professionals in
shortage subjects can be
hired at a higher tenure
level (up to EUR 300 per
month above the baseline).
• A two-year trial “dual
teaching” project: short VET
teacher training with wage
subsidy per teaching hour.
Norway
• Grant scheme for industry
professionals to complete
the course needed to
become a qualified VET
teacher.
Korea
• Fast-track teacher
training for industrial
experts in fields that have
no established teacher
training course yet.
• Planning to increase the
salaries of adjunct
teachers from industry.
8

9. 9
2. VET Teacher Training

10. Skill and training needs for VET teachers are
becoming more complex
• Teachers in VET increasingly need to have a complex mix of skills and
experience.
• Changing teaching and learning environments urge VET teachers to
have strong digital, problem-solving and soft skills and to be able to
teach these skills to their students.
• Not all VET teachers have necessary pedagogical preparation or
industry experience.
• Opportunities for professional development are not always easily
accessible.
10

11. Initial VET teacher training appears to be weaker at
developing pedagogical skills
11
50
60
70
80
90
100
General pedagogy Content of subject(s) I
teach
Pedagogy of
subject(s) I teach
Classroom practice
%
VET teachers General education teachers
% of teachers who reported that the following elements were included in
initial teacher education and training
Data based on 2018 TALIS database (5 countries)

12. VET teachers face barriers to professional
development
12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Conflicts with my work
schedule
No incentives Too expensive Lack of employer support
%
VET teachers General education teachers
% of teachers who responded that they face the following barriers to
participation in professional development
Data based on 2018 TALIS database (6 countries)

13. Policy recommendations: VET teacher training
13
Designing effective and flexible initial teacher education and
training programmes for VET teachers to develop pedagogical skills
and industry knowledge along with basic, digital and soft skills.
Increasing participation in relevant professional development
opportunities, by engaging and coordinating with stakeholders, giving
teachers the means to participate in professional development, and
identifying their training needs.

14. Country examples to provide VET teacher training
Sweden
• State grants for VET
teachers to combine work
and studies to obtain a
vocational teacher degree.
To receive the grant, the
VET principal must reduce
the teacher's working hours
by at least 25% to facilitate
the training.
Bavaria (Germany)
• University schools: public
vocational schools in
Bavaria that work with
universities on pedagogical
training for teachers,
combining
theoretical/academic teacher
training at the university and
the practical teacher training
in VET schools.
Slovak Republic
• The ‘Step Ahead’ project has
transnational cooperation
between VET schools,
private companies and non-
governmental organisations
to provide training
programmes for VET
teachers in the automotive
industry.
14

15. 15
3. Innovative Pedagogical Approaches in VET

16. Automation and digitalisation are changing the
VET landscape
16
• Automation and digitalisation are accelerating
in the workplace.
• After the COVID-19 crisis, VET programmes
will likely incorporate both remote and face-
to-face learning activities using digital
technologies.
Two key topics arise:
• Digital and soft skills of VET graduates.
• VET teachers’ ability to adapt to the
changes needed in VET provision.

17. Use of innovative pedagogies in VET. How well
prepared are teachers?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Give tasks that require students to think
critically.
Let their students work in groups to find
solutions
Ask students to decide their own procedures
for solving complex tasks
Present students with tasks with no obvious
solution
VET teachers General education teachers
Data based on 2018 TALIS database (6 countries)
% of teachers who "frequently" or "always" use the following practices in their
class (sample average)
17

18. Not all VET teachers in OECD countries use
digital technologies in their teaching
Note: All percentages refer to the share of high responses (i.e., 4 and 5 on a 5-point-scale). Participation in SELFIE is anonymous and voluntary,
thus the data are not representative. Not all OECD countries are available and included in the dataset.
Source: SELFIE database (extraction October 2018-December 2020); Hippe, R., Pokropek, A. and P. Costa (2021). Cross-country validation of
the SELFIE tool for digital capacity building of Vocational Education and Training schools, in preparation.
% of upper secondary teachers who (strongly) agree to be using
digital technologies in their teaching
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
To engage
students
To foster
students'
creativity
To tailor
teaching to
students' needs
To facilitate
student
collaboration
To assess
student skills
In cross-
curricular
projects
VET teachers General education teachers
18

19. Training VET teachers in the use of advanced
technologies (Denmark)
Knowledge Centres for Automation and
Robot Technology (North and South)
• Each Centre works with 12+ VET schools
• They facilitate the work of VET schools making
use of advanced technology:
o Universal/collaborative robots
o Virtual Reality applications for VET teaching.
• They support teachers’ training/practice providing:
o Teaching material and short courses on
Industry 4.0, programming and robotics.
o VR equipment and robots for loan in schools
o On-site technical support during the initial
training period
19

20. 20
Fostering the capacity of VET teachers to use innovative pedagogical
approaches
Providing VET teachers with strategic guidance and institutional
support for the integration of new technologies in VET
Fostering innovation through partnerships between the VET sector,
industry and research institutions
Policy recommendations: Innovative pedagogy

21. 21
4. VET leadership

22. Leaders have a multidimensional role
Institutional leaders in VET play a crucial set of roles, including:
• Recruiting and developing teachers.
• Ensuring the quality of teaching and learning.
• Managing resources and engaging employers and
other key stakeholders.
But they do not always have the right mix of skills or have
received adequate preparation.
22

23. VET leaders have not always undergone relevant
training before they start in their role
23
Data based on 2018 TALIS database (6 countries)
Slovenia Alberta
(Canada)
Sweden Portugal OECD
average
Turkey Denmark
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
%
A. School administration training
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Slovenia Alberta
(Canada)
OECD
average
Denmark Sweden Turkey Portugal
%
B. Instructional leadership training
VET institutions General education institutions
% of upper secondary principals reporting that they received training
(either before, or after taking up a position as principal), by type of institution

24. Leaders face barriers to professional development
24
% of leaders who responded that they face the following barriers to
participation in professional development
Data based on 2018 TALIS database (6 countries)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
A. Lack of employer support
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
C. No relevant professional
development offered
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
B. No incentives for participating in
professional development
VET institutions General education institutions

25. Policy recommendations: VET leadership
25
Clarifying the roles and tasks of VET leaders, and opening pathways
into VET leadership for those outside the teaching profession
Ensuring that relevant initial training programmes and professional
development opportunities are available, and that the content of these
programmes is aligned with the expected requirements for VET leaders.
Creating middle-management positions to make the leadership roles
more manageable, while at the same time offering career progression
opportunities for teachers and other staff in VET institutions.
Supporting VET leaders in handling the many responsibilities in the
leadership role, especially at the start of their career

26. Country examples to strengthen VET leadership
England
• The Department for Education’s
National Leaders of Further
Education programme recruits a
team of high-performing leaders
to mentored and support leaders
in struggling Further Education
colleges to develop their skills.
Spain
• VET leaders have to complete a
training course before taking on
their role, with both theoretical
and practical modules.
26

27. Many thanks!
For further reading…
Report
+ High-level summary
+ Infographic
+ Blog post
Policy briefs
Providing effective practical
training in school-based
settings
Teachers and Leaders in VET
To learn more about the OECD’s work on VET visit: http://www.oecd.org/skills/vet.htm 27