Transitions in individual vocational education pathways: Challenges and collaborative solutions

Abstract

This chapter draws upon some of the main results of two Finnish nationwide case studies on how common efforts of education providers and organizations’ personnel support VET (vocational education and training) students along their individual learning paths. The first study concerns best practices to prevent early leaving, and the second was a Finnish national pilot programme to assist uncertain students who have somewhat weak prerequisites to enter vocational education. Some excellent solutions are presented, but special challenges for the learner, organization and staff are also revealed. The solutions for excellence promote practices, strategies and structures that support students’ transitions from one educational level to another. Both the solutions and challenges are investigated through the idea of distributed pedagogical leadership, where special characteristics of a professional learning community constitute a productive pedagogical space wherein all stakeholders take multi-professional responsibility for the students’ learning and education. In such a space, learners have an essential influence over their own learning.