Cybersecurity and incident response processes for maintaining operational security and continuity at vocational education institutions

Introduction. The implementation of work-based learning in the process of joint vocational instruction by enterprises and VET (vocational education and training) institutions is the most important focus of the educational policy in developed countries. In the Russian Federation, over the past decade, such kind of partnership has been developing both through spontaneous self-organisation and purposefully in the form of several government projects. VET education policy was focused mainly on implementing the World Skills championship movement in the domestic field. As a result, no fundamental changes in institutional and economic structure were implemented to make apprenticeship training compelling for enterprises. Nevertheless, no full-fledged accumulation of information on the dynamics of the development of various forms of work-based learning was carried out to prevent the decent assessment of the current state of apprenticeship training in the Russian Federation and to conduct a comparative international analysis.The present article aimsto determine the current status of interaction between enterprises and VET institutions, fulfil the lack of quantitative information on the topic, and test the hypothesis that under the current institutional conditions the interaction frequency and intensity between enterprises and VET institutions in the Russian Federation lag behind similar international indicators.Methodology and research methods. In the course of the research, the methods of socio-historical analysis, the instruments of theoretical and methodological analysis, hypothesis building, assessment and generalisation methods were applied. The empirical part of the present research was formed by the methods of secondary analysis of the Russian and foreign studies on the development of the VET and its interaction with the labour market. In addition, the method of comparative and retrospective analysis of statistical data from Russian and international studies was employed. Finally, the method of questionnaire survey and the method of content analysis of websites of educational institutions and enterprises were used. The study involved 603 VET institutions from 29 constituent entities of the Russian Federation.Results and scientific novelty. One of the most significant research findings is a systemic description of the current status of the partnership between VET institutions and enterprises in the Russian Federation. Main directions and forms of interaction between VET institutions and enterprises in Russia at the end of the second decade of the XXI century were outlined (curricula development, internship for students, and participation in education results assessment). The prospects for the development of partnership between VET institutions and enterprises and the influencing factors (economic and institutional) were determined. The particular Russian characteristics of the interaction between the VET system and the labour market were identified and described as an inharmonious partnership with the employer’s active articulation of a request for a high-quality human resource without proportionate participation in its instruction. The quantitative assessment of current interaction between enterprises and VET institutions in Russia allowed comparative analysis with the indicators of foreign countries to be conducted. In our country, the authors revealed a lower level of enterprises investments (especially financial ones) in the students’ human capital development.Practical significance. The sociological toolkit and schemes of dynamic and comparative analysis developed in the course of the research can be used in further research on the education system and on the related issues. The research findings can be applied while planning and implementing educational policy measures.

This article builds on experience, analysis, research and other on-going developments of European Training Foundation (ETF) working with a number of partner countries on exploring and supporting how setting up VET Centres of Excellence and Innovation (CoVEs) ( [1] ).The analysis focuses on main ingredients and keys issues to boost policy development for establishing VET Centres of Excellence and Innovation (CoVEs). This is also documented by European and international examples. The paper discusses the role of VET which is currently challenged by on-going fourth industrial revolution and current value of vocational skills for employment delivered by public sector. In this context, VET schools have to play progressively a role of policy hubs within- lifelong- learning ecosystems to introduce technological and digital innovations, boosting creativity and/or entrepreneurship skills networking with industries. VET institutions might be capable to contribute on lifelong learning linking vocational skills with Higher Education programs and also deliver Continuing Vocational Training (CVT). All this is progressively shaping a new-amplified- role for VET establishments, which is opening increased policy dialogue in many countries around the world for reforming VET institutional networks based on setting up VET Centres of Excellence-and Innovation- (CoVEs). The paper introduces a definition on CoVEs and a taxonomy for facilitating policy thinking, dialogue and further learning on how to set up CoVEs. Five possible policy options could be: a) To set them up as an independent training provider; b) Independent training institutions created from existing provider, which could deploy extended functions; c) CoVEs as a part of other training institution; d) CoVEs as network organisations for feeding excellence and innovation in VET communities; e) CoVEs as multiprofile/sectoral provider. In conclusion, it is plausible to assume that CoVEs might become leading organisations of a new era of VET institutions. However, policy learning and further conducting evaluation and monitoring practices to asses CoVEs performance are challenging issues still to be tackled for supporting further policy development. ([1]) The ETF is an EU agency that helps transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU's external relations policy. It is based in Turin, Italy, and has been operational since 1994.

PurposeThe relevance of institution leaders’ personal qualities for providing quality education is widely recognized. The purpose of this paper is to explore vocational education and training (VET) institution leaders’ character features. The research question was twofold: What are the features of the character of the pedagogical leaders of three Latvian VET institutions according to students, teachers and institution board members? What are the differences between respondents’ groups regarding their perceptions of leaders’ virtues?Design/methodology/approachSix members of the institution board, five teachers and six students participated in structured qualitative interviews collected in 2013 in three high-quality VET institutions from different fields (tourism, sports and maritime education). Secondary analysis of latent content was used to explore respondents’ perceptions of leaders’ virtues, using software AQUAD 7 for qualitative data analysis.FindingsThe results revealed significant differences between students’ and staff (teachers’ and institution board members’) perceptions: the staff members appreciated particularly leaders’ performance virtues (“teamwork orientation”) and intellectual virtues (“critical thinking”), whereas, for students, heads’ moral virtues were more relevant, especially “magnanimity”. Respondents also showed concern about VET institution leaders’ civic virtues (“neighborliness,” “community awareness,” and “communicability”).Practical implicationsThe results suggest that different perspectives, and in particular students’ voices, should be integrated in VET leaders’ assessment process and that their continuing professional development should also address their intellectual, moral and civic virtues.Originality/valueThis study represents an innovative methodological trial for investigating educational institution heads’ leadership from the lens of virtue ethics.

With the recent uptrend of personalised learning (PL) coinciding with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, Singapore has been encouraging the mainstream education to adopt PL by tapping on the AI’s capabilities and potential. Although a Singapore’s vocational education and training (VET) institution had planned to pluralise PL with AI, they recognised that staff might face potential challenges hindering its implementation. A qualitative case study was conducted to explore the feasibility of implementing PL across the institution from the perspective of VET staff. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on six experienced VET staff members from four different faculties to gain insight into their prior knowledge, existing experience and future perspective of PL with AI. Adopting Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the data were sorted based on themes that contradict the notion of pluralising PL with AI. Through abductive reasoning approach, the findings indicated that the division of labour, community and rules contradicted the mass consumption of PL due to the lack of PL pedagogical knowledge from VET staff and the complex setup of various diploma courses in the institution. Additionally, the usage of AI to support or enhance PL and the VET institution’s direction to pluralise PL without thorough research and guidelines was further contradicted by the community and the division of labour. Therefore, this study recommends VET institutions not to pluralise AI PL too early. Instead, VET institutions are recommended to conduct small-scale AI PL to build up use cases and staff confidence prior to institutional wide adoption.

Because of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation, Ukraine has suffered and will suffer significant damage to infrastructure, the rehabilitation of which will require highly qualified personnel, especially skilled workers. Despite the high demand in the labor market for skilled workers in Ukraine, only 15% of youth among the 9th-grade graduates of general secondary education institutions choose vocational education and training (VET) institutions. Such a discouraging trend is explained by the low popularization of VET among the youth of Ukraine, caused by the imperfect system of vocational guidance and professional counselling of student youth. The article is aimed at studying the best practices of EU countries on the popularization of VET among young people and describing steps to increase it in Ukraine. In our view, the popularization of VET is an opportunity to encourage young people and adults to choose VET by offering them high-quality qualifications that open up career prospects and a decent salary. The best practices in countries such as Serbia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, where the proportion of high school students preferring VET is highest, shows that effective career guidance and counselling systems exist in these countries, using an individual approach to each individual. Since 2021, the government of Ukraine launched a large-scale campaign to popularize VET, aimed at increasing the attractiveness of VET and changing the approach to career guidance among schoolchildren, as a result of which in 2021 compared to the previous year, the number of students enrolled in VET has increased. Also, a positive trend is this year's increase in the number of regional applications for the training of workers and specialists in regions remote from the combat zone. However, the low popularization of VET among young people remains a challenge. The main ways to address this problem are the introduction of effective career guidance and counselling system; the establishment of regional career guidance centres; the introduction of a career counsellor in VET institutions; maximum involvement of business in the popularization of labor professions, etc. During the period of martial law in Ukraine, the VET will play a strategic role in providing our country with labor force.

Purpose – As neoliberal reforms take hold in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia, there is renewed interest in the quality of teaching practice. However, despite the value of practitioner inquiry to the quality of teaching in schools, scholarly practice in higher education, and established links between the quality of teaching and outcomes for learners and between practice-based inquiry and pedagogic innovation in VET, the practices has received little attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of a college-wide culture of scholarly activity to learners, enterprises, VET institutions, educators and the national productivity agenda. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the education literature, empirical examples of scholarly activity drawn from the authors’ experiences of working with VET practitioners, this paper asks what constitutes research and inquiry in VET, why should these practices be integral to educative practice and what value do they bring to the sector? In addressing the questions, the authors explore how research and inquiry is defined in the literature and draw on three empirical examples of scholarly activities to provide a national, institutional and individual view. A discussion about the value of scholarly activities to VET stakeholders and how the practices might be fostered and sustained concludes the paper. Findings – The paper concludes that practice-based scholarly activities in VET cultivate rich potential for renewed and innovative pedagogies that improve outcomes for learners, respond to industry demands for innovative skills, build “pedagogic capital” for VET institutions, enrich the knowledge base of policy makers and build resilience and professionalism. The authors conclude by positioning VET educators as scholars in their own right along a continuum of scholarly activity and posing the proposition that when valued, scholarly activities are practices for new times that will build a strong and vibrant profession for the future. Research limitations/implications – This paper brings together the authors’ experiences of working with VET practitioners as the authors engage in scholarly activities. While each vignette was drawn from a formal research project in each case, the paper itself was not structured around a formal research activity, although a small survey was undertaken for vignette 1. This poses limitations to the findings of the study. However, the purpose of the paper is not to be conclusive but to forward an argument for more scholarly activity in VET in order to promote further research and debate. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the current debate in Australia about the quality of teaching in VET and the sectors’ capability to produce “work-ready” graduates. It brings to the fore the value of scholarly activity for educators, learners, industry and communities, VET institutions and the broader national innovation agenda. As such, it has relevance to all VET stakeholders, most particularly policy makers, leaders and practitioners in VET.

The Course Of The Development On Vocational And Technical Education In Britain And Reference To China

India’s expectation of a demographic dividend owing to an increase in the working age population necessitated government measures aimed at skilling youth. Considerable emphasis was therefore placed on skill development policies and programmes, including revamping formal vocational education and training (VET) institutions that provide skills to students completing secondary schooling and opting vocational training. Although the number of VET institutions in India more than doubled in the last decade, their underutilisation calls for an analysis of underlying reasons. This paper analyses socio-economic factors influencing participation in VET using data from nationally representative survey on education. Findings of a multinomial logit analysis in the paper suggest that students in upper secondary VET institutions tend to belong to socially disadvantaged households, and that students in vocational courses are more likely to be male, urban, and from households whose principal occupation is blue-collar. Children from households belonging to higher socio-economic status and pursuing white-collar jobs are more likely to participate in general and professional education as compared to VET because of higher status assigned to the former in the society. These findings call for fine-tuning of current polices of promotion of VET in India.

This chapter describes the developments in assessment practices in Dutch Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the past 15 years. Two developments have been particularly influential: (i) continuous changes in the national qualification structure describing the end goals of VET trajectories, and (ii) changes in the system of quality assurance of VET assessments. The goal of this chapter is to describe how VET institutions (re)developed their assessment practices to address these changes, through a combination of addressing changing policy and scientific research. Five tensions were identified that characterise the struggle around VET assessments: (1) new goals require new assessment methods, (2) assessment as a one-shot measurement versus a coherent programme appraisal, (3) the increased involvement of the labour market in VET, (4) securing a balance between governmental control and VET institutions’ responsibility in developing and quality assuring assessments, and (5) realising the balance between the formative and summative functions of assessment. The chapter concludes with the presentation of the Process Architecture Assessment, which is advanced as representing the state-of-the art in VET assessments. In the Process Architecture, the entire assessment process is described including the responsibilities of the different stakeholders.

The educational environment in the system of vocational education and training (VET), as a component of the global education system, should be gender-sensitive without any manifestations of gender bias and discrimination. The article identifies that such factors as national, regional or local management of VET institutions, labor market requirements, involvement of social partners, etc. reduce gender imbalance and contribute to the formation of a gender-sensitive educational environment. A review of best practices in education systems in Australia, the USA, Finland, Germany and Ireland showed that government projects are underway to create a gender-sensitive educational environment in VET institutions. The online platforms of these projects contain toolkits, examples of good practices, tips, useful links, examples of gender-neutral curricula, best teaching methods, teaching aids, elements of gender-sensitive speech, portfolio of professions, etc. In Ukraine, gender equality issues are also given some attention in VET institutions. Management and employees are aware of the importance of gender equality for the development of VET institutions and work continues to overcome stereotypes in career guidance work. However, there is currently no institutional framework or mechanisms for gender equality in domestic VET. In addition, there is no designated person for gender policy. According to the research results, primary steps for the development of a gender-sensitive educational environment in Ukrainian VET institutions are proposed, namely: the development of organizational frameworks and mechanisms for ensuring gender equality; regular training of teaching staff in the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of stereotypes in vocational guidance work; ensuring universal access to classrooms, workshops and laboratories, sports halls, locker rooms and other facilities of the VET institutions for free access by all without segregation, etc. The main direction of further research is the creation of methodological bases for the formation of an inclusive and gender-sensitive educational environment in VET institutions.

The article is dedicated to an in-depth examination of the current debate surrounding the utilisation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for the automation of tasks typically performed by educators in vocational education and training institutions (VETIs). The authors elucidate the fundamental principles of "generative AI," demonstrating its capacity to autonomously generate novel data, including text, images, and audio, through the use of pre-trained models. This enables the automation of a wide range of tasks, particularly in the field of education. The article provides a comprehensive examination of the potential applications of generative AI in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of VET teachers. The authors underscore that the deployment of such solutions based on generative AI will enable educators to prioritize the creative, communicative, and mentoring aspects of the educational process by delegating routine tasks to intelligent systems. Furthermore, the article addresses the ethical implications of employing generative AI in an educational context. The authors underscore the necessity for educators to adhere to pertinent ethical principles, including transparency, fairness, confidentiality, and data security. Additionally, they examine the potential risks associated with the utilisation of this technology. In particular, they discuss the challenges of ensuring the reliability, authenticity, and relevance of the generated data; copyright protection; and the prevention of discrimination. The study is of significant theoretical and practical importance. The theoretical contribution is to familiarize readers with the possibilities of using generative AI in education, with a particular focus on its potential applications in vocational education and training (VET). In practical terms, the results of the study can be utilized to develop targeted solutions based on generative AI with the objective of automating teachers' routine tasks and enhancing the efficiency of the educational process. The article will be of interest to a diverse range of professionals, including educators, educational institution leaders, developers of educational technologies, and anyone with an interest in the impact of AI on vocational education and training.

This paper focuses on the voices and experiences of teachers, who are key stakeholders in the sustainability and future growth of vocational education and training (VET). It presents implications arising from qualitative research on the dilemmas that VET teachers face in teaching international students. In-depth interviewing with 15 VET teachers from several Australian public and private VET institutions identified that teachers experience various inter-related professional, educational and personal dilemmas. These dilemmas result from ethical tensions that teachers experience in their interactions with international students, teaching colleagues and their employing institutions, and highlight significant implications for teachers, students, VET institutions and the government at a time of rapid economic, political, cultural and educational change. They contribute evidence for ongoing review and development of student enrolment and teacher employment in 20 the culturally-diverse VET sector, and thus, further goals of educational equity and quality learning experiences and outcomes.

Актуальність: пандемія Covid-19 докорінно змінила організацію освітнього процесу в закладах освіти і, зокрема, професійної (професійно-технічної). До таких змін можна віднести його часткове здійснення у дистанційній формі. Відповідно у педагогічних працівників закладів професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти виникла необхідність навчитися взаємодіяти із суб’єктами освітнього процесу онлайн на дистанційних платформах. Це актуалізувало оволодіння ними новими формами, методами та технологіями організації освітнього процесу, а відтак набуття актуальних компетентностей. Мета: аналіз та виокремлення актуальних компетентностей педагогічних працівників для організації дистанційного навчання в закладах професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти. Методи: аналіз і синтез – для з’ясування стану та рівня розробленості досліджуваної проблеми; систематизація та узагальнення – для формулювання висновків. Результати: Розкрито дефініціальне та наукове розуміння компетентності педагогічних працівників закладів професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти. Встановлено, що концепція компетентнісного підходу в освіті спрямована на формування особистості майбутнього професіонала з позитивним світоглядом, ціннісними орієнтаціями, здатністю швидко адаптуватися до нових і непередбачуваних життєвих і професійних ситуацій. Висвітлено інформаційно-комунікаційну компетентність у вузькому та широкому розумінні. Встановлено, що інформаційно-комунікаційна компетентність педагогічних працівників закладів професійної освіти має включати в себе фактичну навчальну діяльність із застосуванням сучасних інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій та здійснюватися в умовах інформаційного середовища. Тобто, включати в себе знання із застосування в освітньому процесі спеціалізованого програмного забезпечення, що спрямоване на організацію дистанційної форми освіти (Moodle, Classroom, Unicraft, Microsoft Teams, Edmodo тощо). До технологічної компетентності віднесено комплекс знань і вмінь організовувати освітній процес у закладах професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти із застосуванням технологій дистанційного навчання, добираючи для цього оптимальні електронні засоби та відповідний електронний навчально-методичний матеріал. Висновки: Організація дистанційного навчання в закладах професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти здійснюється на основі компетентнісного підходу та ґрунтується на положеннях Концепції навчання впродовж життя. Розвиток у педагогічних працівників закладів професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти інформаційно-комунікаційної та технологічної компетентності сприяє підвищенню якості дистанційного навчання майбутніх кваліфікованих робітників.

Professionals in the automotive industry, teachers at Vocational Education and Training institutions (VETs), and training and consulting organizations from all over Europe developed a curriculum of basic skills needed to assume modern Automotive Engineering job roles. Based on this curriculum, defined in the form of two skill sets, training materials, as well as a text book and exercise book have been authored. For VETs and industry pilot trainings were organized.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential contribution of cross-border vocational education and training (VET) exchange partnerships within the context of tandem exchanges between VET institutions in the Rhine-Waal Euregio region in the Netherlands and Germany. These tandem exchanges offer learners and teachers in VET the opportunity to develop new perspectives on their training pathways, the labour market and learning approaches in each context respectively. This occurs through the discussion and debate ignited by the exchanges, as well as through visits to relevant VET institutions, companies and other institutions in the border region. Approach: The approach taken in the paper uses both documentary analysis of a long-standing cross-border VET network, Ler(n)ende Euregio, as well as an interview-based study. Group interviews were held with teachers and school leadership teams from three tandem partnerships in North-Rhine Westphalia and the Netherlands, namely in the Rhine-Waal border region. The interviews revealed aspects of the motivation for the tandems and the challenges involved. Findings: The findings showed that learning opportunities for the students and the teachers are considerable and include: Gaining an insight into their vocational training pathway in the neighbouring country, and thereby reflecting on their own VET experience; developing social, intercultural and linguistic competences. This occurs particularly because of the switch between host and guest modes. Further, such exchanges can play a role in tackling prejudice in both cross-border contexts. Challenges faced by the tandem partnerships include: Maintaining continuity in the participating VET institutions and the teachers responsible for the exchanges and overcoming logistical and bureaucratic hurdles. Greater recognition of cross-border exchanges through certification for learners and dedicated time on the curriculum could be positive steps. Conclusion: The paper concludes that tandem partnerships in the Dutch-German border region offer a sustainable and accessible addition to the palette of mobilities available to learners and, significantly, also to teachers, in VET. The potential, particularly for learners who may not otherwise travel abroad during their training, is considerable, and is arguably relevant to other cross-border regions and international contexts.