Advance Notice of Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of Vocational Education and Training (JVET)

Guest Editors:
Junmin Li, TU Dortmund University; Germany
Johannes K. Schmees, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Cooperative universities in Germany, higher and degree apprenticeships in the United Kingdom, Associate Degrees in the Netherlands and vocational universities in China. These developments manifest a significant trend of academisation, tertiarisation and hybridisation of vocational education and, in consequence, reshape traditional boundaries between vocational and higher education.

Since the last JVET special issue on these phenomena (see Bathmaker, 2017), the topic has been picked up across the globe in academic discussions which include in-depth analyses of developments in different regions (see Gonon, Heikkinen & Kaiser, 2025; Lavender et al., 2024). In this upcoming special issue, we propose to take an international perspective on these shifts, changes and transformations. By taking an international perspective, we aim to identify common and divergent challenges and patterns, uncover drivers and influencers beyond the nation state as well as examine implications for learners, institutions, employers and policymakers across countries.

The call for papers opens at the beginning of 2026.  

To discuss a possible contribution in advance, please contact Johannes Schmees - click below

JVET’s Editorial Management Committee is delighted to announce joint winners of its annual "Paper of the Year" award.

The award was recently granted to two papers published in 2024 that highlight critical issues in vocational education and training (VET).

"Girls in trades: tokenism and sexual harassment inside the VET classroom" by Donna Bridges, Elizabeth Wulff, Branka Krivokapic-Skoko, and Larissa Bamberry, was recognised for its "strong empirical base on an issue that is not researched enough" and for highlighting the barriers women face in VET, including the perpetuation of gender segregation and inequalities.

"Learning to question the status quo. Critical thinking, citizenship education and Bildung in vocational education" by Anouk Zuurmond, Laurence Guérin, Piet van der Ploeg, and Daan van Riet, was praised by the Committee for its important contribution to the literature