The International Vocational Education and Training Research group is a collaborative network of researchers and experts from Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other countries. Our primary goal is to create an international network for high-quality research on vocational education and training (VET) systems, with a focus on sustainability and inequality.

VET plays a critical role in ensuring skills development in a wide range of occupational fields and facilitating the school-to-work transition. By examining VET systems in different countries and regions, we aim to co-create new and ground-breaking knowledge and perspectives on how VET systems can address development and problems, as well as promote sustainability.

Our research brings together diverse disciplinary, methodological, and theoretical perspectives, aiming to generate new insights that can inform policymaking and improve VET systems in different contexts. We will use specific examples to illustrate the impact of VET systems on regional, national, and international labour markets.

The group will produce a range of outputs, including research articles, literature reviews, books, and other publications. We will also organize workshops, conferences, and other events to disseminate research findings and engage with stakeholders.

Projects

Professional Development Needs of Norway VET teachers

Promoting Inclusive Transition Mechanisms in European VET Systems (PINVET)

Scoping Review of Research in Vocational Education and Training from and on the Nordics (SCOP4NORDVET)

Youth, VET and the Future – A Comparative Study of Young People’s Educational Aspirations in Norway and Wisconsin

Selected publications

Esmond, B., Ketschau, T. J., Schmees, J. K., Steib, C., & Wedekind, V. (2023). Introduction to the special issue on retrieving and recontextualising VET theory. In B. Esmond, T. J. Ketschau, J. K. Schmees, C. Steib, & V. Wedekind (Eds.), bwp@ Spezial 19: Retrieving and recontextualising VET theory (pp. 1-5).

Esmond, B., Ketschau, T. J., Schmees, J. K., Smeplass, E., Steib, C., & Wedekind, V. (2023, August). Theorising VET: European Differences, Commonalities and Contestation. In European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Vocational Education and Training Network (VETNET), Glasgow University.

Hylander, L. & Smeplass, E. (2022) Nye yrkesfaglærerstudenter og betydningen av læringsfellesskap - "Det er bare å holde ut, det blir bedre". In Utvær, B.K., Morud, E. B., Hansen, K. Rokkones, K. & Firing, K. (Ed) Å bygge broer: samarbeid på tvers i yrkesfag. (pp. 23-40) Universitetsforlaget.

Leraand, A., Smeplass, E., Hylander, L. (2022) Spenningsfeltet mellom praktiske kunnskapsformer og summative vurderinger i yrkesfaglærerutdanningen. In Utvær, B.K., Morud, E. B., Hansen, K. Rokkones, K. & Firing, K. (Ed) Å bygge broer: samarbeid på tvers i yrkesfag. (pp. 41-54.) Universitetsforlaget.

Rapp, A. C., Knutas, A., & Smeplass, E. (2023). Bridging gaps in vocational education and training systems in Norway. Journal of Vocational Education & Training.

Smeplass, E. (2023). Investigating adult learners' experiences from using slow reading as a pedagogical approach. International Journal of Educational Research, 122, 102252.

Smeplass, E. (2023). Nurturing inclusivity and professional growth among vocational teachers through communities of practice. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1-20.

Smeplass, E., Haugseth, J. F., & Schmees, J. K. (2024). Understanding plurality, engagement, and change in vocational education and training through French pragmatic theory. In B. Esmond, T. J. Ketschau, J. K. Schmees, C. Steib, & V. Wedekind (Eds.), bwp@ Spezial 19: Retrieving and recontextualising VET theory (pp. 1-20)

Smeplass, E., & Hylander, L. (2021). Developing a Digital Learning Community: How a Campus Lockdown Made Us Rethink Our Teaching. Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift.

Smeplass, E., Schmees, J. K., & Leiulfsrud, H. (2023). Global blueprints, national problem constructions and local contradictions in Norwegian teacher training. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2256205.

Smeplass, E., & Schmees, J. K. (2023). Stärken und Herausforderungen des sequenziellen Systems der Berufsausbildung in Norwegen. Berufsbildung 77(3):54-57.

Schmees, J. K., & Smith, D. L. (2024). “Training–Made in Germany”–Hecho en Costa Rica. La transferencia del aprendizaje dual desde la perspectiva de los actores estatales y paraestatales de Costa Rica. Innovaciones Educativas, 26(40), 50-61.

Smith, D. L., & Schmees, J. K. (2023). Union Perspectives on Dual Apprenticeshipin Costa Rica: Experiences during the Tripartite Dialogue. Revista ABRA, 43(66), 1-21.

Smeplass, E. & Zirkle, C. (2026). Opportunity Structures in Vocational Education and Training. National Studies and International Discussions. Palgrave MacMillan.

Smeplass, E. (2026). Investment in youth through vocational education and training. In E. Smeplass & C. Zirkle (Eds.), Opportunity structures in vocational education and training: National studies and international discussions (pp. 279–301). Palgrave Macmillan.

Schmees, J., Migura, T., Esmond, B., Frommberger, D., & Smeplass, E. (2025). Challenges in the Transition From Apprenticeships to Higher Education in England, Germany, and Norway. Social Inclusion, 13, Article 9774. 

Smeplass, E., & Haugseth, J. F. (2025). Digital teaching and engagement in Nordic contemporary settings: tensions in educational practices. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 1–19.

Smeplass, E. (2025). Status, trends, and issues of education for sustainable development (ESD) in Norway. In Lee, Y.F. & Lee, L.S. (Eds.) Status, Trends and Issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Highly Competitive Countries: Country Reports and International Comparison. Technological and Vocational Education Research Center (TVERC), National Taiwan Normal University. (pp. 277-326)

Smeplass, E. (2025). Neo-institutional perspectives on VET: organisational legitimacy and adaptation in institutional landscapes. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 1–24.

Smeplass, E., & Schmees, J. K. (2024). From regional colleges to global universities? The impact of academic drift on Norwegian higher education. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 77(1), 162–184.

Schmees, J. K., Smeplass, E., Skålholt, A., Hovdhaugen, E., & Imdorf, C. (2024). Pathways to higher education for vocationally qualified students. The case of Norway. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational

Zirkle, C., Smeplass. E & Leraand, A. (2024). VET teacher training: A comparison of university programs in the U.S. and Norway. International Journal of Vocational Education Studies. No. 1 Vol. 2.

Smeplass. E., Hylander, L. & Zirkle, C. (2024). Roles of Science and Research in Vocational Teacher Preparation: A Case Study from a Norwegian VET Teacher Program. Nordic journal of Vocational education and training. 14(3), 1–26.

Youtube-presentation: “Training – Made in Germany” – Hecho en Costa Rica. La transferencia del aprendizaje dual.