Abstract

Social and vocational inclusion often is considered to be the problem of those to be included: social or individual disadvantages or lacking competences are concepts which point to individual deficits. This perspective marks policy discourses on EU as well as on national levels, which are calling for educational solutions of the structural problem of shrinking labour markets and a growing gap between competence building in general education and competences needed in VET.This paper doesn't adress the problem of school-to-VEt-transition on the individual/micro-level, but instead asks for the teachers' role in this process. How do teachers in VET-Schools attange learning situations, which allow for social and vocational inclusion? Do they help to open doors, empower disadvantaged young people, allow for their participation, accept and value progress in learning? - And where do they learn how to do so?

This analysis of teachers' role in the process of vocational and social integration points to further and more general questions about the function of teacher training, about the building of professional competences of teachers and whether they (should) contain something like "inclusive" or "including" competences? How could these be defined and where could they be build?

This leads to the very basic question about the relation of the V and the E in VET, which is of high relevance not only on the national level, but also with reference of European VET-Politics! I will argue, that the educational part in VET is badly acknowledged and undervalued comapared to technical training. Actually there are tendencies to delegate education to other groups of professionals, thereby establishing new ways of labour division in the vocational school.

Methodology or methods/research instruments or sources used:

The presentation draws on the findings of a recently accomplished German project on transprofessional co-operation of teachers and social workers in the educational field of school-to-vet-transition, in h informal ways of labour division have been studied. In the context of this project the landscape of vocational teacher training (universities, content and amount of studies) in Germany has been mapped out and can also be presented.

Conclusions or expected outcomes or findings:

In the project1. A concept for further teacher training has been developed, which aims at building competences for "inclusive" teaching at VET schools. 2. New ways of organising learning in the university have been tried out. 3. Principles for further training have been formulated. In Germany the findings of the project have led to a debate about the organisation and contents of teacher training, the central arguments shall be presented and their relevance for other national contexts and a European added value shall be discussed.

References (including own publications):

• Otto, Hans-Uwe, Vogel, Peter (Hrsg.), Erziehungswissenschaft: Professionalität und Kompetenz, Opladen 2002
• Combe, Arno, Helsper, Werner (Hrsg.), Pädagogische Professionalität. Untersuchungen zum Typus pädagogischen Handlens, Frankfurt 1996
• Biermann, Horst, Bonz, Bernhard, Rützel, Josef (Hrsg.), Beiträge zur didaktik der Berufsbildung Benachteiligter, Stuttgart 1999,
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• Enggruber, Ruth: "Überlegungen zur Professionalität in der Beruflichen Bildung benachteiligter Jugendlicher", in Enggruber 2001, 197 - 218
• Evans, Karen, Niemeyer, Beatrix (eds.) 2004, Reconnection. Countering Social Exclusion through situated Learning. Dordrecht: Kluwer Adacemic Publishers
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• Kampmeier, Anke 2004, "Alles Einzelkämpfer? Kooperation als Merkmal professionellen Handelns", Conference paper for the annual conference Hochsulttage Berufliche Bildung, Darmstadt, 11. 3. 2004
• Niemeyer, Beatrix 2004 a, "Situated learning for social and vocational integration in Germany" in Evans / Niemeyer (eds.), p.47 - 61
• Niemeyer 2004 b, "Fachlichkeit versus Förderung? - Professionalisierungsbe-dingungen in der Benachteiligtenförderung", Conference paper for the annual conference Hochsulttage Berufliche Bildung, Darmstadt, 11. 3. 2004
• Stomporowski, S. / Kipp, M. (2006): Verankerung der Berufs- und Arbeitsorientierung in der Erstausbildung von Berufsschullehrern. In: Dokumentation der 14. Hochschultage Berufliche Bildung. Berufliche Bildung, Innovation und Soziale Integration. Bielefeld.
• Kampmeier, A.S. (2006): Inklusion statt Re-Integration - Forderungen an eine innovative Benachteiligtenförderung. In: Berufliche Bildung, Innovation und Soziale Integration. Dokumentation der 14. Hochschultage Berufliche Bildung. Bielefeld: W. Bertelsmann Verlag (im Druck)

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A German version will be proposed to the Journal of Vocational Education and training

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Beatrix Niemeyer, University of Flensburg, GERMANY... Paper #301 - "Putting Social Inclusion into the Practice of Vocational Schools - Challenges for Teacher Training in Germany" - ECER