Conference Topic

The 21st century brought many technological changes and these are happening at incredible speed. The needs of society are transforming really fast, bringing changes in demand for various professional services. This also results in transformation of the labour market. It is not surprising, that the field of education is currently facing many challenges, also in the sphere of vocational education. In the recent years we are witnessing many discussions regarding this topic in various fields of interest. Many different visions are presented by politicians, experts, as well as the wider public at many meetings; miscellaneous strategies are being prepared and various targets defined. The common outcome of these discussions is that vocational education and training is not just a matter of formal education, but it includes lifelong learning in the public as well as the private sectors. The key target becomes gaining of professional and occupational skills. With regard to this we shall focus on the most crucial topics. Among these belong transformation of the contents and course of professional education and training; support of teachers, directors and other professionals in the field of professional education and training; improvement of expertise, trust and mutual cooperation; as well as an increase in funding and ensuring of its stability.

This discussion and the current general trends raised the following key questions:

What are the current problems and challenges of the professional education and training?

What are the threats and are there any solutions for meeting of its targets?

Regarding this we can currently identify several crucial topics. Addressing these issues is becoming increasingly important for further development of professional education and training:

• Visions and targets of educational policy in vocational education and training and ways of their implementation;

• Changes of contents of the vocational education and training;

• Support of teachers, directors and other professionals in the field of professional education and training;

• Improvement of expertise, trust and mutual cooperation;

• Increase in funding of vocational education and training and ensuring of its stability;

• Targets, contents and outcomes of the vocational education and training;

• Quality of the curriculum of the vocational education and training and its functioning;

• Regional system of schools and its role in the field of vocational education and training;

• Vocational education and training and demands of the labour market;

• Innovations in the vocational education and training.

What is the purpose of the conference?

The aim of the 12th international conference of lifelong learning ICOLLE 2020 – Importance of Vocational Education and Training in the 21st century is to review current trends in the vocationl education with regard to lifelong learning from the point of view of both empirical research and practical experience and discuss possibilities of their further development.

We welcome contributions of theoretical, empirical, methodological or practical nature dealing with the given topic as well as outcomes of the ongoing or already finished student research or projects (diploma or dissertation theses).

Who is the conference intended for?

The conference aims at all those who deal with the issues connected to education in their professional activities and who are interested in the chosen topic – university staff,  scientific workers, teachers, counsellors, master‘s or doctoral programme students, professionals in the field of further and non-formal education including the general professional public.
 

What will be the output?

Reviewed proceedings with the contributions will be the output of the conference.

Further, the participants have the opportunity to offer their expanded papers for publication in the reviewed scientific Journal of Lifelong Learning.

The conference organizers reserve the right to choose the contributions.