Internationalization in European Vocational Education and Training

Abstract

In Europe, internationalization and mobility in education are topics of growing relevance. Developments toward the internationalization of the economy are drivers for the increased focus of the European Union (EU) on internationalization and mobility. The EU defined objectives for internationalization and mobility in education (e.g., ET2020) and promotes mobility through the ERASMUS+ program. These developments affect internationalization in higher education, vocational education and training, as well as in secondary education. In this chapter, we analyze the situation of internationalization and mobility in European vocational education and training, as well as the key drivers of the strategy for internationalization and mobility in Europe. What does internationalization in vocational education and training mean in the EU context? Following this question, we explain how the EU understands internationalization and what reasons are given for promoting internationalization. This chapter contains an analysis of how the EU intends to implement internationalization in vocational education and training and of the tools used for internationalization and mobility. Furthermore, we analyze internationalization trends in vocational education and training in Germany resulting from the EU initiatives. These trends are compared to those in another European country, the Netherlands.