The first Swiss CoVE innoVET boosts innovation in VET by fostering international collaboration, developing practical tools and building networks across Europe.
The Swiss Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) innoVET aimed to strengthen the innovative power of vocational education and training (VET) through international cooperation. The project was funded by the Swiss Agency for Exchange and Mobility Movetia on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) as a pilot project. This is the first internationally organised CoVE led by a Swiss school and for which Switzerland provides funding.
Under the leadership of Daniel Kehl (Rector, GBS St. Gallen), the project was approved in 2021 as a consortium with Ben Hüter (former Rector, IDM Thun), Daniel Gobeli (Rector, Thun Business School), Prof. Dr Stefan Kammhuber (Institute Director, IKIK, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences) and Yvonne Jänchen (Movetia) on the Swiss side, and international partners (see the list at the end of this article) on the other side. The project aimed at providing new tools and training for VET schools to boost their innovation potential by building international networks, as well as creating a toolbox and advisory kit to support their internationalisation process. The project was implemented over a period of three years and comprised 12 transnational meetings between 2021 and 2024: 6 summits and 6 teacher academies, each with around 30 participants. In between these meetings, all partners worked on specific topics as pre- and afterwork.
According to Daniel Kehl, the aim of the Swiss CoVE was to offer all project partners direct added value by establishing innovation in school development, school structure and culture. “Growing by sharing – we grow together when we exchange our knowledge and experience” says Daniel Kehl. The project shows how closely innovation and internationalisation of VET institutions are linked, at the structural, cultural and strategic level, while also enhancing the reputation and perception of VET. All project partners developed individual internationalisation strategies, reflected on innovation and worked together in smaller sub-projects. This created a sustainable network that continues to have an impact beyond the end of the project.
Summits and Teacher Academies: Activating exchange
In the multi-day summits organised by the innoVET members, knowledge on internationalisation and innovation was developed, with a focus on the question of how innovation can be promoted through internationalisation. The Teacher Academies built on this foundation, translating the content into practical strategies tailored to everyday school life and the specific needs of teachers in classroom management. “This way, we ensured broad participation and the establishment of the international network at various levels of all participating schools” explains Daniel Kehl. Experts from the respective project partners were specifically invited to participate as well. They contributed significantly to the quality of the content and the practical realisation of the events. “This solution has proven itself in practice” says Daniel Kehl.
Important results were achieved
InnoVET focussed on topics such as blended learning, Industry 4.0 skills and new teaching and training concepts. The establishment of interdisciplinary project spaces and cooperation between businesses and education were also discussed. Daniel Kehl says: “The project team’s aim is to utilise new ideas and professional developments for economic and pedagogical implementation at vocational schools.”
During the six three-day summits, practical tools were developed to support educational institutions, including a questionnaire for analysing internationalisation, a digital “spider” tracking tool, a strategy builder, a networking marketplace, the “Lift” tool to identify success factors and obstacles and a set of arguments highlighting the importance of mobility and exchange for VET students based on studies and research.
The positive impact of internationalisation
Who has not heard the claim that internationalisation is just a financial burden with no real benefit to learners’ vocational skills? The innoVET argument on mobility challenges this misconception, stating: “This is not true. Evaluation studies clearly show that even short-term mobility programmes have positive effects on three levels: Cultural competences, personal competences and professional/career-related effects.”
Another common misconception is that internationalisation applies only to academia and not to VET. The innoVET project team highlights that many significant industrial innovations in 19th-century Switzerland were driven by young people gaining experience abroad. Today, learners in VET face an unpredictable future marked by growing complexity, globalisation and uncertainty. To navigate this environment, they need skills that are developed by stays abroad. Another key factor for successful international exchange is participants’ motivation. Daniel Kehl emphasises that ‘in order to fully utilise their potential and their networks, structural and cultural framework conditions are required’. Sustainable international mobility in VET can only be achieved if the right framework is in place, including a shared recognition of the value internationalisation brings to learners, educators and institutions.
Follow-up projects are underway
The innoVET pilot project can best be compared to a mushroom that connects countless trees with its huge network, supplies them with nutrients and ensures that the entire forest thrives. “The three-year project had a very lasting effect on all 14 partners from 9 countries involved” explains Daniel Kehl. The innoVET project demonstrates that internationalisation is a crucial driver of innovation. Through the innoVET network, many bilateral and multilateral partnerships, as well as follow-up projects have been established beyond the project’s conclusion. These collaborations led to new initiatives such as learner exchanges and job shadowing. Notable examples include the VET Forum San Sebastián and the RoboCompetition, where learners showcase their technical skills in automation, programming and teamwork.
The “XREATE – Learning and Teaching in the Metaverse” project is pioneering new ways of teaching by creating a learning environment that blends virtual, augmented and physical reality. For example, learners can use virtual reality glasses to attend a virtual classroom from anywhere in the world. Led by GBS St.Gallen and supported by Movetia, the project involves international partners [Newcastle College (England), Talland (Alkmaar, Netherlands), IES El Rincon (Las Palmas, Spain), OSAO Koulutuskuntayhtymä (Oulu, Finland)] and focuses on both technical needs and developing teaching methods in the metaverse.
Educational institutions as beacons
During the innoVET summits and teachers academies, all partners created their own internationalisation strategies, firmly embedding the topic within their schools. This led to positive outcomes, such as the establishment of International Offices at various schools, and helped many schools become recognised lighthouse institutions nationally and beyond. Integrating internationalisation and innovation into their core structures ensured a lasting and meaningful impact.
The following vocational colleges and universities of applied sciences are participating in the Swiss CoVE innoVET: AarhusTECH (Denmark), Arteveldehogeschool (Belgium), BBS Jever (Germany), BBS Wilhelmshaven (Germany), Careeria (Finland), GBS St.Gallen (Switzerland), IMD Thun (Switzerland), IES El Rincon (Spain), JAMK (Finland), Newcastle College (England), OST – University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland (Switzerland), ROC Horizon (Holland), Teknika School Tirana (Albania), TKNIKA (Spain), Thun Business School (Switzerland).