ProVEST Masterclass in Belgium: Building the skills to transform vocational learning
In October, over 50 teachers, company mentors and researchers came together in Brussels, Diest and Hasselt (Belgium) for the ProVEST International Masterclass. Hosted by VUB, Scholengroep Adite and PXL, the event marked a milestone for the project: two years of research on Powerful Transformative Learning Environments for Sustainability (PTLEs) turned into hands-on training for the people who will bring them to life.
Why a masterclass?
Over the past year, the ProVEST research team compared case studies of inspiring vocational learning from Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and Spain, from student-run businesses to sustainability projects with real clients. The masterclass translated those findings into practice. Its participants form the core of ProVEST’s extended teams: groups of teachers, workplace mentors and students who will tackle real sustainability challenges together in their own schools and companies.
What participants worked on
Brussels, VUB: the research foundations
The masterclass opened at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where participants examined the coach’s role in extended teams and practiced the coaching skills it requires. Workshops on the building blocks of PTLEs focused on setting high expectations, using assessment to support learning, and adapting support to each learner. A session on boundary crossing explored how schools and workplaces can co-construct learning rather than simply hand students over from one to the other.
Diest, Scholengroep ADITE: learning communities in practice
In Diest, the focus moved from concepts to classrooms. Hosted by Scholengroep ADITE, participants saw how a learning community works day to day, and enjoyed a lunch prepared and served by the school’s VET students, a fitting example of authentic learning in action. Through photovoicing, they also reflected on vocational identity and the pride students take in their craft.
Hasselt, PXL: innovation and inclusion
The final stop at PXL in Hasselt looked to the future of vocational learning. Sessions covered transformative learning for sustainability, simulated workplace learning and inclusive workplaces. Participants also weighed the opportunities and risks of AI in VET, then designed their own virtual reality learning modules with ThingLink.
Looking ahead
Back home, participants will now share what they learned with their extended teams and begin co-creating PTLEs in their local contexts, with support from the EduSynergy platform. We look forward to sharing their first stories from the field in the coming months.
