The vocation – a core quality of vocational education and training

Students often explain their choice of vocational education and training (VET) by their attraction to a specific vocation. They aspire to become a chef, a gardener or a carpenter and identify with the purpose and mean-ing associated with the vocation. And they want to acquire specific skills to produce goods and services val-ued by other people. This indicates that the vocation is a key opportunity structure for VET. But what is the role and significance of vocations in VET and working life? What are the specific qualities of vocations in contrast to other forms of education, training and work? The chapter analyses differences between profes-sions and vocations (occupations, trades) and highlight some of the main characteristics of vocations. It ex-plains how vocations are constituted in the education system, the labour market, working life and by means of vocational identities and the cultures. Vocations are analysed as complex and composite institutions that bridge the worlds of education and work. In addition, vocations provide frameworks for individuals’ for-mation of working life biographies. Comparisons show that the strength and role of vocations differ signifi-cantly between different VET regimes. The qualities of the collective skills regime are highlighted through comparison with two other ideal-typical regimes, the state-led and the market-led regime.