From 27 October to 4 November 2025, teachers from the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technology, Higher Vocational School No. 1 in Rivne, State vocational educational institution Lutsk higher vocational school of construction and architecture, State educational institution Odesa center of vocational education, State educational establishment Kryvyi rih center for training and retraining of workers in the construction industry and Dnipro industrial pedagogical professional prehigher college took part in training in the didactics and methodology of vocational education, which was held at the Münster School of Vocational Education (Germany). The programme was implemented by the University of Applied Sciences in Münster as part of the international project VETpartEx – ‘Future-oriented vocational education for the construction sector in Ukraine’ under the Erasmus KA2 programme.
The VETpartEx project aims to update and strengthen vocational education in Ukraine – from the content of training programmes to the development of the capacities of vocational education institutions. Particular emphasis is placed on training specialists for the construction sector, which plays a key role in the country’s reconstruction.
The project aims to:
• create modern educational offerings for vocational training,
• improve the quality of education,
• adapt educational programmes to the needs of the labour market,
• support children and adults, with a special focus on veterans, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
During the week-long course, teachers took part in seminars and practical classes conducted by Professor Mark Krüger from the University of Applied Sciences and Michael Erts, a teacher at the Botrop Vocational College. Participants worked with new models of vocational training that combine digital tools, real-life cases and practice-oriented methods of working with students.
Particular attention was paid to:
• creating training scenarios and practical tasks,
• algorithms for developing training plans,
• methods for developing competencies in future specialists,
• strategies for forming programmes focused on solving complex production tasks.
An important part of the course was a lecture by Professor Mark Krueger on the use of augmented and mixed reality technologies in the educational process. Teachers visited the XR media laboratory and were able to see how such technologies increase the motivation of students and make learning more vivid.
As part of the programme, participants visited:
• the training centre of the Chamber of Crafts, where they learned about materials science research on heat and sound insulation materials,
• the Adolf Kolping Vocational College, where lecturer Ingo Gericke demonstrated examples of the integration of theory and practice,
• historical and cultural sites in Münster, including the Peace Hall, St. Paul’s Cathedral and St. Lambert’s Church.
In addition, Carsten Schröder, Vice President of the University of Applied Sciences, shared his experience in developing innovative ecosystems and emphasised the importance of partnerships between universities, businesses and start-ups.
The participation of teachers in training in Münster is an important step towards updating the educational process, introducing innovative methods and strengthening international cooperation. The results of the project will be implemented in the creation of new training programmes for five vocational education institutions. The development of educational materials, mass online courses and open resources that will be useful to teachers across the country is also planned.
