Research field
Pre-Vocational Education and Transitions
Transitions, preparation for further education, diversity, inclusion, career paths
ITB research views vocational education and training from a biographical perspective as a complex developmental trajectory. In addition to the core segment of fully qualifying vocational training in the dual system, it therefore also focuses on the field of pre-vocational education and on the various transition pathways into vocational education and training. The transition problems that manifest themselves in particular at the point of access to initial vocational training are analysed against the background of the increasing diversity of learners. From an institutional perspective, the research therefore also examines the educational programmes in the transition sector between general schooling and vocational education and training that prepare for vocational training. The focus is on the practice of fostering vocational agency among young people who are initially at risk of failing to gain access to vocational training. At the same time, the normality expectations within the training system are examined with regard to mechanisms of exclusion and challenges of inclusion.
Research questions
Which factors hinder or facilitate young people’s transition from general schooling into initial vocational training?
How do pre-vocational preparation programmes in the transition sector affect the development of vocational agency and subsequent training trajectories?
How can career orientation and pre-vocational education be designed so that they connect to the biographies, interests and life situations of diverse young people?
Which normality expectations of the training system operate as mechanisms of exclusion, and how can access to vocational training be made more inclusive?
How do the occupational biographies of young people who initially fail to gain access to training unfold, and which turning points and forms of support are decisive?
What role do guidance, socio-pedagogical support and personal networks play in successful transitions?
How can companies, schools and education providers cooperate in regional transition systems so that drop-outs are avoided and onward pathways secured?
Projects
All projects-
2025–2028
FinDMB – An educational game on financial literacy for migrants – sensitive to cultural differences, multilingual, career-focused
The ‘FinDMB’ project is developing and testing an educational game designed to promote financial literacy amongst (relatively) recent migrants. The programme is therefore aimed at learners who are acquiring the German language for educational and professional purposes, who face intersectional disadvantages, and who are still finding their feet in the German financial, education and labour markets.
Dr. Franziska Bonna Dr. Julia Tietjen
Department: Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2023–2026
SKILLS4JUSTICE – Skills Partnerships for Sustainable and Just Migration Patterns
The issue: Many countries are experiencing, or are seeing a rise in, skills shortages, including in the IT sector, the care sector and the skilled trades. At the same time, there are both regular and irregular migration flows. Irregular migration results in significant disadvantages for those affected in terms of access to the labour market, which is not legally possible; however, regular labour migration also presents challenges for all stakeholders.
Dr. Kristina Kühn Frieda Klaus Dr. Andreas Saniter
Department: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Gessler
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2025–2026
MissionICH-BOx MV – Development and testing of an e-portfolio concept for careers guidance in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania based on ‘Mission ICH’
The project is developing and testing a digital e-portfolio concept for career guidance based on the Future-Box, which is being adapted to the framework conditions in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the state programme ‘Mission ICH’. The aim is to promote self-directed learning processes, provide training for teachers and prepare for a state-wide roll-out from the 2026/2027 school year onwards.
Dr. Christian Staden Dr. Melanie Schall
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2022–2023
WB-Deutschkurs – WB German Course – Accompanying research into the pilot project ‘German course for people with cognitive impairments in the State of Bremen’
The ‘WB Deutschkurs’ project is carrying out the academic monitoring of the ongoing pilot project ‘German course for people with cognitive impairments in the State of Bremen’, which is aimed at employees in workshops for people with disabilities. The German as a Second Language (DaZ) courses are being evaluated as part of the accompanying research, and modified teaching approaches are being trialled in order to optimise content and methods with a view to creating a participatory learning environment. The recommendations for action resulting from the accompanying research are intended to support course providers in achieving the goal of greater participation by learners across society as a whole.
Dr. Franziska Bonna Marija Cubalevska
Department: Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2022
ZEBO – Working with socio-economically disadvantaged parents in careers guidance
Parents and guardians are the most important reference figures for many young people during periods of career exploration. Nevertheless, significant inequalities and uncertainties characterise cooperation between schools and parents. Socio-economically disadvantaged families, in particular, are overlooked too early. Following the contribution of the previous project, ‘BOGyO – Careers guidance for academic upper secondary schools’, to systematically improving Bremen's careers guidance structures, this work is now being deepened to help schools engage more effectively with socio-economically disadvantaged parents.
Marija Cubalevska Dr. Julia Tietjen
Department: Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2022–2025
Orienta4VET – VET: an attractive and viable pathway. Innovating in VET through guidance processes and exploring flexible and diversified opportunities in VET
The second stage of learning following the completion of lower secondary education is essential both for continuing general and/or vocational education and for successful integration into the labour market (OECD, 2020). According to the OECD, vocational training is regarded as a successful route into the labour market, with countries that have better-developed and more established vocational training programmes being more effective at tackling youth unemployment.
Dr. Vivian Harberts Myrthe Reinsberg Dr. Klaus Ruth Dr. Andreas Saniter
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2022–2023
DUBB – Digitalisation and Inequality in the Context of Vocational Education and Training in the State of Bremen
In the project ‘Digitalisation and Inequality in the Context of Vocational Education and Training’, vocational education and training is used as a ‘magnifying glass’ through which inequalities arising from digitalisation processes can be identified simultaneously at various levels of society, thereby clarifying questions regarding the origins and nature of these inequalities and developing recommendations for action.
Departments: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maren Petersen Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2019–2020
TiQusA – Transculturality in the Neighbourhood and in Social Work
TiQusA consists of three sub-projects in which continuing training concepts are developed for the fields of child and youth welfare services, community life in the neighbourhood and work with young people.
Department: Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2019–2021
BoGyO – Research support for career guidance in upper secondary education
Many school leavers with university entrance qualifications face a difficult choice: hundreds of training occupations and thousands of degree programmes are open to them. Making the right decision is challenging. As a central setting for early career guidance, schools must actively support pupils' individual vocational orientation.
Dr. Lisa Vogt Dominik Schütte Dr. Christian Staden
Department: Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann
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2019–2020
ProSoKom – Professionalising company-based training in the automotive trade through digital media to develop apprentices’ social competences
ProSoKom aims to develop social competences among automotive apprentices and young people in the transition system. It addresses current social competence challenges as a basis for developing and implementing a work-process-oriented competence development approach, using digital media in suitable forms and to an appropriate extent. The measures particularly include refugees and young people from migrant backgrounds.
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2019–2022
O4YEL – Supporting Educational and Social Inclusion of Early School Leavers and Youth at Risk of Early Leaving through Mechanisms of Orientation and Tutorial Action
The O4YEL project aims to develop, implement and evaluate innovative strategies and practices for providing guidance and support to young people who are at risk of leaving the formal (general and vocational) education system prematurely, i.e. without a qualification. In particular, mentoring initiatives are being developed and implemented that are designed to promote inclusive education for young people and help prevent them from dropping out of school or training. The project consortium comprises partners from Spain, Portugal, Romania, the UK and Germany.
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2018–2021
FutureBOx – Developing and testing an e-portfolio for career guidance for high-achieving upper secondary pupils
The project develops and tests an e-portfolio to support career guidance for upper secondary pupils in Bremen as part of a ‘Special programme for career guidance for high-achieving pupils’ under the federal–state ‘Education Chains’ agreement. It builds on an e-portfolio concept for career guidance already developed at the ITB through the Berufswahlpass.online project.
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2018–2021
JuB – Boys and education in vocational education and training
The project focuses on boys' and young men's educational and career guidance processes in pre-vocational and vocational education institutions. What enables or hinders young men in choosing social, educational, medical or care occupations? It examines which aspects need to be incorporated into boys' education and career guidance to (a) recognise them more effectively as potential skilled workers in these fields and (b) reduce inappropriate career choices caused by gender stereotypes.
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2017–2020
FöABv – Promoting training-relevant behavioural standards in pre-vocational teaching
The project focuses on the pedagogical order in teaching within pre-vocational programmes in the transition system between general schooling and initial VET. It identifies, analyses and systematises practices through which young people's behaviour is situationally constituted, negotiated and addressed as a matter relevant to teaching in pre-vocational institutions.
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2016–2019
DMi! – Inclusive digital media. Connecting digital media and inclusive learning in primary schools and teacher education
DMi! therefore aimed to embed core media-didactic competences in the curriculum through seven concrete concepts. Broad cooperation connected subject didactics in German, mathematics, primary science and social studies, and work studies with computer science, educational psychology and media education. Addressing heterogeneity, a particular focus of Bremen teacher education, links the concepts: digital media's potential can be used particularly effectively for individual support across subjects. The seven concepts thus also contribute to developing shared learning in inclusive classrooms.
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe
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2015–2017
MIDIA – Migration-related difference in company-based preparation for vocational training
This ethnographic study investigates company-based preparation for training among young men from migrant backgrounds who, despite participating in transition-system programmes, are disadvantaged in accessing fully qualifying vocational training. It particularly examines workplace training staff's actions to understand migration-related distinctions within constructions of difference in educational practice.
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2012–2017
BWP.online – CAREER CHOICE PASS.online
Since 2000, the Career Choice Passport has been used in general education schools in the form of a folder as a portfolio-based approach to support teaching and learning, with the aim of assisting pupils in their career guidance process. In a doctoral project spanning several years, the portfolio concept underlying the Career Choice Passport was used as a reference for the design of an e-portfolio concept in career guidance. In an iterative, cyclical research and development project based on the design-based research approach, both a web-based e-portfolio system – as a technical element – and a didactic framework for e-portfolio work in career guidance – as a pedagogical element – were developed and tested in school settings.
Department: Prof. Dr. Falk Howe