If something has become clear in recent years, it is the important role that vocational training must play in developing advanced societies and, specifically, in enhancing the competitiveness of companies and in making people employable. During this period of huge changes in production processes and methods, of the relentless advances in technologies, of the globalisation of the markets and in the setting of a far-reaching economic crisis, Vocational Training has attained an even greater profile and importance as a key factor for a successful way out of the crisis. It is likewise a clear way to drive and improve a sustainable and much fairer economy.

 This International Conference on Vocational Training, which we are hosting at the Kursaal Conference Centre in Donosti-San Sebastián, aims to be a meeting point for Vocational Training Centres from the five continents, to analyse, discuss and share different experiences related to the changes and transformations occurring around the world, along with searching for new common goals and challenges in this thrilling world of Vocational Training.

The content of the different sessions, meetings and papers therefore focuses on the importance of Vocational Training for competitiveness and employment.

 Therefore, this International Conference is set up as a Meeting for Collaboration between Vocational Training Centres from 45 different countries, in order to consolidate relations and cooperation among them. The aim is for that cooperation to endure and to be the basis for working together from diversity to improve training that will have to face highly complex challenges in the future.

The Conference programme is focused on the development of Vocational Training both from the perspective of training that is increasingly aimed at high qualifications, and regarding the support the VT Centres are providing or can provide in the sphere of Applied Innovation, first and foremost to small and medium-sized companies. We therefore want to showcase the new VT models being developed in the most advanced countries worldwide, together with new work methods and ways of cooperation between Vocational Training centres and companies in different production environments.

The speakers at the event will include the managers tasked with implementing the new Industrial Vocational Training in the USA, in South Korea, as well as with managers of different support projects from the Innovation Vocational Training centres applied in the SMEs of Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. The organisation of the new structure and how a new highly advanced training centre model operates in Finland will be outlined, along an overview of the value that VT gives to a competitive economy in Denmark. The representatives of the European Commission and CEDEFOP will present the European vision of Vocational Training.