The transferability of vocational education and training (VET) systems is a central issue within international comparative VET research. However, scholars working in related disciplines also focus on the international cooperation associated with VET. This literature review presents relevant findings from the field of VET research, but also from the fields of comparative political economy, comparative educational research, and international human resource management. It explores differences and parallels in research about policy transfer between these fields. For example, scholars working in the comparative political economy and educational sciences tend to focus on transfer activities at the systemic level, while those working in international human resource management tend to focus on regional management strategies, and scholars working in VET research focuses on successes and obstacles associated with cooperation. All of these features are interconnected, providing important insights into the transferability of VET systems. The following discussion begins by exploring the rationales underpinning different disciplinary perspectives on policy transfer in VET. Next, it reviews empirical research on the transfer of VET policies from different disciplinary perspectives. It concludes with a critical reflection on the transfer potential – and how scholars in all relevant disciplines stress the need for cultural sensitivity, adaption, and long-term planning when transferring policy from one country to another.

The global move towards efficient energy consumption and production has led to remarkable advancements in the design of the smart grid infrastructure. Local energy trading is one way forward. It typically refers to the transfer of energy from an entity of the smart grid surplus energy to one with a deficit. In this paper, we present a detailed review of the recent advances in the application of game–theoretic methods to local energy trading scenarios. An extensive description of a complete game theory-based energy trading framework is presented. It includes a taxonomy of the methods and an introduction to the smart grid architecture with a focus on renewable energy generation and energy storage. Finally, we present a critical evaluation of the current shortcomings and identify areas for future research.

Modularisation of vocational training courses is a major issue across many European countries. Germany has been slow to implement modularisation in its VET system: the prevailing view of modular concepts in the country is one of great scepticism, but there is very little empirical data to inform the debate. This exploratory study focuses on the relationship between the regulatory goals that underpin the introduction of modular VET systems and the implementation in practice of two VET programmes (elective skills and training building blocks). Our analysis includes official descriptions of training programmes, research papers, evaluation reports and policy papers. We also conducted a total of 12 interviews with experts at policy level and 25 interviews with practitioners. The findings indicate that Germany’s approach to implementing modularisation is a hybrid, rather than a radical, approach in which differing degrees of emphasis are evident. The hypothesised goals of flexibilisation and specialisation are broadly achieved, but the goal of individualisation is only partially achieved. In this respect, certification and recognition of modules seem to be the greatest challenges.

The transfer of dual training from Germany to other countries is widely debated. However, there is little, if any, academic research in this area. The present study addresses this research deficit and examines the training activities of German companies in China, India and Mexico. Data was collected in 86 manufacturing companies of differing sizes and producing different goods. The evaluation of a total of 149 interviews with training experts showed that both the local training system and the German system can serve as a model for companies’ training. Hybrid forms combining local and German elements also exist. Even within a company, different parallel types of training can be identified. However, the orientation to local training practice is the dominant model in all three countries.

For teachers in vocational education and training (VET), lifelong learning and related further training is important to meet the growing demands of the teaching profession. This paper analyses the perception of technology and e-learning of teachers in Poland, Italy and Germany. The innovative aspect of this study lies in its combination of general perceptions of online learning and technology on the one hand and findings in relation to a specific online Teacher Training Tool on the other hand. The aims of this study are to show the relevance of e-learning in teacher training and to measure the perception and acceptance of this form of further training by VET teachers. The results should provide support for the further design and development of online education formats for teachers. The evaluation was carried out using a quantitative cross-cutting study using a standardised questionnaire. The results of an online questionnaire show that the approach of online learning as a form of teacher training was met with great interest among VET teachers and that the perception of one’s own benefit from such a training option was positive. The quality of the online learning units is decisive for the acceptance of e-learning opportunities. One limitation of this study is that the diverse country-specific cultural aspects and systems of teacher training could only be taken into account to a limited extent. This paper enables international comparative research on teacher training to be integrated using e-learning formats.