Vocational Education in the Nordic Countries: The Historical Evolution is the first of two books that disseminates new and systematic knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of the different models of vocational education and training (VET) in four Nordic countries. Vocational education in Europe has resisted standardisation to a higher degree than other fields of education, and during the last decade, there has been a growth in international, comparative VET research. While the Nordic countries provide an ideal case for comparative education studies, the literature in English on the Nordic VET systems is at present very limited.

This book explores the historical origin and development of vocational education and training in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland from 1840 to today. In addition to historical insights and perspectives on VET, the book provides comparative analyzes of how each country has attempted to reform their VET systems.

Vocational Education in the Nordic Countries: Learning from Diversity is the second book in this book series. It provides thorough examinations of VET in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Each section examines the current challenges for VET, compares how these challenges are managed, and explores recent reforms and institutional innovations. Contributors also analyze institutions and policies at the national level and include comparative studies of two occupations at the micro-level in the four countries. The book explores what can be learned from the diversity of the VET systems in the Nordic countries, which otherwise have many similarities and share a common heritage in education policy.

This volume will help strengthen the knowledge base required for transnational policy learning, and for developing vocational education internationally for the future. As a result, the book will be of interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students involved in the study of vocational education, educational studies and educational policy, as well as policy makers.

Vocational Education in the Nordic Countries: Learning from Diversity is part of the series Routledge Research in International and comparative Education, and is edited by Christian Helms Jørgensen, Professor MSO, at Roskilde University in Denmark and leader of the Nord-VET project, Ole Johnny Olsen, Professor at Department of Sociology, University of Bergen, Norway and Daniel Persson Thunqvist, Associate Professor in Sociology at Linköping University, Department for Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping, Sweden.

The publisher offers free access to both volumes in the period 3 August - 23 October 2018 through the link below:

1. Vocational education in the Nordic countries: the historical evolution

2. Vocational education in the Nordic countries: learning from diversity