Project
VALOHUB- National Hub for High-Quality Vocational Education
Project sponsors
The VALOHUB project develops concrete solutions for strengthening the competences of teachers in vocational education and training (VET) institutions and universities of applied sciences throughout their careers. The project brings together the expertise of five vocational teacher education institutions and builds national operating models to support teachers' continuous learning.
What is done in the project in practice?
The project is carried out in close cooperation with educational institution management, teachers, and education developers. The aim is to develop and test practical, workable models.
1. Identifying needs and building a shared situational picture
Together with educational institutions, we identify what kinds of competences teachers need now and in the future. For example, workshops are organized where teachers and management describe everyday challenges and development needs.
2. Implementing competence management models
A model is developed and piloted to help institutions manage staff competence development systematically. For example, institutions test in practice how induction and competence development for new teachers can be integrated into organizational strategy.
3. Flexible learning solutions for teachers
Models are created to enable teachers to develop their competences through small, easily accessible learning units. For example, short training modules and digital badges are developed that can be completed alongside work.
4. Pilots in real educational institutions
All developed models are tested in practice in partner institutions. For example, teacher teams experiment with new ways of learning together and sharing knowledge within their work communities.
What are the benefits of the project?
• Teachers' competences remain up to date in a changing working life
• New teachers receive stronger support at the beginning of their careers
• Educational institutions gain clear tools for competence management
• The quality of education and staff well-being improve
More information:
Johanna Pitkänen, responsible person for Jamk's sub-project implementation
Jamk, School of Professional Teacher Education
firstname.lastname@jamk.fi
Project results
In the VALOHUB project, concrete, nationally scalable solutions will be developed to support the competence development of teaching staff in vocational education and training (VET) institutions and universities of applied sciences. The results will particularly support teachers' continuous learning as well as educational institutions' ability to manage competences in a systematic and impactful way.
A key outcome of the project will be an up-to-date situational overview of teachers' competence needs. This will be created by compiling existing studies and complementing them with workshops where educational institution management, teachers, and developers jointly identify everyday development needs. This situational overview will provide institutions with a concrete foundation for planning competence development.
A central focus of the project is to develop and pilot a strategic competence management model that enables institutions to integrate staff competence development into their organizational strategy. The model will be tested in practice in partner institutions, where, for example, induction practices for new teachers will be refined and more systematic approaches to planning staff development will be created. These pilots will produce concrete operating models that institutions can adopt directly.
The project will also create a structural model for teachers' continuous learning, describing how competence development progresses at different stages of a teacher's career. This model will help institutions provide timely support both for early-career teachers and for more experienced staff.
In addition, the project will develop and pilot learning solutions based on small competence units, such as short training modules and digital badges. These will enable teachers to develop their competences flexibly alongside their work. At the same time, a model for ensuring the quality of these learning units will be created, facilitating their adoption across different organizations.
During the project, a collaborative co-development model will also be established, where teacher educators, institutional leadership, and teachers develop solutions together through dialogue. This will strengthen cooperation between institutions and enhance knowledge sharing.
The project's impacts will be particularly visible in that:
* educational institutions will have clearer and more effective tools for competence management
* the development of teachers' competences will become more systematic and better integrated into everyday work
* early-career teachers will receive stronger support
* cooperation between educational institutions and teacher education will become closer
The project outputs—models, recommendations, pilot descriptions, and tools—will be widely applicable across different institutions and will remain openly available after the project ends.
Updated: April 13, 2026