We created this innovation because too many students’ futures are being shaped by a system that underprepares the teachers they rely on most. In Chile’s TVET system, over 60% of specialty teachers lack formal pedagogical training and have limited access to meaningful professional development. This innovation exists to change that—by empowering teachers with practical, high-quality training that elevates learning, restores student motivation, and opens real pathways into STEM careers.
It also aims to strengthen STEM pathways: although many TVET students choose STEM specialties, a significant share does not continue into further STEM education, with notable gender gaps.
The Chile-Finland partnership matters because it enables the transfer and adaptation of proven teacher-development and collaboration practices, supported by an already established cooperation framework that helps implementation and scaling.
In practice, the innovation is delivered in service: teachers learn by doing. Through a hybrid model that combines in-person sessions and online learning, teachers immediately apply new pedagogical strategies in their own workshops and classrooms. After a regional launch, each teacher completes eight online modules, testing new approaches in real lessons, documenting evidence from practice, reflecting on outcomes, and receiving structured feedback.
Sustained change is built through professional learning communities and a digital platform where teachers develop a practice-based portfolio with teaching materials and evidence, supporting both quality assurance and evaluation. Experienced teachers are trained as mentors through an immersion program in Chile and co-design a scalable, replicable training model. Together, teams create and validate short micro-courses and learning capsules for other teachers, with Finnish expertise, ensuring long-term capacity remains in the system.
In parallel, around 1,000 students engage in interdisciplinary, challenge-based projects linked to local issues such as climate or technology. These projects are launched in a regional STEM bootcamp and focus on solving real-world problems, strengthening motivation, skills, and interest in STEM pathways. Certification is competency-based and awarded through demonstrated performance in professional contexts, assessed jointly by Finnish experts and Fundación Chile.
The innovation spreads through a combination of embedded practice, peer networks, and strategic dissemination. During implementation, coordination and monitoring are supported by a digital platform that hosts training resources and enables teachers to document progress through digital portfolios, including participation, teaching materials, and evidence of classroom application. Regular in-person regional meetings bring participating schools together to reflect, exchange feedback, and share effective practices, reinforced by key milestones such as an initial online seminar and regional kick-off events.
Beyond participating schools, the project actively shares results and lessons learned with decision-makers and the wider education ecosystem. Evidence and insights are disseminated through academic and public policy forums, targeted publications, and structured dialogues with school leadership teams, Local Public Education Services (SLEP), and the Ministry of Education. To support adoption and scale, the innovation is translated into practical, transferable outputs—such as implementation guides, training manuals, and policy briefs—designed to enable replication and system-level impact.
The innovation advances teacher professional development in Chile by rethinking how training is designed, delivered, and sustained. Instead of isolated or one-off courses, it introduces school-based, practice-embedded training that integrates theory and application directly within vocational secondary schools. The model adapts to each local context and technical specialty, distinguishing it from existing initiatives with limited reach or relevance to workshop-based teaching.
The pilot also adds a strong multiplier effect through peer collaboration and a structured train-the-trainer approach. Experienced teachers are developed as mentors, strengthening internal capacity within institutions and reducing long-term dependence on external providers. Learning communities support continuous exchange and collective problem-solving among teachers.
Beyond training, the innovation expands its impact through durable, transferable outputs. A digital platform captures evidence of classroom implementation, while validated micro-courses, digital badges, and a mentoring model remain available as ongoing professional development resources for other TVET teachers.
Finally, the innovation is designed from the outset for sustainability and scale. By actively involving school leadership teams and education providers and aligning with public policy instruments, it supports the institutionalization of change and creates clear pathways for system-level adoption.
To try this innovation, begin with a short preparation phase. Align key stakeholders—teachers, school leadership, and the education provider or SLEP—around a shared goal. Decide which components you want to pilot (mentoring, learning communities, online modules, and/or the digital portfolio), define 3–5 simple success indicators (such as participation, quality of classroom evidence, changes in teaching practice, and feasibility), and collect a light baseline through a short survey or self-assessment. Select 1–3 schools and a small group of teachers (mentors and novice teachers), ensuring protected time and minimum conditions like scheduling, meeting spaces, and connectivity.
Next, hold a launch seminar or kick-off to confirm objectives, roles, and the timeline. Run the implementation cycle over 8–12 weeks (or an adapted timeframe), combining short training inputs with immediate classroom application, ongoing mentoring, and regular learning-community meetings for reflection and feedback. Teachers document their practice through digital portfolios, while coordination teams keep monitoring light but frequent through brief check-ins to address workload, participation, or coordination challenges.
At the end, evaluate and decide. Review portfolios, collect quick surveys, and hold one or two feedback sessions to compare results against the baseline. Use these insights to refine the model and produce a replication package (short guide, calendar, sample evidence, lessons learnt).
