At present the Department at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences train teachers for technical vocational training schools. The admitted students can gain the degree of certificated engineerteacher (full-time and part-time: correspondence course) or engineer-teacher (part-time: correspondence course) on the basis of their prior qualification. Technical instructors can obtain college level pedagogical qualification after three-year part-time (correspondence course) training. Obtaining the qualification of technical pedagogue is of special significance since an increasing number of vocational education and training institutions aim at creating a system of quality assurance.
Obtaining the qualification of technical pedagogue is possible in the form of the so called complementary initial training. It significance lies in the fact that the educational administration helps the obtaining of the first teacher certification and in accordance with the Act on Further Education (No 277/1997.) the central allocation can be used for it. The Department started a training programme for public education managers. Approximately 2,000 students participate in the special further training course for public education managers, who continue their studies via distance learning. The standpoint of the Hungarian Accreditation Board authorized the Department to provide doctoral (PhD) training as well as to organize habilitation procedure, to confer doctoral (PhD) degrees from 1995 on. The training in the Doctoral School of Vocational Education and Training Pedagogy was provided until 31 December 2003. Besides the instructional activity, the Department carries out extensive research work based on competition resources as well as in the form of agency contracts. Besides providing training to obtain qualification and vocational qualification of importance from the viewpoint of retaining employment, the Department also provides so called training packages cooperating with other fields. Credits are given for the further training programme organized by the National Institute of Vocational Education in technical teacher training at BME.
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics in cooperation with the Department of Technical Education provides accredited professional and pedagogical further training under the title “Electrical engineering and informatics knowledge and their instruction” (T 302460-1019/1999) for certified engineer-teacher electrical engineers. For further information see. http/www.vdk.bme.hu Over the past years 50 college-degree-holder electrical and mechanical engineers have been awarded the university degree of engineering and engineer-teacher in the framework of the so called condensed training. Participation in the Vocational Education and Training Pedagogy Doctoral Programme of the Department of Technical Education led to the obtaining of the doctoral (PhD) degree for universitydegree-holder certificated engineer-teachers. The Department aims to fill the gap appearing after the termination of the programme by organizing a new interuniversity doctoral school at present. The Department participates in the further training of pedagogues with its well-equipped computing, multimedia and information technology background and its experience in adult education of many years, and undertakes the further training of employees involved in instruction of companies.