Tartu Vocational College

12/10/2026

🇪🇪⚡ From Science to Innovation: Tartu VOCO Celebrates Success at the 10th Tartu Hydrogen Days! 🏆🌍

From 7 to 9 October 2026, Tartu became a meeting point for hydrogen innovation as the 10th Tartu Hydrogen Days brought together researchers, industry representatives, policymakers, educators and students to explore the future of hydrogen technologies.

Under the theme "From Science to Market", the conference highlighted the progress of hydrogen technologies over the past decade, from scientific research and pilot projects to industrial applications, emerging markets and future opportunities. 🔬🌱

🤝 Connecting Education, Research and Industry

The event also provided an important platform for regional hydrogen discussions within the H2CoVE (Hydrogen Centres of Vocational Excellence) project, supporting collaboration between education providers, research institutions and industry to develop the skills and competencies needed for Europe's growing hydrogen sector.

🚀 HIVE Estonia 2026: Tartu VOCO Students Among the Winners!

Alongside the conference, students from Tartu Vocational College (VOCO), the University of Tartu and TalTechjoined forces in multidisciplinary teams for the HIVE hydrogen innovation competition.

During the three-day challenge, participants combined practical skills, scientific knowledge and creative thinking to develop solutions to real-world hydrogen challenges.

🏆 We are especially proud that Tartu VOCO students were part of both the 1st and 2nd place winning teams! 🥇🥈

A special congratulations goes to Paul Vaidla, a Mechatronics student from the Tartu VOCO Engineering Academy, whose team secured 1st place! 👏

🇳🇱 Next Stop: Groningen, the Netherlands!

The winning team will represent Estonia at the international HIVE competition in Groningen in autumn 2027, where they will meet and compete with winning teams from other European countries.

💚 Practical Skills Meet International Innovation

For Tartu VOCO, this achievement demonstrates the important role of vocational education in research-driven innovation. By bringing together vocational students and university students, initiatives like HIVE create opportunities to combine hands-on technical expertise with academic knowledge and turn ideas into practical solutions.

👏 Congratulations to all participating students and winning teams! We are proud of our students and look forward to seeing their journey continue on the international stage!

🇪🇺 The activities were supported through the H2CoVE project, co-funded by the European Union, strengthening European cooperation in hydrogen education, innovation and skills development.

09/10/2026

12 Mechatronics students from VOCO and 2 accompanying teachers recently took part in an Erasmus+ group mobility 🇪🇺 in Stavanger, Norway 🇳🇴.

Hosted by Godalen videregående skole, our students worked side by side with Norwegian learners in exciting Design, Assembly and Testing of a Pneumatic Arm workshops, gaining valuable technical skills and international experience.

Of course, the mobility also included discovering the breathtaking Norwegian nature, including a hike to the famous Preikestolen.

A big thank you to our hosts at Godalen videregående skole for the warm welcome, excellent cooperation, and this unforgettable opportunity! Erasmus+ ja Euroopa Solidaarsuskorpuse agentuur

08/10/2026

The first-ever “Baltic Sea Master” has been crowned, and we’re delighted that the title stayed at home!
Congratulations, Ester! 🏆

An idea that had been taking shape for a long time became a new international competition series launched by VOCO. The competition for painting and decorating students brought together 9 vocational students from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, who put their skills to the test over two days of individual competition.

🥇 1st place – Ester Allaberg, Tartu Vocational College
🥈 2nd place – Angelika Murd, Techno TLN / Tallinna Tehnoloogiakolledž
🥉 3rd place – Anniina Hietemäki, Tampereen seudun ammattiopisto Tredu

Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to all the participants and their instructors.

See you next year! 💚

Paint boldly. Create passionately. Inspire others.

08/10/2026

Happy to host Eve from Helsingin Maalariammattikoulu! Let´s the Erasmus cooperation begin!

08/10/2026

🚗🇪🇺 AutoCoVE 2.0 National Dissemination Event at Tartu VOCO

On 18th of September, Tartu Vocational College hosted the Automotive VET Teachers’ Conference 2026, bringing together vocational teachers, education professionals and industry partners from across Estonia. 🇪🇪🤝

The event was organised as a national dissemination event of the AutoCoVE 2.0 project, with the main objective of sharing project results, experiences and good practices with the Estonian automotive VET community.

The event was co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ AutoCoVE 2.0 project. 🇪🇺

A particularly important aspect of the conference was its broad national representation: all Estonian vocational schools providing automotive education were represented, together with the Estonian Association of Automotive Vocational Education, Autokutseõppe Liit, and representatives from automotive companies and industry partners. This created a strong platform for bringing education and working life together around the same table. 🚘🤝🏭

Throughout the day, participants explored how the outcomes and international experience gained through AutoCoVE 2.0 can support the further development of automotive vocational education in Estonia. 🚗🔧📚

A special contribution came from Anna Nuuja from Omnia, who presented the AutoCoVE 2.0 Car Sales and Aftersales module, introducing the learning content developed within the project and its relevance to the changing competence needs of the automotive sector. 🚘💼

We also welcomed Olga from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, who presented the digital learning materials for mathematics and physics in mechanical engineering, developed for vocational education students within AutoCoVE 2.0. The materials are designed to strengthen students’ foundational knowledge and help connect mathematics and physics more directly with practical engineering and automotive studies. 📐⚙️📚

Key topics of the day also included:
🔹 the new four-year automotive curriculum
🔹 changing competence needs and employers’ expectations
🔹 integration of vocational and general education
🔹 teaching professional Estonian in automotive VET
🔹 international cooperation and exchange of good practices
🔹 AutoCoVE 2.0 project activities, results and their implementation in vocational education

We were pleased to welcome colleagues and partners from Omnia, the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Ida-Virumaa COSMOS, Tallinn School of Technology (Techno) and Pärnumaa Vocational Education Centre, alongside representatives from other Estonian automotive VET schools, Autokutseõppe Liit and the automotive industry. 🌍💡

💬 One of the most valuable parts of the event was the joint discussion on the learner journey within the new automotive curriculum and how vocational education can be connected even more closely with real working life and the changing needs of the automotive sector.

The conference created an important national platform for disseminating the results of AutoCoVE 2.0, exchanging experiences between schools and industry, strengthening cooperation across the Estonian automotive VET network, and supporting the future development of automotive education. 🚘🤝🇪🇺

A big thank you to all speakers, participants, partners and colleagues who contributed to making the event a success! 🙌

📸 Margus Ainsalu

Co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ AutoCoVE 2.0 project.

07/10/2026

🇫🇮🇪🇪 OMNIA students visited Tartu VOCO for hybrid vehicle training

On 22–23 September, Tartu Vocational College (VOCO) welcomed six students and two teachers from OMNIA, Finland, for a two-day practical training programme focused on hybrid and electric vehicle technology.

The training was organised as part of the Auto-COVE 2.0 project, supporting international cooperation and the development of future-oriented skills in automotive vocational education.

During the training, students learned about the risks associated with high-voltage systems and the safety procedures required when working with electric and hybrid vehicles.

The programme combined theory with extensive hands-on practice, including:

⚡ High-voltage safety and safe working procedures
🔧 Hybrid vehicle construction and operating principles
🔌 High-voltage system deactivation
📏 Electrical measurements on hybrid vehicle components
🧪 Insulation resistance testing
🛠️ Safe maintenance and repair procedures
🔋 Hybrid vehicle charging systems
🔋 High-voltage battery construction, components and measurements

The training gave students an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge directly in the workshop and develop practical skills needed for working safely with modern electrified vehicles.

A big thank you to the OMNIA students and teachers for two productive days at VOCO. Activities like these help strengthen international cooperation, support knowledge exchange and prepare students for the rapidly changing automotive sector. 🇪🇺🤝

The activity was carried out within the Auto-COVE 2.0 project and co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.

07/10/2026

🚗 Greetings from the Auto CoVE 2.0 Steering Group meeting in Kocaeli, Türkiye! 🇹🇷🇪🇺

On 30 September and 1 October 2026, Tartu Vocational College participated in the Auto CoVE 2.0 Steering Group meeting in Kocaeli, Türkiye.

VOCO is proud to be part of the EU-funded Auto CoVE 2.0 project, which brings together partners from eight European countries to develop new solutions for the rapidly changing competence needs of the automotive sector.

The four-year project, coordinated by Omnia, Finland, has a total budget of approximately €5 million and focuses on future skills related to:

⚡ Electric and hybrid vehicles
💧 Hydrogen technologies
🔧 Vehicle repair and maintenance
🚘 Sales and customer service
📡 Calibration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)

An important part of the project is the development of new learning materials for both vocational students and teachers. In addition to technical and sales-related content, the project has developed extensive mathematics and physics learning materials that can help bridge the gap between vocational education and higher education studies in technical fields.

For VOCO, Auto CoVE 2.0 provides an important opportunity to work together with vocational schools, higher education institutions, research organisations and automotive companies across Europe. VOCO actively contributes to project activities, including curriculum development, learning materials, international cooperation and student mobility.

Students are also closely involved through international exchanges and the testing and evaluation of newly developed learning materials, helping to ensure that the project results are practical, relevant and connected to real learning needs.

During the Steering Group meeting in Kocaeli, partners reviewed the progress of the project, shared results and discussed the next steps for strengthening cooperation and ensuring the long-term impact of the project.

♻️ One of the highlights of the programme was a visit to Exitcom Recycling. The visit provided valuable insight into battery recycling, material recovery and the importance of circular economy solutions for the future of electric mobility.

Our common goal is to ensure that European vocational education keeps pace with technological development, supports the green transition and provides learners with the competences required by the future automotive industry.

It is inspiring to see how vocational education providers, higher education institutions, research organisations and companies work together to build skills, innovation and competitiveness across Europe. 🔥

A big thank you to all Auto CoVE 2.0 partners for the productive discussions, strong cooperation and continued commitment!

🇫🇮🇱🇻🇱🇹🇪🇪🇫🇷🇩🇪🇹🇷🇳🇱

The Auto CoVE 2.0 project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.

02/10/2026

Today we wrapped up two inspiring weeks at Tartu VOCO and certifie our international students from Josef greising Schule Würzburg, Germany!
From September 22 to October 2, 2026, VOCO Tartu Rakenduslik Kolledž hosted international participants for the intensive course "Natural Materials in Interior Design."

Over the past two weeks, hands-on craft meets eco-conscious innovation in our workshops. Here is a look at what our dedicated participants achieved:
🔹 Deepened their understanding of the principles and unique properties of natural materials like clay, lime, and organic pigments.
🔹 Hands-on experience preparing and applying natural clay and lime plasters to interior surfaces.
🔹 Mastered essential tools and techniques for applying plasters and decorative finishes.
🔹 Designed and completed a finished small-scale interior project using natural, eco-friendly materials.
🔹 Expanded and mastered specialized English vocabulary tailored specifically for interior design and decoration.

In addition, colourful Tartu and visits to AHHAA, Saviukumaja and Kodumaja polished the mobility experience !!!

Special thanks to our teacher Signe and all our hard-working participants!

01/10/2026

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming 17 students and 4 teachers from Werner-von-Siemens-Schule (WVSS) Hildesheim, Germany to Tartu! 🇩🇪
The school is named after the famous German inventor and industrial visionary Werner von Siemens, whose contributions to electrical engineering and technological development have had a lasting impact on European industry. ⚡🔧
📅 Our German guests stayed in Estonia from 21 to 25 September 2026, with joint activities at Tartu VOCO from 22 to 24 September.
Together with students from VOCO groups KMV124TP, 224KV and 324LS, they started an exciting joint technical project: building soapbox race cars! 🏎️🔧🛠️
There was not quite enough time to finish everything in Tartu, but that's part of the plan! At the end of October, VOCO students will travel to Hildesheim for a return visit, taking the components and unfinished constructions made in Estonia with them. There, the teams will continue working together and complete their racing cars. 🇪🇪➡️🇩🇪
🏙️ On the first evening, VOCO students introduced their German friends to Tartu city centre and its main sights.
🏫 The programme also included a tour of our Põllu campus, where the visitors learned more about VOCO's metalwork and mechatronics training facilities.
🏭 The group also visited B&W Metall in Vahi, gaining a practical insight into production processes in the Estonian metal industry.
And of course, international mobility is not only about studying and working together! As part of the cultural programme, the group spent a day exploring the beautiful nature of Taevaskoda, combining technical learning with experiencing Estonia and its culture. 🇪🇪💚
It was a week full of learning, teamwork, new experiences and international friendship. 🌍🤝
And the story continues soon in Hildesheim! 🇩🇪🏎️🇪🇪
See you soon, WVSS! 👋😊�🇪

01/10/2026

To all 18+ students, it’s your chance to discover Europe!

GET READY! DiscoverEU applications open tomorrow. 🚂

Are you 18 with an appetite for adventure? Then, you could win a FREE travel pass to explore Europe by train.

This in an opportunity to
🇪🇺 Travel and explore Europe’s diversity,
🏛️ Learn about our cultural heritage and history
💛 Connect with people from all over the continent
🎇 Create unforgettable memories

Where would you go? Let us know 👇

📷 AdobeStock, julianpictures