Identity Change during Vocational Teacher Education

New vocational teachers cross a boundary when they move from one occupation to a job as teacher. A vocational teacher already has an education when he becomes a teacher. He also has several years of work experience. In Denmark, the educational background is related to the type of vocational school where the teacher is employed. Regardless of the teacher’s educational background, he has to attend the same course when he is employed at a vocational school. During that education, the teacher is in transition to become a vocational teacher. It is mandatory to complete the Diploma of Education in four years. The article analyses identity changes during the pedagogical course and discusses the changes in relation to professionalism. This change is seen in the light of lifelong learning and the fact that teachers at vocational colleges in Europe are assumed to improve the image of the vocational educations, reduce dropout rates and increase the supply of labor. The theoretical framework is identity theories.