Ursula Renold - The Swiss Vocational Education and Trainig Initiative India

The number of direct and indirect transition paths between (horizontal permeability) and within (vertical permeability) the different educational paths makes the Swiss education system highly permeable. This high permeability throughout the education system is ensured through well-coordinated subsystems. Such a structure promotes equal opportunities for students from different backgrounds and motivates them to undertake lifelong learning. In this system, none of the education programmes leads to an impasse. The motto is: «No education programme without access to further education».

This approach is made visible through the introduction of the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate and university of applied sciences, which have strengthened the permeability of the system and thus social mobility, improving the socio-economic mix of students. Many students choose the option of changing their education path. A recent study on VET education in the health sector confirms a high degree of permeability (see SKBF 2014, p. 135). The study found that apprentices, despite poor grades in compulsory education, were capable of successfully completing training in the health sector, and that, moreover, 60 per cent of the apprentices polled would like to continue their education at a PET institute (at tertiary level).

The high permeability in the education system is not only an advantage for social mobility but is also acknowledged by the labour market. According to a study by Backes-Gellner and Tuor (2010), the labour market paid graduates with mixed educational career paths higher salaries immediately after obtaining their degree than those who settled on one career path (vertical mobility). Figure 3 shows the proportion of students who undertook mixed educational career paths.

Figure 3: The prevalence of mixed education paths. Source: Backes-Gellner & Tuor (2010, p. 44); also see Tuor & Backes-Gellner (2010)

The Swiss education system offers a large number of education programmes, providing every student with the opportunity to acquire a higher education qualification. VET and PET are integrated into the education system, which increases the attractiveness of these education paths, since both provide an entrance ticket to the labour market as well as to academic education.

The first vocational education and training act came into force in 1933 and laid the legal foundation for VET at national level to which all actors – the federal government, cantons and professional organisations (PO) – were bound. Before then, each canton had been able to establish rules for VET at their own discretion. The fourth edition of the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act (VPETA) of 2002[7] is in force today (cf. BBG 2002)[8]. The areas regulated by the Act are in particular the structure, implementation, monitoring and financing of the VPET system, as well as defining the competences and responsibilities of the different actors. The objectives of the Act are specified in Chapter 1, Art. 3 VPETA:

«Art. 3 Objectives

This Act shall foster and develop:

a. a VPET system that enables individuals to develop on an occupational, professional and personal level, to become integrated into society, and particularly into the labour market, that provides them with the skills they need, the willingness to work in a flexible manner and the ability to compete on the labour market;

b. a VPET system that enables companies to become more competitive;

c. a balancing of education and training opportunities in social and regional terms, true gender equality and the elimination of discrimination against people with disabilities;

d. the ability of learners to transfer from one course of study and/or educational approach to another within the VET and PET sectors as well as between the VET and PET sectors and other sectors of the education system (permeability);

e. greater transparency of the VPET system.»

To make it clear that VET and PET are not at the same education level (VET is at upper-secondary II and PET at tertiary level) and therefore comprise different subject matters that require different conditions, a separate chapter is dedicated to each in the Act. The VET subject matter is outlined in Chapter 2, Section 2, Article 15, Section 1 and 2 of VPETA as follows:

«Art. 15 Subject matter

1VET programmes are intended to ensure the transfer and acquisition of upper secondary-level skills, knowledge and know-how (hereinafter referred to as competences) needed to carry out the tasks associated with an occupation, occupational field or field of activity (the latter two terms hereinafter referred to jointly as «occupational activity»).

2In particular, VET programmes include the transfer and acquisition of:

a. specific competences that learners require in order to carry out an occupational activity in a competent and confident matter;

b. basic competences in language, communication and society (LCS) that learners require in order to gain access to the labor market, remain economically active and become part of society;

c. economic, environmental, social and cultural knowledge and skills that learners need to contribute to sustainable development;

d. ability and willingness to pursue lifelong learning, exercise critical judgment and reach decision.»

The Act therefore defines which criteria the education programmes have to meet in order to be recognised as VET programmes: they have to convey both knowledge and skills. Hence, the Act is an actual education law (as opposed to a purely subsidy legislation). In the ensuing legislative articles, further provisions for VET are defined such as the learning venues, the duration of vocational education and training courses or the establishment of job-specific VET ordinances.

The PET subject matter is outlined one chapter later in Chapter 3, Article 26, Section 1 of VPETA:

«Art. 26 Subject matter

1Tertiary-level professional education and training (PET) is intended to enable the transfer and acquisition of tertiary-level competences needed to carry out the complex tasks and decision-making associated with a given profession.»

This means that PET is intended to impart skills that enable complex tasks to be carried out.

The important role which the actors in the Swiss VPET system have is indicated by their position in the Act. The first article in the first chapter sets out the following principle on the responsibilities held within the VPET system:

«Art. 1 Principles

1Responsibility for upper-secondary level vocational education and training (VET) and tertiary-level professional education and training (PET) shall be shared by the confederation, the cantons and professional organisations (social partners, trade associations as well as other organisations and VET and PET providers). They shall strive to ensure that there is an adequate number of VET and PET programmes, particularly in promising occupational fields.»

The Act lists three main actors who are responsible for the VPET system: the federal government, the cantons and the professional organisations. This makes the actors equal partners in the VPET system. As a rule, the federal government is responsible for the central organisation and regulation of the entire VPET system, with a single federal office in charge. The cantons and the professional organisations lay down local rules and support the development of the system. As we will discuss later, the professional organisations have a key role in defining the training content. Figure 4 depicts an administration model characterising the curriculum value chain which we will discuss in the next section.