Swiss vocational and professional education and training (VPET) : forms, systems, stakeholders

Abstract

Swiss vocational and professional education and training (VPET) attracts a lot of interest well beyond the national borders. By reading this book, anyone interested in the subject will be able to assess the extent to which ideas and structures of this VPET system could also be benefi cial for vocational qualifications in another country. To meet the requirements of the world of work as well as the needs of learners, the Swiss VPET system has become highly differentiated in recent years. It therefore enables young people and adults with different strengths and interests to acquire an initial qualifi cation and find a successful activity in a changing world of work. Above all, however, it opens up many different career opportunities thanks to the high level of permeability and the many programmes available in the tertiary sector. The book begins with an extensive look at the many different forms of VPET in Switzerland, before providing a comprehensive introduction to the development and structure of the system. The governance and its legal foundations are also described. Other chapters deal with functions of vocational learning and the education and training pathways and challenges of young people between school and working life. The participating institutions and their stakeholders are presented and their tasks discussed. Using various areas of tension, readers find out where current challenges and future development steps can be found.