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Switzerland offers a unique system of vocational and professional education and training (VPET), which is recognised both locally and internationally and is, on the whole, considered a success. Swiss upper-secondary level vocational education and training (VET) and tertiary-level professional education and training (PET) are part of a well-ordered, high-quality education system. However, the international interdependence on the labour market and, in general, the dynamics of globalisation are putting the sustainability of this model to the test. This challenge, which requires the ability of an entire system to reform and transform itself – while retaining its strengths –, will be a topic in this description of the forms, the system and the stakeholders of Swiss VPET. Yet it is not only international trends which influence VPET in Switzerland, domestic developments do, too – changes in the labour market, the political framework and, in particular, the education system – as well as the trend towards the “knowledge society”. This has an impact on the significance of crafts and trade as the traditional roots of VPET. Technological change tends to promote a shift away from specialisation in favour of an orientation towards more general education and higher education qualifications – which runs counter to an early focus on narrowly confined vocational skills. School-based and tertiary forms of education are in line with such a trend, as are flexibilisation and increasing permeability, which are indeed gaining importance in Switzerland.

As a matter of fact, vocational and professional education and training (VPET) amounts to much more than basic vocational education and training (VET) – in everyday language called “apprenticeship” – in small or medium-sized companies. There are many other variants in addition to this model. All these different forms of VPET are presented in the first chapter of this book. Some will be brought to life by a portrait of a learner or student, written specifically for this book.

The second chapter concerns the framework conditions of VPET. Topics are the integration of VPET in the education system and the labour market, legal foundations, control, the cooperation of partners in VPET as well as funding.

The third chapter deals with particular elements and functions which represent success factors for VPET. This is because apart from training on the job, which is the specific quality of vocational learning, other aspects such as support and guidance and the organisation of the learning process also play a decisive role.

The fourth chapter focuses on VPET as a stage in individual educational pathways between compulsory education (primary and lower-secondary level) and the world of work or tertiary education. We describe the situation of young people in these transition stages and the associated challenges and risks.

In the fifth chapter the major stakeholders of VPET are named. These shape VPET and keep the system running. In this chapter we also present portraits of people who are illustrative examples of the respective stakeholders.

The final chapter focuses on several of the areas of tension which characterise the VPET system today: to what extent can and should the state intervene in VPET? How much should occupations be pooled together or remain separate with their own unique characteristics? What is the connection between education and qualification – are they in a harmonious relationship with each other or do they coexist in conflict?

Many practitioners of VPET but also educational policy makers and academics and above all foreign observers tend to have knowledge of partial areas of the Swiss education system or individual aspects of Swiss VPET. What they frequently lack is an understanding of the interplay among the different elements in the whole system. This book brings together the different facets of VPET and, therefore, provides an overview and helps to create a deeper understanding of the structure and the way the system works as well as the backgrounds.

Swiss Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) serves as a guide and an in-depth overview. The book is aimed at experts and laypeople but also at students dealing with the subject of VPET. This edition is based on the 2014 edition in German. It has also been translated into French and Italian (see box p. 9).

The focus of this publication is on a systemic view and not so much on the teaching/learning processes as such. A systemic perspective is the prerequisite for discussing and analysing didactic and methodological issues. This would, however, constitute the topic of another publication.

One of the key concerns of the authors was to link each chapter with the current state of research. The extensive references to studies and literature enable a more detailed analysis of some of the issues and questions presented only briefly here.

We would like to thank all those who have made this work possible. Our particular thanks go to Daniel Fleischmann for the interviews and portraits of learners and experts. Dr. Heiner Kilchsperger contributed one section of Chapter 3. The Bundesamt für Statistik (Federal Statistical Office) provided us with prompt and up-to-date information, for which we would like to thank Anton Rudin in particular. For individual questions and chapters, people from the Eidgenössisches Hochschulinstitut für Berufsbildung EHB (Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training SFIVET), the Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation SBFI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI), the TREE project, employees of the Chair of Vocational Education and Training at the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Teacher Education also gave us additional feedback. Our thanks go to all of them.

For the authors, Zurich, spring 2017

Prof. Dr. Philipp Gonon

This book is available in four languages:

German:

Emil Wettstein, Evi Schmid, Philipp Gonon

Berufsbildung in der Schweiz. Formen, Strukturen Akteure. Bern (hep Verlag).

2. Auflage 2014.

ISBN print: 978-3-0355-0127-8

ISBN e-book: 978-3-0355-0204-6

Italian:

Emil Wettstein, Evi Schmid, Philipp Gonon

La formazione professionale in Svizzera. Tipologie, strutture, protagonisti. Edizione italiana a cura e con contributi di Gianni Ghisla. Lugano (IUFFP) 2016.

ISBN e-book: 978-88-7713-739-5

English:

Emil Wettstein, Evi Schmid, Philipp Gonon

Swiss Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET). Forms, System, Stakeholders.

Bern (hep Verlag) 2017.

ISBN print: 978-3-0355-0863-5

ISBN e-book: 978-3-0355-0908-3

French:

Emil Wettstein, Evi Schmid, Philipp Gonon

La Formation professionnelle en Suisse. Formes, structures, protagonistes. Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (Edition Loisirs et Pédagogie LEP) 2018.