Читать книгу Swiss Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET) - Philipp Gonon, Emil Wettstein - Страница 9

Sometimes cooperative training associations are also called host company networks (“large networks”). Cooperative training associations and host company networks differ clearly with regard to the allocation of tasks and the purpose of the cooperation, however: a host company network itself takes care of the practical training (with one of the participating companies carrying the main responsibility), while in the case of a cooperative training association there is an independent office which is responsible for education management and, if necessary, for teaching the basic training. Work-based training itself, however, takes place in partner companies of the cooperative training association, which themselves are largely relieved of the burden of training management including administration (cf. Chapter 1.3 and Fig. 1-4, p. 26.

Figure 1-2: Supplementary training. Representation by the authors	Figure 1-3:Host company network. Representation by the authors

1.2 VET in a large company

Regardless of how big the host company is, at the end of the training all learners in an occupation have to pass the same qualification procedure (final examination to obtain their Federal VET Certificate or Diploma). But there are definitely differences in the training itself.

1.2.1 Definition

In Switzerland in the 20th century, the large businesses adopted the apprenticeship system developed in the crafts. Industry-standard forms of work and the professionalisation of the training of junior staff led to fundamental differences, however: if a company trains more than around ten learners, it is common for the company to appoint a part-time or full-time “director of apprentices” (Lehrlingschef). If the number of learners continues to increase (at Swiss Post, for example, there were 2,077 learners in 2015, at Swisscom there were more than 900, at the City of Zurich 1,208), a department of personnel development and training, which is usually part of the HR department, takes on the management. This has wide-reaching consequences for the selection of the learners, the procedure of the training, etc.

In many larger companies, the learners change departments every three, six or twelve months so that they have the opportunity to become familiar with different parts of their company.

In the departments, professionally qualified employees are designated as supervisors of the learners, the “practical trainers” (Praxisausbildner/Praxisausbildnerinnen) (cf. Chapter 5.1.3, p. 215). These are specialists who, in only a few cases, have completed the course required for apprenticeship trainers. The training department, in which trained VET trainers work, is responsible for supervising the learners, planning their employment and for other training management tasks. They also maintain contact with the vocational school, with the provider of branch courses (üK) and with the responsible authorities.

The body which signed the apprenticeship contract has responsibility with regard to authorities and apprenticeship contract partners. In some companies, this is the training department, in others, the department which carries out the training or the department’s management.

Often vocational school teaching and branch courses are complemented by in-company courses to teach specific knowledge required at the companies, by apprentice camps to promote self-competences and social skills, possibilities of repetition and enhancement for the subject material, courses to prepare students for the qualification procedure, parents’ evenings, graduation ceremony, etc.

The learners in large companies are not required to participate in branch courses if the company proves that it teaches the corresponding contents as part of in-company courses.

Well-known large companies often receive a very high number of applications. The selection process is demanding (cf. Chapter 4.3.4, p. 191). Generally it is ultimately carried out by staff in the training department, in some cases together with the management of the department in which the learners then complete their training.

1.2.2 Examples

Training of commercial employees in a large bank

The commercial training lasts for three years and can be completed on three levels: B (Basis = basic), E (erweitert = advanced) and M (with Berufsmaturität, the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate). Additionally, there is a differentiation between branches (currently 24): automotive industry, banking, federal administration, chemistry, services and administration, commerce, etc. The contents of the branch courses and sometimes those of the qualification procedures are determined by the selected branch.

The learners attend classes at an upper-secondary level commercial school for one or two days per week (total of 1,800 lessons – 200 days) and overall four branch courses, totalling between 8 and 16 days. As in many other occupations, there is a branch-specific training plan for structuring the training in the company.

For learners in the “banking” branch, the focus is on activities at the bank counter and in the back office (cf. the portrait of Gioia Bolter, p. 24). The branch courses are offered by the Center for Young Professionals in Banking (CYP) in Zurich. The banks can also send their learners to the CYP for the “specialist instruction” (Fachunterricht) to relieve themselves of the burden of carrying out certain training tasks.

This specialist instruction is a voluntary service of the banks. It replaces (in full or in part) the theoretical part of instruction which larger banks used to offer their learners on an in-house basis.

Learners at the ETH

The Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zurich) offers academic study programmes to 18,000 students – but also trains 170 learners in VET programmes.

Interested young people can apply to the ETH for 13 different VET programmes, including Electronics Engineer, Federal VET Diploma (Elektroniker/in EFZ), Specialist in Facility Management, Federal VET Diploma (Fachmann/Fachfrau Betriebsunterhalt EFZ), IT Technician, Federal VET Diploma (Informatiker/in EFZ), Commercial Employee, Federal VET Diploma (Kaufmann/Kauffrau EFZ), Laboratory Assistant, Federal VET Diploma (Laborant/in EFZ), Mediamatics Technician, Federal VET Diploma (Mediamatiker/in EFZ), Physics Laboratory Technician, Federal VET Diploma (Physiklaborant/in EFZ), Animal Caretaker, Federal VET Diploma (Tierpfleger/in EFZ).

The apprenticeship places are very popular. In 2012, 1,100 interested people applied for the 60 available apprenticeship places. The person responsible estimates that up to 40 per cent would have been suitable for the apprenticeship occupation for which they applied.

In the most important occupations, the ETH runs company-based trade schools with 44 training laboratories (Lehrlabors) with professional trainers; the learners work here for around 35 per cent of their apprenticeship period. This means they are not required to attend branch courses. The remaining two thirds of the time, they work in the workshops and laboratories of the ETH or in administration. Around half of ETH learners attend general education courses in preparation for the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate Examination during their apprenticeship. Twice during the VET programme there is a “Bergwald” (Mountain Forest) project week for them in which they do charitable work. Towards the end of the apprenticeship they can take part in job application training.

The VPET concerns at the ETH are represented by the human resources (HR) department and by a VPET committee. Members are professors, works managers, professional trainers, the head of HR and the head of VPET, but also two learners.