The evolution of VET systems as a combination of economic, social and educational aims. The case of Swiss VET

Bonoli, Lorenzo; Gonon, Philipp

doi:10.1556/063.2021.00062

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…This clearly reflects a rebalancing of the aims of Swiss VET. As Bonoli and Gonon (2022) show, while economic aims linked to the training of skilled labour remain predominant, from the 1960s/1970s onwards, social aims (i.e., integration and social mobility) and educational aims (citizens' education and openness to higher education), have gained importance. It is undoubtedly this broadening of the aims attributed to Swiss VET that ensures that it is not only widely supported by all political forces, but that it is also still considered as one of the essential tools of public policies to meet the challenges of the future, and thus addressing economic, educational and social issues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to find answers to these questions, we set up a research framework based on a multidimensional and systemic approach, which, on the one hand, focuses its attention on the widest possible range of factors describing the functioning of VET, such as economic, educational, social and political factors, and, on the other hand, refers to a perspective that underlines the articulation of these factors in an interconnected system. We refer hereby to recent work in the history of Swiss education and VET, which has highlighted the need for an approach that is as broad as possible, taking into consideration not only institutional, but also pedagogical, economic and socio-cultural aspects (Bonoli & Eigenmann, 2021;Bonoli & Gonon, 2022;Criblez, 2001Criblez, , 2008Gonon, 2018). At the same time, this approach is further reinforced by a reference to historical institutionalism (cf.…”

Section: Theoretical and Methodological Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These three challenges also bring us back to three general aims of VET (cf. Bonoli & Gonon, 2022): A strictly economic aim, that is to meet the need of companies for a qualified workforce; an educational aim, to complete compulsory education and meet the need for cultural upliftment of the population; and finally, a social aim, to integrate the largest number of young people into post-compulsory education with equal access conditions. As we will see, during these decisive years the balance between the weight of these three aims changes progressively.…”

Section: Challenges Future and Policy Orientationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenges, Future and Policy Orientations: The 1960s−1970s as Decisive Years for Swiss Vocational Education and Training

Bonoli,

Gonon

2023

IJRVET

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Purpose: The years 1960-1970 were decisive years in the development of Swiss vocational education and training (VET). The post-World War II economic boom, technological innovations and the debate concerning equal opportunities and the democratisation of education put the VET system under pressure. Reforms were thus undertaken to increase the attractiveness of the system and to respond to the urgent shortage of qualified workers at the time. At the same time, reforms were adopted increasing the theoretical and general knowledge content of VET and improving the quality of training. The aim of our article is to describe these reforms and to show how they relate to a certain image of the future of society.Method: Our article is based on an analysis of historical documents written between 1960 and 1972 in Switzerland on the subject of VET. These documents will, firstly, be used for a historical reconstruction of the situation and of the major challenges of the time; and secondly, they will be subjected to a discourse analysis in order to identify the main arguments that characterised the public debate at the time.Results: Our article shows how the reforms undertaken take shape on the basis of a certain image of the future of society and of VET held at the time: an image characterised by constant and rapid changes, increasing insecurity, need for adaptation and flexibility, complexification and specialisation of the work tasks.Conclusion: The article will also underline how the responses to the challenges posed by this image of the future will be at the origin of five trends that will characterise the evolution of Swiss VET until today: a trend towards academisation, with more academic and general content; a trend towards pedagogisation, with increased pedagogical attention to curricula and teacher training; differentiation, with the creation of new certifications; permeability, with the opening of vocational tracks to higher education; and “learnerisation”, with the gradual change of the figure of the apprentice from a “worker” to a “learner”. Far from being limited to the evolution of Swiss VET, these five trends describe movements that recent studies by CEDEFOP show also at the European level.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical and Methodological Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Challenges Future and Policy Orientationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Challenges, Future and Policy Orientations: The 1960s−1970s as Decisive Years for Swiss Vocational Education and Training

Bonoli,

Gonon

2023

IJRVET

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“…Our approach differs in that it distinguishes between national and regional 'state' and proposes more profound attention to socio-pedagogical aspects, notably in dimensions of differentiation 3 and 4. The fifth dimension also opens the way to an analysis of the differences between VET systems based on what the expected aims of VET are [64] and the delicate balance between economic and social aims [30,31,65]. At the same time, this model offers a higher level of generalization than models such as CEDEFOP [9] or SDC [10], which facilitates its use in international comparisons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Swiss VET between National Framework and Cantonal Autonomy: A Historical Perspective

Bonoli

Vorpe

2022

Education Sciences

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Despite the fact that the Swiss VET system has been regulated by federal laws since 1930, the 26 cantons that make up the Swiss Confederation enjoy a certain room for maneuver when implementing federal provisions at the regional level. This is reflected in sometimes significant differences between the cantons, particularly with regard to participation in dual VET. Based on a historical reconstruction of the institutionalization process of the Swiss VET system, our contribution first explains the institutional conditions under which cantonal differences are possible; secondly describes their evolution; and finally identifies the main factors which influence their appearance. In more detail, our contribution begins with a reconstruction of the development of VET in Switzerland and in three cantons (ZH, GE, TI) during the decisive period for the Swiss VET system from 1950 to 1970. This reconstruction is based firstly on a historical analysis of sources (laws, messages, statistical data, reports, brochures, press articles, etc.) published from 1880 to the present day, with particular attention to the period 1950–1970. This analysis allows us to reconstruct the process of institutionalization of the field, with emphasis on the constant tension between federal regulation and cantonal autonomy, as well as the statistical evolution of cantonal differences. In a second step, we subject the same set of sources to a discourse analysis allowing us to identify the main arguments accompanying the decision-making process in our three cantons. This latter analysis enables us to show the sometimes-subtle differences between cantonal policies and their respective conceptions of VET.

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“…Educational aims became more important, and school began to play a big role in apprentice trainings; hence, the hours at school were increased, and apprentices, known as "young workers," have slowly became "learners." [12].…”

Section: Vocational Training In Switzerland From Thirteenth To Ninete...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Vocational Training in German-Speaking Countries

Vujkov

2024

Technical and Vocational Education and Training

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Many countries in Europe and in the whole world, are trying to find ways to improve their vocational training systems. Many of them are looking up to German-speaking countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Vocational training systems in these countries have been an example of good practice for many years now. With its roots in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, vocational training in these countries still keeps the economy stable and unemployment rates low. However, every system has its flaws and these systems have often been criticized. The aim of this article is to give an overview of vocational training systems in the three biggest German-speaking countries in the world, all the way from its historical roots, up to modern days, including its strengths and weaknesses. It will also be highlighted how important these systems for the countries are and how they should be improved, in order to keep the quality and to adapt to new challenges.

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The evolution of VET systems as a combination of economic, social and educational aims. The case of Swiss VET

Cited by 4 publications

References 6 publications

Challenges, Future and Policy Orientations: The 1960s−1970s as Decisive Years for Swiss Vocational Education and Training

Challenges, Future and Policy Orientations: The 1960s−1970s as Decisive Years for Swiss Vocational Education and Training

Swiss VET between National Framework and Cantonal Autonomy: A Historical Perspective

Vocational Training in German-Speaking Countries

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