An Appraisal of the Swiss Vocational Education and Training System Dubs E Vorspann Korrs4 14.02.2006 10:16 Uhr Seite II
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4 Swiss research on vocational education and training Volume 4 Rolf Dubs Is Swiss vocational education and training (VET) EU compatible? The new federal law on VET came into force in 2004. The preparatory work invol- An Appraisal of the Swiss ved in drafting the law gave a fresh impetus to VET in Switzerland. Pro- fessor Rolf Dubs, a specialist in this field, examines emerging issues and Vocational Education and presents an appraisal of the Swiss dual system. Although his conclusions are largely positive, Professor Dubs stresses the need for constant reforms Training System of the system and a closer monitoring of changes in the world of work. An Appraisal of the Swiss Vocational Education Systemand Training Commissioned by the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology www.bbt.admin.ch www.edizionicasagrande.com Casagrande www.editionslep.ch www.hep-verlag.ch Rolf Dubs Casagrande Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite I An Appraisal of the Swiss Vocational Education and Training System Dubs E Vorspann_KorrS4 14.02.2006 10:16 Uhr Seite II Professor em. Dr. Dres. h.c. Rolf Dubs An Appraisal of the Swiss Vocational Education and Training System Commissioned by the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology Series Title: Swiss research on vocational education and training, Volume 4 ISBN 3-03905-166-0 Ebenfalls in deutscher Sprache erhältlich: Gutachten zu Fragen der schweizerischen Berufsbildung ISBN 3-03905-164-4 Egalement disponible en français sous le titre: Rapport d’expertise sur les questions concernant la formation professionnelle en Suisse ISBN 2-606-01149-X Layout: GBS, Lyss Cover: Wiggenhauser & Woodtli GmbH, Zürich Bibliografische Information Der Deutschen Bibliothek. Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Angaben sind im Internet unter http://dnb.ddb.de abrufbar. 1st edition 2006 All rights reserved © 2006 h.e.p. verlag ag h.e.p. verlag ag Bildung.Medien.Kommunikation Brunngasse 36 CH-3011 Bern www.hep-verlag.ch Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite III Prof. em. Dr. Dres. h.c. Rolf Dubs An Appraisal of the Swiss Vocational Education and Training System Commissioned by the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite IV Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite V Foreword by Joseph Deiss Foreword by Joseph Deiss Call for excellence in vocational education! You are reading the first volume of a new series of publications on “voca- tional education research”. This collection is launched in answer to a real and urgent need. In fact, it is paradoxical that vocational education and training, the path chosen by two thirds of young people, is seen as a stepchild of educational research. Solid scientific bases are indispensable to the monitoring of developments in vocational education and training, and to providing it with support and guidance. This new series aims to disseminate fundamental research and thus to enrich the practices and reflections of those involved in vocation- al education and training. The study by Professor Rolf Dubs was particularly suitable for the launch of this collection. The author is an expert in Swiss vocational education and training and has devoted much of his research to this field. In the present publication, Pro- fessor Dubs provides an overview of Swiss vocational education and train- ing against the background of educational developments in Europe. What are the advantages and risks inherent in our system? Does it offer the best chances of employment? The conclusions reached by Professor Dubs are encouraging, though he goes beyond a laudatory stocktaking by pin- pointing where there is room for improvement. He underlines the need for those involved in vocational education to find compromises between often conflicting interests. Such compromises should not simply take the form of maintaining the status quo, as this would hold back the develop- ment of Swiss vocational education. Professor Dubs insists that the necessary conditions are there for the suc- cess of our vocational education to continue. In this era of borders that are steadily being opened and labour market conditions that are rapidly V Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite VI Foreword by Joseph Deiss changing, we must commit ourselves to a strong vocational education sys- tem. I am convinced that this new publication series will contribute to achieving this goal. Enjoy your reading! Joseph Deiss Federal Councillor Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs VI Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite VII Preface Preface The main task of the present appraisal is to provide fundamental observa- tions on basic vocational education in Switzerland, especially practical vocational training. The main questions touch on the position of basic education in international development. Such a focus is justified by grow- ing concerns that the Swiss dual vocational education system and its strong emphasis on practical training might not be oriented enough towards the future to account for a trend in individual European countries towards vocational education that is purely school-based. Of particular importance here is the international recognition of Swiss Universities of Applied Sci- ences (UAS) for the pursuit of studies abroad and for the exercising of an economic activity. Finding solutions is difficult for three reasons. First, these questions have only been researched empirically, which makes scientific reasoning difficult. Second, EU vocational education policy is not necessarily binding and is currently in a state of fluctuation. At the time the appraisal was com- pleted, a basic vocational education credit system, which should improve professional mobility, had yet to be established since it is difficult to account for the special features of all EU members’ vocational education systems in the design. Third, there are many decisions that are political and rely heavily on the opinions of trade associations. If, for whatever reason, the latter take a neg- ative view of innovative proposals from experts and interested parties to develop the vocational system, these will effectively become redundant regardless of their scientific and/or rational justification. For this reason, the author decided not only to look at seven central questions, but also to conduct a wider and more exhaustive examination of the issues at stake with the aim of providing a more discriminating overview. The findings of this appraisal of the Swiss vocational education system have been far from pessimistic. The dual (three-track) vocational educa- tion system has its own inherent advantages and creates good opportuni- ties for youth employment. However, there is a clear need to make the sys- tem more flexible. All things considered, the findings on the development of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) are positive. Entry to UAS from the vocational school level is adequate. Furthermore, the adoption of the Bologna Declaration requirements and the European Credit Transfer Sys- VII Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite VIII Preface tem are steps in the right direction. Possible problems (e.g. dilution of the Bachelor title for UAS) can be solved, if the UAS now concentrate on improving the quality and the range of the services they provide in rela- tion to a broader range of services they offer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Matthias Pilz, a re- searcher at the Institut für Wirtschaftspädagogik at the University of St. Gallen, for his extensive work on individual parts of this appraisal. The con- clusions drawn by the author are entirely his own. St. Gallen, 1st April 2004 Rolf Dubs VIII Dubs E Vorspann 07.02.2006 9:44 Uhr Seite IX Executive summary Executive summary The Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) commissioned an expert report to examine seven specific questions, which have been answered in Chapter 6. In addition, the OPET requested that the basic vocational education system and the development of the Uni- versities of Applied Sciences (UAS) be presented in such a way that con- clusions could be drawn on the international positioning of the Swiss voca- tional education system. For this reason, the introductory summary offers a broader approach. Chapter One examines some criticisms levelled at the dual vocational education system in Switzerland. 1. It shows why a diversified educational system is essential (i.e. gener- al/vocational education, universities/UAS). This chapter shows that merely increasing the number of young people going in for a Matura will not suffice as an educational means of improving the attractiveness of Switzerland as an economic location (Section 1.2.1).1 2. The imbalance between the supply of and demand for apprenticeship places will continue to be a problem. Given the wide range of influences on demand and supply, this cannot be solved with a single policy instru- ment. There must be a range of measures, tailored to the specific fail- ures of the market (Section 1.2.2). 3. The varying demands of large, medium-sized and small companies for specific occupations are likely to increase further. Based on the gener- ally worded Federal Law on Vocational Education of 13 December 2002 (BBG), decrees can be designed to take those multiple demands into account (Section 1.2.3). 4. Most of the criticisms of the dual vocational education system, brought forward mainly by foreign experts, are too general and thus often do not withstand empirical scrutiny (Section 1.2.4). 5. Many weaknesses of the Swiss dual vocational education system are mentioned in the first OECD report on the Swiss education system. The report, however, generally pays hardly any regard to specific Swiss fea- tures, but it reflects the thinking of European experts who are influen- tial in matters of European vocational education policy matters (Section 1.2.5).