Making the path of the professionals better known (part 2)
Switzerland’s dual vocational training system receives high marks both nationally and internationally. It ensures a steady supply of well-trained skilled workers and is a key pillar of our country’s competitiveness. However, there is insufficient awareness of the educational pathways and career opportunities it offers. By Martin Stalder, Head of the Higher Vocational Education Division, Federal Office for Vocational Education and Technology (BBT).
The competitiveness of the Swiss economy is primarily due to the high quality of its products and services. Well-trained specialists with qualifications from higher vocational education and training bring new innovations to the world of work every day and create an excellent basis for Switzerland's competitiveness thanks to high-quality work.
VET programmes are supported by organizations in the world of work and are therefore much better aligned with qualification requirements than higher education programmes. Thanks to the labor market-oriented training, VET graduates are also quickly and easily integrated into the labor market. The high level of employment effectiveness creates a high level of acceptance of VET qualifications in Switzerland, but also throughout Europe. VET is also very cost-effective for the state, as employers and students bear a large proportion of the training costs.
Nevertheless, the qualities of vocational education and training are still too often misunderstood and the path to clearly positioning vocational education and training in the Swiss education system has not yet been completed.
In addition to the very unequal funding of tertiary A and tertiary B by the public sector, there are also legal inequalities in the treatment of providers and students from canton to canton. With the "Higher Vocational Education and Training" master plan, the Confederation is aiming for intercantonal funding of courses based on jointly agreed criteria. The funds already invested by the public sector should be used in such a way that they promote the quality development of the courses on offer. Sensible regional coordination of courses should prevent the number of participants from being too small and achieve full intercantonal freedom of movement for students, similar to universities of applied sciences and universities.
VET needs strong coordination and cooperation between the players. Transparency with regard to higher vocational education and training courses and qualifications is an absolute necessity. The value of the individual qualifications must be tangible and understandable for both students and employers. The professional competencies that are demonstrated with the PET qualifications are tailored to the qualification requirements of the labor market. They are the result of professional experience and training. Holders of PET qualifications are "reflective practitioners". The advantages of PET must be consistently strengthened and communicated. The possibility of direct control by the economy ensures that the qualifications will continue to meet the current requirements of the world of work in the future.
We can be proud of dual vocational education and training. We are all called upon to make a contribution to strong vocational education and training in the future - the economy, politics, the Confederation and cantons and, last but not least, the professionals themselves, who keep their professional skills up to date through appropriate further training.
VET programmes are supported by organizations in the world of work and are therefore much better aligned with qualification requirements than higher education programmes. Thanks to the labor market-oriented training, VET graduates are also quickly and easily integrated into the labor market. The high level of employment effectiveness creates a high level of acceptance of VET qualifications in Switzerland, but also throughout Europe. VET is also very cost-effective for the state, as employers and students bear a large proportion of the training costs.
Nevertheless, the qualities of vocational education and training are still too often misunderstood and the path to clearly positioning vocational education and training in the Swiss education system has not yet been completed.
In addition to the very unequal funding of tertiary A and tertiary B by the public sector, there are also legal inequalities in the treatment of providers and students from canton to canton. With the "Higher Vocational Education and Training" master plan, the Confederation is aiming for intercantonal funding of courses based on jointly agreed criteria. The funds already invested by the public sector should be used in such a way that they promote the quality development of the courses on offer. Sensible regional coordination of courses should prevent the number of participants from being too small and achieve full intercantonal freedom of movement for students, similar to universities of applied sciences and universities.
VET needs strong coordination and cooperation between the players. Transparency with regard to higher vocational education and training courses and qualifications is an absolute necessity. The value of the individual qualifications must be tangible and understandable for both students and employers. The professional competencies that are demonstrated with the PET qualifications are tailored to the qualification requirements of the labor market. They are the result of professional experience and training. Holders of PET qualifications are "reflective practitioners". The advantages of PET must be consistently strengthened and communicated. The possibility of direct control by the economy ensures that the qualifications will continue to meet the current requirements of the world of work in the future.
We can be proud of dual vocational education and training. We are all called upon to make a contribution to strong vocational education and training in the future - the economy, politics, the Confederation and cantons and, last but not least, the professionals themselves, who keep their professional skills up to date through appropriate further training.
