Vocational education: What is new?
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The revised Federal Constitution (in force since 01/01/2000) transfers legal responsibility for vocational education to the Confederation. Numerous reforms have been triggered by the new vocational education law of 1 January 2000 and the vocational education ordinance. A new aspect is that all professions outside of the universities fall under the responsibility of the Confederation and are therefore placed under a standardised system. The Confederation is now responsible for the professional areas of hEalthcare, social work and arts that were formerly regulated by the cantons.
New vocational education law
The new vocational education law offers new and differentiated ways of vocational education and a transmittance in the vocational education system. The implementation of the new vocational education law is a challenge that the Confederation, cantons and industrial environment organisations are facing jointly. The laws contain numerous improvements for the composition of the basic professional education. All professions will be adapted to the new determinations during a five year transition period. The Confederation has created a "Masterplan for Vocational Education" to allow a coordinated revision of the 300 professions.
Further reform areas affect, amongst others, the replacement of the vocational training for adolescents with low learning performances through a two year basic education with a federal professional certificate, the introduction of new curricula (curricula for those who are responsible for vocational education and curricula for general education) or the training and further education of the teachers of vocational education and / or those who are responsible for vocational education on the university level. The Swiss Institute for Vocational Pedagogy (SIBP) will continue to function as the Federal University for Vocational Education (EHB). The EHB will become the competence centre of the Confederation for teaching and research in vocational pedagogy, vocational education and professional development. The core tasks are the training of the teaching staff of those who are responsible for vocational education as well as the development of vocational education research.
Transfer from lower secondary level to upper secondary level
The transfer from lower secondary level to upper secondary level has become a problem for many adolescents today. Projects, research and coordination work is being completed to optimise this transfer to allow all adolescents to complete some form of education, vocational or otherwise, at upper secondary level.
Mobility
In the area of vocational education, the European Union is working on a guarantee for transparency, flexibility and mobility (Copenhagen process). A model is being aimed for an individual vocational education (European Credits for Vocational Education and Training ECVET) in analogy to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for universities. Switzerland actively participates in this process at an experimental level in close collaboration with the European Union.
The new vocational education law offers new and differentiated ways of vocational education and a transmittance in the vocational education system. The implementation of the new vocational education law is a challenge that the Confederation, cantons and industrial environment organisations are facing jointly. The laws contain numerous improvements for the composition of the basic professional education. All professions will be adapted to the new determinations during a five year transition period. The Confederation has created a "Masterplan for Vocational Education" to allow a coordinated revision of the 300 professions.
Further reform areas affect, amongst others, the replacement of the vocational training for adolescents with low learning performances through a two year basic education with a federal professional certificate, the introduction of new curricula (curricula for those who are responsible for vocational education and curricula for general education) or the training and further education of the teachers of vocational education and / or those who are responsible for vocational education on the university level. The Swiss Institute for Vocational Pedagogy (SIBP) will continue to function as the Federal University for Vocational Education (EHB). The EHB will become the competence centre of the Confederation for teaching and research in vocational pedagogy, vocational education and professional development. The core tasks are the training of the teaching staff of those who are responsible for vocational education as well as the development of vocational education research.
Transfer from lower secondary level to upper secondary level
The transfer from lower secondary level to upper secondary level has become a problem for many adolescents today. Projects, research and coordination work is being completed to optimise this transfer to allow all adolescents to complete some form of education, vocational or otherwise, at upper secondary level.
Mobility
In the area of vocational education, the European Union is working on a guarantee for transparency, flexibility and mobility (Copenhagen process). A model is being aimed for an individual vocational education (European Credits for Vocational Education and Training ECVET) in analogy to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for universities. Switzerland actively participates in this process at an experimental level in close collaboration with the European Union.
