1. Dr. Ursula Renold General Director, Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in the 21 st Century Panel 2 The New Global Economic Context: Does it merit a new VET response? Alberta, 31st August 2009

2. 1.VPET in Switzerland - Facts & Figures 2.Systemic Innovation in VPET 3.Swiss VET-response during the global economic downturn Outline

3. Swiss VET/PET System

4. Funding, innovation Professional and labour market skills in national and international terms Confederation Cantons Associations Determining learning content & competencies Planning & implementation Apprentices Gainfully employed Quality standards & indicators Legal regulations & framework curricula Steering instruments Partnership Innovation in the VPET system

5. Cornerstones of Swiss VPET  Decisive role of the economy “market-driven system”  Qualification possibilities for all real education service  approximately two-thirds of young people choose this pathway 75,000 new apprentices / year Almost 220,000 apprentices in total  22’500 of degrees/year in PET (tertiary B)

6. Offer Demand 77‘000 83‘000 Previous year 76‘000 Previous year 74‘000 VET – upper secondary II Number of apprenticeship positions in 2008 Until August 2009  now sign of a downturn in the apprenticeship-market

7. Youth unemployment under 25 years (OECD 2007) Switzerland: 7.1 % OECD average: 11.9 %

8. years old Development of youth unemployment in Switzerland January 2000 – July 2009 (SECO) Source figures: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)

9. Demographic outlook of primary school level Pre-school Primary school Secondary I level

10. 1.VPET in Switzerland - Facts & Figures 2.Systemic Innovation in VPET 3.Dissemination of research results – evidence-based policy Outline

11. Systematic and systemic Innovation in VPET as a pro-active way to face the needs of the next generation Research Leading Houses Research Leading Houses Results Basic Questions Results Promotion of projects Promotion of projects Development Process (Bottom-up) Research Process(Top-down) Policy Review Policy System Monitoring

12. Cost-benefits of vocational apprenticeships for firms/state Research: Willingness to take on apprentices, Firms/corporate dynamics Professional aptitudes and employability Research/Development Measuring outcomes Forecast Dual VET system Structural changes in the for-profit sector Dynamic overview of basic VET Research: Quality standards for VET students Learning strategies and social learning Research: Monitoring of demographic trends Impact of information technologies Research: Apprenticeship market, job placement/mentoring Research/Development Integration, Migration Research: Lifestyles of young people; withdrawal from apprenticeship Reform process - Fed. Decree on Education Authorisation Vocational schools (teaching staff, school directors) VET instructors Exam experts Instructors Inter-company courses Evaluations, Quality assurance Continuing education Innovation Legislation Research Implementation Vocational apprenticeships

13. How to make VPET education attractive to youngsters and relevant to labor market? Constant reform of existing professions and creation of new VET-professions (not just crafts & trades): e.g. IT-engineers (Google, Cisco, Microsoft) National standards and federal recognition of diploma Permeability of the educational system 13

14. Monitoring of apprenticeship-market and constant activities of all VET-partners monthly review in all cantons scientific monitoring of supply and demand side of the apprenticeship market, twice a year statistical monitoring of apprenticeship contracts by federal office of statistic, once a year cost-benefit analysis of training activity for firms with apprenticeship training, every 5 years

15. 1.VPET in Switzerland - Facts & Figures 2.Systemic Innovation in VPET 3.Swiss VET-response during the global economic downturn Outline

16. Swiss VET/PET System Transition phase I: access to apprenticeship market & other educational programmes Transition phase II: labor market or further education Transition phase II: labor market

17. Influencing factors Demographic development (e.g. school leavers) Short-term economic development  supply of apprenticeships Number of apprentices finishing their apprenticeship Number of possibilities for tertiary or continuing eduction programmes; permeability

18. Acitivities on the demand side (during crises) Strengthen „Case Management“-programme: hiring of more case-manager More full-time VET-programmes if necessary Career orientation for a further education programme Advertising campaign for several offers (work placement, internship, further education)

19. Identification, registering and ongoing monitoring of ‘at risk' groups Career orientation Transition Compulsory school to apprentiship market or secondary II-level Case Management - Federalist cooperation Year 7/8 Year 9 Upper secondary level Transition I Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education (EDK) Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) together with SECO Transition II Labor Market Transition Apprenticeship market to labor market

20. Parents Teachers Invalidity authorities Regional Employment Centres Social services Career advisors Vet Office Institutional cooperation CM today: Networking between institutional partners supported by webbased tool „CaseNet“ Social services Regional Employment Centres Career advisors VET Offices Parents Teachers Invalidity authorities, migration offices

21. Activities on the supply side: avoid a meltdown of apprenticeship market Monitoring of apprenticeships offered by companies Acquisition of new apprenticeships by VET- networker (see next slide) In case of a downturn in a specific sector or region (e.g. bankruptcy of training companies)  providing of alternative apprenticeship s in other sectors or regions

22. How to engage companies? Average net benefit of training activity for firms with apprenticeship training in CAN $ 3-year apprenticeship 4-year apprenticeship Gross cost80‘800113‘388 Productive contribution93‘120115‘488 Net benefit for company12‘1902‘100 22 Source: Mühlemann et al. 2007 To take an apprentice is a mid-term investment and not a short-term decision, especially regarding our demographic development!

23. Lifelong learning during unemployment phase Engaging the working or the unemployed population in a constant up-date of skills and competencies  use time! Continuous education in order to improve and develop new skills Market driven system for continuous education  preparing the workforce of tomorrow 23

24. Dr. Ursula Renold, General Director, Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in the 21 st Century Panel 2: The New Global Economic Context: Does it merit a new VET response? Alberta, 31st August 2009 Thank you for listening!