Collective governance

The Confederation plays a strategic role and has comprehensive regulatory powers. Strategic management of the VPET system includes providing quality assurance and further development of the Swiss VPET system and ensuring transparency and comparability of courses throughout Switzerland. At upper-secondary level, the Confederation enacts around 250 VET ordinances. At tertiary-level, it approves around 430 examination regulations for federal examinations and over 50 core syllabuses for professional education institutions. Unlike the formal VET and professional education sectors, the Confederation has no regulatory authority over non-formal job-related continuing education and training.

The cantons are responsible for implementing vocational and professional education and training and supervising apprenticeships, vocational schools and professional education institutions. The cantonal VET offices issue permits authorising host companies to offer apprenticeship training, organise qualification procedures (final examinations) and design training courses for workplace trainers who are involved in initial and continuing training at host companies. The cantons also provide vocational, education and career guidance services to young people and adults.

Professional organisations include social partners, trade associations and other organisations and training providers. They are extensively involved in organising the strategy, concept and content of training at both upper-secondary and tertiary level. The Swiss VPET system is largely based on the voluntary participation of companies and professional organisations, which have a vested interest in training apprentices. Professional organisations establish the content of training. As a result, the content of initial and continuing training and the requirements that must be met for individual qualifications are aligned with the future needs of the labour market. All VET programmes undergo a cyclical review, at least once every five years to take into account economic, technological, environmental and didactic developments and are adapted as necessary. Tertiary-level training and corresponding professional qualifications are also regularly reviewed and adapted in response to new developments. Job-related continuing education and training (non-formal education) is provided by professional organisations and private training providers; the range of courses is large. New courses can be quickly implemented. This enables individuals to constantly adapt to new working requirements.