Article 2007

Two countries - One system of vocational education? A comparison of the apprenticeship reform in the commercial sector in Switzerland and Germany

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Journal · Vol. 37 · Issue 1 · pp. 69-87
Abstract

In both Switzerland and Germany, necessary reforms in vocational education have been taking place for the past few years. By taking a closer look at the commerce sectors of both countries and their reforms, one can better compare their systems of apprenticeship. While the necessity for change in the commercial sector was similar in both countries, the course of these changes has been quite different. A widespread reform of the Swiss commercial sector began in 2003. In Germany, a comparable sweeping change in commercial apprenticeships cannot be seen, although many reforms have been implemented. In order to analyse the process and results of modernisation of both vocational education systems, they are compared and contrasted. Finally, hypotheses are formed about the possible reasons for the differences in vocational education in these two countries. © 2007 British Association for International and Comparative Education.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Vocational education Training work-based learning Germany Dual system Switzerland Commercial sector Reformation of apprenticeships

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Handbook of Research on Teaching, (2001)
2 Questions and Answers on the Dual System of Vocational Training in Germany, (1996)
3 Reform of Basic Commercial Training, (2003)
4 Determinants of Transitions in Youth, (1994)
5 Vocational Training in the Dual System in the Federal Republic of Germany, (1997)
6 Berufsbildungsbericht, (2005)
7 Die Reform Der Berufl Ichen Bildung Berufsbildungsgesetz 2005, (2005)
8 Deissinger, Thomas, Germany's vocational training act: Its function as an instrument of quality control within a tradition-based vocational training system, Oxford Review of Education, 22, 3, pp. 317-336, (1996)
9 Deissinger, Thomas, The german ‘philosophy’ of linking academic and work-based learning in higher education: The case of the ‘vocational academies’, Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 52, 4, pp. 605-626, (2000)
10 Deissinger, Thomas, Apprenticeships in Germany: Modernising the dual system, Education and Training, 47, 4-5, pp. 312-324, (2005)
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