Innosuisse project – Innovative Learning Concepts
The project looks at which strategies and measures companies can adopt to adequately support employees with their occupational development.
The rapid pace of change in the world of employment and the resultant uncertainty over the longevity of specialist knowledge means versatile skills are becoming increasingly important. Knowledge structures that foster the acquisition and integration of new skills are a key priority and are increasingly being incorporated into VET programmes. However, the life-long learning skills involved are not just increasingly relevant to apprenticeship programmes but also to well-established companies and their employees. This means there is growing demand for suitable VET measures. While findings from VET can be transferred to the conceptualisation of CET measures for staff, promoting versatile skills amongst people who already possess in-depth specialist knowledge means addressing very specific challenges and topics.
The research project is being funded by the Swiss Innovation Agency (Innosuisse). It is a sub-study of the Innosuisse flagship project “Swiss Circular Economy of Skills and Competences” (SCESC) in which five universities are taking part – HSG, EPFL, ZHAW, UZH and SFUVET. The research aims to provide Swiss SMEs with support when developing versatile skills and establishing innovative learning cultures.
This will be achieved by making existing specialist literature and new research findings available to companies in a digital format that is suitable for educational purposes. This involves analysing and comparing sector, company size and age-specific CET requirements. A key priority is the relationship between implicitly embedded and reflexively accessible knowledge structures at both individual and organisational levels within companies. The study addresses topics related to the subjectification processes that employees undergo due to lifelong learning requirements as well as topics concerning a successful corporate culture that promotes independent and intrinsic learning practices.
Multilevel analysis is being used to explore the topics outlined above in depth. This includes a methodical summary of discursive analytical research approaches with qualitative, empirical evaluation at the companies or with company representatives. The methods used to collect data include the design and organisation of workshops, interviews with experts, CET participants and specialists as well as participatory observations.