Project

Negotiation of occupational identities: apprentices in VET programmes in retail, automation and bricklaying

In Switzerland, vocational education and training (VET) relies on strong social recognition, but the high incidence of apprenticeship contract terminations and/or reorientations among apprentices suggests that the transition to working life is not always without complications. Hence, it is important to understand the experiences that apprentices have during their apprenticeship on the way to becoming professionals.

Fotolia

The aim of this research is to study the socialisation of apprentices during their training from a sociological perspective, focusing on the development of their occupational identities. Our goal is to understand the development of apprentices’ occupational identities, by taking into account the expectations and learning and working conditions at the host company and at the vocational school.

With an objective of developing an innovative approach to questions surrounding occupational identity, a comparison will be drawn between three occupations with specific work activities, levels of prestige and working conditions: the retail trade, automation and bricklaying. The way in which apprentices experience and make sense of different types of apprenticeships and develop into professionals will be analysed and compared. In particular, we will study how apprentices, as active agents in the process, develop identity strategies in response to the multiple tensions that they encounter during their training.

The project focuses on the following aspects:

What kind of professional identities do apprentices develop during their training?
How are apprentices’ occupational identities influenced by the expectations and working and learning conditions at host companies and vocational schools?
How do apprentices negotiate their occupational identities, given the demands of the job and working life? What identity strategies do they develop to reconcile the differences and tensions between their own expectations and the expectations of others?

This study seeks to improve our understanding of young people’s transition from school to work and the development of occupational identity. At the same time, it is intended to influence practices, specifically in VET teaching.

Method

The study is being carried out in seven vocational schools in the French- and German-speaking regions of Switzerland. Three vocational schools (in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bern) have already been approached regarding an initial project on the retail trade, and the gathered data will be included in this study [http://www.sfivet.swiss/project/occupational-identification-dual-track-vet-programmes-social-processes-prospects].

The research involving bricklaying and automation apprentices is taking place at four schools in the same two linguistic regions of the country. A qualitative approach has been adopted, involving various methods: observations in vocational schools, group discussions with apprentices, and semi-structured interviews with apprentices and other VET experts.

Publications

Transfer into practice

Presentations

Negotiation of occupational identities: apprentices in VET programmes in retail, automation and bricklaying

Caprani, I., Duemmler, K., & Felder, A. (2023). Berufslehre: Wege zur beruflichen Identität. Die Volkswirtschaft - Plattform für Wirtschaftspolitik, 09.01.2023.

Caprani, I., Duemmer, K., & Felder, A. (2023). Apprentissage : l’enjeu de l’identité professionnelle. La vie économique - Plateforme de politique économie, 09.01.2023.

Caprani, I., Felder, A., & Duemmler, K. (2022). Le rôle de l’accompagnement en centre de formation en entreprise dans la construction des identités professionnelles des apprenant-e-s en automatisation. Innovation pédagogique [en ligne]

Felder, A., Caprani, I., & Duemmler, K. (2022). De l’intérêt d’accompagner les apprenti·e·s. REISO.org Revue d'information sociale, 28.04.2022. [en ligne]

Duemmler, K., Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2022). Ausbildungsbedingungen aus der Sicht von Lernenden: Berufliche Grundbildung im Maurerhandwerk. Transfer, Berufsbildung in Forschung und Praxis (SGAB), 2/2022.

Duemmler, K., Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2022). Conditions de formation du point de vue des apprenti-e-s: Formation professionnelle initiale en maçonnerie. Transfert. Formation professionnelle dans la recherche et la pratique (SRFP), 2/2022.

Felder, A., Caprani, I., & Duemmler, K. (2022). Comment les apprenti-e-s développent leur identité professionnelle durant la formation en entreprise ? Renens: Haute école fédérale en formation professionnelle HEFP.

Felder, A., Caprani, I., & Duemmler, K. (2022). Wie Lernende in der Berufsbildung ihre berufliche Identität entwickeln. Renens: Eidgenössische Hochschule für Berufsbildung EHB.

Duemmler, K., Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2021). Aktuelle Arbeits- und Produktionsbedingungen im Schweizer Maurerhandwerk. Einflüsse auf die betrieblichen Ausbildungsbedingungen aus Sicht von Lernenden. Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, 117(4), 538–559.

Duemmler, K., & Felder, A. (2023, Juni). Berufliche Identität. Modul im Rahmen des PhD-Studienprogramms der Philosophischen Fakultät, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Schweiz.

Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2023, juin). Comment développer l’identité professionnelle des apprenti-e-s ? Cours de formation continue à la Ville de Vernier, Vernier, Suisse.

Felder, A., Duemmler, K., & Caprani, I. (2022, novembre). Comment développer l’identité professionnelle des apprenti-e-s dans le commerce de détail ? Présentation dans le cadre du Congrès professionnel Retail de Veledes, Sursee, Suisse.

Duemmler, K., Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2022, Juni). Ausbildungsbedingungen aus der Sicht der Lernenden. Präsentation anlässlich des Berufsbildnertages des Baumeisterverbandes Aargau, Aarau, Schweiz.

Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2021, mai). Comment développer l’identité professionnelle des apprenti-e-s ? Cours de formation continue, Institut fédéral des hautes études en formation professionnelle IFFP, Renens, Suisse.

Duemmler, K., Felder, A. & Caprani, I. (2018, November). Berufliche Identität von Lernenden und die Rolle der Berufsbildnerinnen und Berufsbildner. Beitrag präsentiert an der SGAB-EHB Tagung "Die Situation der Berufsbildnerinnen und Berufsbildner in den Betrieben", Zollikofen, Schweiz.

Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2022, septembre). Conditions d’apprentissage et agentivité en formation professionnelle. L’exemple de l’apprentissage en automatisation. Présentation au Congrès de la Société suisse pour la recherche en éducation (SSRE), Lausanne, Suisse.

Duemmler, K., Felder, A., & Caprani, I. (2021, September). Occupational Identity Strategies as Emancipation from Low-prestige VET Programs ? Retail and Bricklaying Apprentices in Switzerland. Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Geneva, Switzerland. (online)

Felder, A., Caprani, I., & Duemmler, K. (2021, juin). Inégalités des conditions d’apprentissage et agentivité en formation professionnelle. L’exemple de l’apprentissage en automatisation. Communication présentée au Congrès de la société suisse de sociologie (SSS), Genève, Suisse.

Caprani, I., Duemmler, K., & Felder, A. (2021, mai). La perception des pratiques d’accompagnement en entreprise par des apprenti-e-s en maçonnerie en Suisse. Communication présentée au 85e Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS), Montréal, Canada.