SFUVET research activities

2021 was another intensive year for SFUVET’s Research & Development Division. The large volume of research projects (58) was maintained, and the number of book contributions and published peer-reviewed articles increased from 42 in 2020 to 53 in 2021. This shows that SFUVET’s research output remains high.

Study on the value of education and training

The study 'Value of Education and Training on the Swiss Labour Market received a great deal of attention in 2021. Commissioned by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and conducted by SFUVET researchers, this study examined the opportunities and risks for people on the labour market based on their educational qualifications. The study also considered the various changes that have taken place over the last 25 years. Two key findings: vocational and professional qualifications are still relevant on the Swiss labour market; and the proportion of holders of tertiary-level qualifications in the Swiss population has increased significantly.

Leading House 'Vocational Didactics'

SFUVET has been running the swissuniversities-funded 'Vocational Didactics' Leading House since 2017. In September 2021, a meeting sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation was held in Zollikofen. At this meeting, 21 researchers from Germany and Switzerland gathered to network and discuss new research findings in the area of vocational didactics.

Exhibition 'At the Heart of Apprenticeships'

The exhibition 'At the Heart of Apprenticeships', developed by SFUVET researchers, provides insight into the day-to-day training activities of workplace trainers and apprentices. At the same time, it shows how academic research can shed light on certain phenomena observed in workplace training. The exhibition is based on research into the role of workplace trainers and will be shown at trade fairs in the French-speaking region of Switzerland. Because some fairs had to be cancelled in 2021 as a result of covid-related restrictions, a virtual form of the exhibition was also created. 'At the Heart of Apprenticeships' will also be hosted at the SwissSkills 2022 competition.