Our new outfit suits us well

Fifty years of commitment to vocational education and training: in 2022, the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET) had good reasons to celebrate. And we did this, not with glamorous festivities, but by continuing to write our story with resolve. 

It is important to understand that 2022 was the baptism of fire for the new SFUVET Act. This piece of legislation provided the legal basis for our new status as an accredited university of teacher education. A look in the mirror shows: our new outfit suits us well. 

However, tailoring the new outfit was a feat of strength. Many colleagues contributed to the process of transforming our federal institute into a university of teacher education catering specifically to the needs of the Swiss VPET system. The self-evaluation performed during the accreditation process was used to critically analyse ourselves and identify ways to continuously improve. 

The acceptance of vocational and professional education and training requires the existence of a university of teacher education where professionals throughout the VPET system can undergo comprehensive pedagogical training. As Switzerland’s only federal university of teacher education, SFUVET has certain obligations. Despite our academic aspirations, our close proximity to the economy remains our key strength. 

In 2022, SFUVET marked its anniversary with the ‘Sustainable Skills’ symposium. I have fond memories of this occasion because it highlighted the crucial role that SFUVET plays in the development of the Swiss VPET system. SFUVET always has been, and always will be, a driving force. In this sense, the creation of our institution fifty years ago was a sustainable endeavour.