In our research field we focus on institutional conditions of the VET system and their impact on educational and occupational pathways of youths and young adults. Institutional conditions refer to the structural and cultural arrangement of the education system. These include the distinction between different types of basic vocational training, the extent of exam standardization or the informal operational strategies of apprentices recruitment. Such institutional factors influence both the VET process as well as the transition into the labour market. For example, they determine whether youths enroll in their preferred kind of training, graduate therein and find a job in the particular field. Hence, the main focus of our research is to identify the structural and institutional conditions playing a role in explaining educational pathways of young people.
Our current projects analyse how the institutional structures of Swiss VET developed historically and what role they play for explaining educational pathways, the transition of young people into higher vocational education and into the labour market. The findings provide important information for future decision making in educational policy. By identifying the institutional arrangements supporting young people’s successful educational pathways and sustainable labour market integration, our projects will help to optimise specific VET programmes as well as the VET system as a whole.
The findings of our projects are presented at conferences and to interested groups. Publications include scientific and professional journals, book chapters and mandated reports.