International VET Congress in Zollikofen (23-25 March 2011) 

4/14/2011 

On 23 to 25 March, the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET) hosted its 2nd International Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training in Zollikofen. The conference was devoted to the following theme: "Vocational Education and Training Challenges: Developing Skills and Competences for the Future".

The conference highlighted current challenges in the VET sector such as changing labour market conditions, new occupational profiles, anticipated shortages of qualified workers in certain occupations, the need for greater integration of disadvantaged social groups and lifelong learning.
All of these challenges influence the manner in which VET is imparted and assimilated, requiring corresponding adaptations in VET teaching, training and learning methods. The aim of the conference was to suggest possible solutions and take stock of research in Switzerland and in other countries.

Over 150 participants from ten different countries travelled to Zollikofen to discuss the latest VET research findings. Five internationally known keynote speakers discussed current VET-related themes from various angles: political science, economics, education science, psychology and engineering: Prof. Christine Trampusch (University of Bern), Prof. Eric Bettinger (Stanford University, USA), Prof. P. Robert-Jan Simons (University of Utrecht, Netherlands), Prof. Manfred Prenzel (Technical University of Munich, Germany) and Prof. Miguel Nussbaum (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile).
These keynote speeches were followed by 17 paper sessions, in which over 50 research projects were presented. Important themes included the school-to-work transition, VET teachers and VET trainers, the quality of VET teaching and training, social disparities and economics of VET/PET.

The conference was co-sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the scientific journal Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training. It was organised with the help of the Austrian Conference on Vocational Education and Training Research.
The 3rd International Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training is planned for 2013.