Switzerland actively pursues international cooperation in vocational and professional education and training (IC-VPET) with partner countries in several policy areas. Greater attention is being given to such cooperation at intergovernmental level and within international organisations. This demand and the need to coordinate efforts over several policy areas prompted the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) to create the IC-VPET website.
Cartoon Movie explaining International Cooperation in Vocational and Professional Education and Training (IC-VPET)
Objectives of federal IC-VPET activities
Federal IC-VPET activities are intended to achieve three overarching, mutually supportive and reinforcing objectives:
- Strengthening the Swiss VPET system within an international context
- Supporting socioeconomic development in partner countries
- Successfully positioning Switzerland at the international level
The IC-VPET activities of the various federal agencies have a strategic basis in several policy areas (education, development cooperation, foreign affairs, economics and migration).
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), which is responsible for VPET at federal level, works in coordination with the cantons and professional organisations to promote and further develop the Swiss education system at national and international level. This is achieved partly through the mutual recognition of foreign qualifications combined with support measures for exchange programmes, and partly through the sharing of information and expertise on education policy with interested countries. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) contribute to sustainable development through vocational education and training projects and policy dialogue in selected priority countries. These activities are aimed at fostering development, foreign trade and international migration policy. Finally, Presence Switzerland and the Swiss diplomatic network’s communication activities enhance the visibility of the Swiss VPET system, contributing to a positive and differentiated perception of Switzerland abroad.
These various opportunities and objectives in a range of policy areas are summarised under the term international cooperation in vocational and professional education and training, IC-VPET. In order to better coordinate their international VPET activities and their response to enquiries in this field from abroad, the federal offices concerned formed an IC-VPET coordination group in 2014. This group also maintains a network of stakeholders from business, education, science and civil society and fosters coordination and exchange among them.
IC-VPET website
The IC-VPET website is a shared information platform maintained by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Directorate of Political Affairs (DPA) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET).
The website is a source of information about joint events and IC-VPET activities of various federal agencies. In addition, it serves as a single contact point for questions of internal and external stakeholders may relating to several federal agencies. As a central platform, it is used to sort, coordinate and handle the following:
- Requests for information concerning the Swiss VPET system or IC-VPET activities
- Enquiries from countries wishing to send delegations to learn more about the Swiss VPET system
- Enquiries regarding the contact details of federal agencies or persons involved in IC-VPET activities
- Invitations to take part in congresses and conferences
- Support and project-related enquiries
If you have questions concerning Swiss IC-VPET activities but are unsure which federal agency to contact or if you wish to send a delegation to learn more about the Swiss VPET system, please contact us here:
Strategy
Switzerland’s International Activities in the area of Vocational and Professional Education and Training (german) (PDF, 584 kB, 12.12.2019)Federal Council report in response to Postulate 17.3506, Claude Hêche