IC-VPET Events

SERI uses new or existing forums created by national or international partners to raise the profile of the Swiss VPET system and encourage dialogue with various stakeholders.

By taking part in such events, a broad and relevant audience can be reached. At the same time, different target groups can be addressed through diversified activities.

Examples of IC-VPET events in Switzerland that draw an international gathering

  • WEF: Each year on the sidelines of the WEF the House of Switzerland hosts an annual event devoted to vocational education and training.
  • Participation in the WEF's Global Learning Network (GLN): As a 'knowledge partner country', Switzerland contributes to the Closing the Skills Gap Accelerator project. In addition to gaining visibility on an international stage, this event also provides an opportunity for dialogue with 'accelerator countries', which are those seeking to reform their VET systems.
  • SwissSkills: this is a joint event organised by the federal government (SERI) in conjunction with Bern cantonal and municipal authorities. For SwissSkills 2022, plans are underway for a presentation of the Swiss vocational education and training system to the diplomatic corps as well as guided tours of the site.

Examples of IC-VPET events abroad

  • WorldSkills: Every two years, over 1,000 young professionals from over 60 different countries take part in the WorldSkills competition. Young professionals from Switzerland always excel in the competition, which provides a great deal of publicity for Switzerland's dual-track vocational education and training system.

Archive

  • House of Switzerland (HoS) in Stuttgart 2021: On the 8th of October, various VET-related events will be organised at the HoS in Stuttgart, which is a temporary communication platform organised by Presence Switzerland.
  • Swiss Pavilions at international expos: from 12-18 December 2021, a focus week devoted to 'Learning Tomorrow' will be organised at the Swiss Pavilion during the Expo Dubai. VET is among the various topics covered.
  • Future Talk in Bern: on 4-6 November 2020, Worlddidac held an event in a predominantly hybrid 'Future Talk' format. EAER sponsored the event and State Secretary Martina Hirayama opened the event with a virtual greeting message.
  • Switzerland holds observer status in the Pacific Alliance and has taken part in the last four Pacific Alliance Youth Summit (the most recent one was held in Mexico in June 2019) to present the Swiss vocational education and training system. This gathering is organised by the four countries of the Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) together with Nestlé. Each year, this event brings together over 1,000 young people from Pacific Alliance countries who are enrolled in dual vocational education and training.
  • International Congress on Vocational and Professional Education and Training (VPET Congress): In 2014, 2016 and 2018, the first international conferences devoted to the vocational and professional education and training were successfully held in Winterthur, drawing around 500 participants from over 70 different countries on each occasion. The VPET Congress provided a platform for open dialogue and the sharing of good practices among stakeholders involved in international cooperation in the area of vocational and professional education and training. By transferring VPET expertise and creating a global network, these events set the stage for bilateral and multilateral cooperation and have helped to further consolidate VPET worldwide. As specialised events, they were intended for an international audience from the fields of education, politics and business, including decision-makers responsible for vocational education and training as well as experts from ministries, educational institutions, companies and associations.
  • WEF: on 23 January 2020, the House of Switzerland in Davos held a pilot event on vocational education and training. State Secretary Martina Hirayama welcomed Guy Ryder (Director-General of the International Labour Organization), Laurent Freixe (Executive Vice President and CEO Zone Americas, Nestlé) and Dipak Mane (Chief Human Resources Officer, Bühler) to a panel discussion.
  • Global Skill Development Summit: back in November 2018, former State Secretary Mauro Dell’Ambrogio attended the 8th Global Skill Development Summit in Lucknow in India.
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