Between Selection and Inclusion in Vocational Education and Training: Contrasting Switzerland and Spain

Abstract

This article discusses inclusivness of Vocational Education and Training (VET) at Upper Secondary Education (USE). While inclusion has become a policy aim in compulsory education, it isnot so clear that it is the case beyond post-16 education. In the case of VET, the demand of high quality standardized vocational qualifications challenges inclusion. The article addresses three differentdimensions of inclusion: access to VET at USE, successfully achieving a qualification, and entering the labor market in a position according to the qualification achieved. We approach inclusion froma policy rather than a pedagogical perspective in section 2, and in section 3 our hypothesis about the inclusiveness of a school-based VET and a dual VET system are presented. In section 4 we chooseSpain and Switzerland as examples of these systems, we show indicators, and we describe how both systems deal with the three dimensions of accessing, achieving a qualification and entering the labormarket. The analysis concludes by stating that inclusion is particularly difficult because of the first dimension: it is in transition to VET in USE where both countries have more difficulties and couldimprove their inclusiveness. The problem is the same, but the reasons are different and these are explained in the text, addressing tensions between reputation and inclusiveness and the externalizationof measures. Some considerations on comparative education also result from our analysis