Project Summary

The research project aims at investigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on dual vocational education and training in Switzerland. We will focus on differences between occupational fields and regions regarding the training process, the demand and supply of apprenticeship positions and young people’s educational trajectories and labour market entry.

Regarding the training process, we will investigate the measures taken by training firms and professional organizations from the world of work (OdA) to ensure that apprentices acquired vocational skills and knowledge and were able to complete their training successfully (Work Package 1).

Furthermore, we will analyse whether the pandemic led to an adaptation of recruitment strategies, training regulations and practices. Regarding the demand and supply of apprenticeship positions, we will investigate whether the pandemic had an impact on young people’s search preferences and chosen training programmes on the one hand and firm’s supply for apprenticeship positions on the other hand (Work Package 2).

Regarding educational trajectories and labour market entry, we will ask whether the pandemic led to more turbulences for some groups of learners, such as delayed transitions to certifying upper secondary training, premature contract terminations, repetitions, final exam failures, unemployment or lower wages at labour market entry (Work Package 3).

The proposed project is based on a mixed-methods approach and will combine several data sources. These include a document analysis, semi-structured qualitative interviews with representatives of professional organisations, firms and apprentices, a quantitative online survey of firms engaged in vocational training, the analysis of changes in the apprenticeship market using data of Swiss online apprenticeship platforms, as well as the analysis of educational trajectories and labour market entry based on LABB data linked with additional administrative and survey data.