Vocational education and training in Switzerland

In Switzerland, dual vocational education and training (VET), which alternates learning at school and training in a host-company, is the most common educational pathway followed by young people after compulsory school. The active involvement of companies in the system provides a strong tie with the...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Lamamra, Nadia
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:176401
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/176401
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.5565/rev/educar.863
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:VET
Gender
Sexual division of labour
Social norms
Socialisation
Resistance
Formación profesional
Género
División del trabajo
Normas
Socialización
Resistencia
Formació professional
Gènere
Divisió del treball
Normes
Socialització
Resistència
Descripción
Sumario:In Switzerland, dual vocational education and training (VET), which alternates learning at school and training in a host-company, is the most common educational pathway followed by young people after compulsory school. The active involvement of companies in the system provides a strong tie with the labour market and its logics. Consequently, VET functions as its antechamber by preparing young people for gender segregation and discrimination as they are experienced in everyday working life. Based on a qualitative analysis from 46 interviews, this paper analyses VET as a place of occupational, but also of gender socialisation. During their first experience in VET, young people are confronted with the sexual division of labour and the hierarchy between the sexes. In parallel, they learn gender norms related to a specific occupation in a segregated context. At the working place, in relation to co-workers, socialisation can be quite rough for these young people. Finally, the paper will highlight how the apprentices renegotiate the norms and codes and how they resist these assignations, in particular using gender strategies such as defensive virility or muliebrity.