VET Congress 2019: 4-6 March 2019

The end of VET as we know it? Skills development in times of technical and social change - 6th Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training

M. Dörr & M. Frommherz/Fotolia

We are proud to present the 6th Congress on Research in Vocational Education and Training in Switzerland.
This congress will take place from 4 to 6 March 2019 in Bern/Zollikofen, Switzerland.
We are looking forward to meeting you.

Prof. Dr. Antje Barabasch
Chair of the Congress

Congress venue

EHB
Eidgenössisches Hochschulinstitut für Berufsbildung
Kirchlindachstrasse 79
CH-3052 Zollikofen

Maps and directions

Congress program

The congress program is available here.

ABOUT THE CONGRESS

For the sixth time, the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET) invites researchers to engage in an exchange of ideas and research findings and to reflect on VET issues.

“The end of VET as we know it” stands representative for a time of reconsideration of VET as a way of adequately preparing young adults for the world of work and for society. It is about coping with insecurity and disruption, building new technological and social competences as well as developing creativity for innovation. Demographic change and the expansion of higher education challenge VET as an attractive educational pathway to the labour market. With technological advances leading to more radical changes in the labour market, experts are calling for a reform of education, including vocational education and training, adult and professional education. An increasing decay of knowledge leads to a reconsideration regarding the kind of knowledge that is relevant as well as about the ways in which knowledge is acquired and how it needs to be combined within new forms of learning and working practices. Renewal and change requires building up and recombining a broad range of skills to work in various kinds of teams. Topics that concern education in respect to workforce preparation include migration and inclusion of foreign workers, hybridization of education, digital skills development, and reskilling and upskilling to avoid skills mismatches. The conference attempts to capture these developments through presentations coming from various disciplines, such as education, psychology, sociology, economics or political science.

More Information: Call for Papers - SFIVET VET Congress 2019

Call for papers

SUBMISSION: INDIVIDUAL PAPER PRESENTATION

Please submit via ConfTool

  • a short abstract of 100-300 words (for the program and if you submit a symposia summary); and
  • an extended summary of 1000-1200 words. The extended summary should include information on the theoretical and methodological approach used as well as the findings obtained;
  • if you wish to participate in the best paper award you may submit a full paper.

SUBMISSION: SYMPOSIUM

Symposia examine a single topic in depth from different perspectives, providing a coherent set of papers for discussion. Symposia sessions consist of three or four presentations and a contribution by at least one discussant. In each symposium, the participants come from at least two different countries.

If you are a presenter of a symposium, you will be asked to submit an abstract and an extended summary (or a full paper) for your individual contribution. Please mark your upload with “SY”before the title. In addition, the organizer of the symposium will need to submit the abstract for the symposium topic as well as the names of all contributors, the title of their presentations and their abstracts. For this part of the symposium submission the organizer does not need to upload extended summaries or papers for each individual contribution. Please submit your proposal via ConfTool. A symposium proposal will either be accepted or declined as a whole. If the symposium is rejected as a whole, but an individual paper within the symposium receives a high rating, it can be included in the program as an individual paper presentation. In this case the authors will be contacted by the organizers. Please also indicate if you like to apply for the Best Paper Award.

THE SMALLS - SHORT FILM ("ELEVATOR PITCH")

Showcase the essence of your presentation in a one-minute movie. All kinds of expressions, e.g. dance, paint, pantomime, spoken word… are welcome. The best contributions will be combined in a BEST OF SHORT FILMS that we will show throughout the conference. The short film might be combined with an individual paper presentation.

SCIENCE SLAM

A science slam is a scientific talk in which scientists present their own research in a 5 to 10 minute slot in front of a non-expert audience. The focus lies on teaching current science to a diverse audience in an entertaining way. The audience judges the presentations. Talks can be given directly at the conference or be videotaped and submitted. The best contributions will be chosen for presentation or broadcasting at the congress. An award is proposed for the best rated presentation. Ratings will relate to the ease of understanding of the scientific research, the scientific content itself and the presentation’s entertainment factor. A committee of SFIVET doctoral students will review all contributions and choose the best ones. Submissions may include abstracts or short summaries, audiotapes and videotapes.

PHOTO AWARD

For the first time SFIVET launches this photo award. You are invited to submit a photo representing the theme of the conference with an accompanying narrative of about 100 words. The best photos will be exhibited at SFIVET throughout the conference. By submitting a photo participants must agree to the rules regarding copyright. These rules will be published by June 30, 2018 on the congress website. Photos must be submitted via ConfTool. They must have a resolution of at least 3307 pixels, preferably 4961 pixels, on the longer side (horizontal or vertical) in jpg format. Each participant can only submit one photo. The photos may be edited and manipulated by the participants (in color or composition, e.g. montage, collage, re-touching, etc.; re-sharpening or correction is permitted as well). The assessment of the photos will be based on the following criteria: originality and creativity, style, framing and choice of viewpoint, visual impact and aesthetics, as well as technical quality of the photos.

Conditions of participation for SFIVET photo competition and declaration of consent photo (pdf)

REVIEW CRITERIA

Submissions will be assessed on the basis of the following review criteria:

  • Significance for theory, practice, or policy in VET
  • Theoretical framework
  • Clarity of research questions
  • Research design and method(s)
  • Presentation of (preliminary) results
  • Overall quality
  • Additionally for symposia: organisation and internal logic of the whole symposium

 

Please ensure that you can at least refer to preliminary results in your submission.

Deadline for submission is 12 September 2018.

By 15 December 2018, submitters will receive an e-mail message informing them whether their paper has been accepted.

Accomodation

We have reserved a limited number of rooms at the hotels listed below at special rates. Please reserve your accommodation as soon as possible since capacities are quite limited in Bern.

NOTE: 

Please book your room directly with the hotel by using the link "-> book room" and mention the keyword “VET Congress”.
Deadline for reservation is 5 January 2019.

Hotel Ador
Laupenstrasse 15
3001 Bern

-> book room
Single room for single use
Double room for single use


CHF 190
CHF 200

Hotel Bären
Schauplatzgasse 4
3011 Bern

-> book room
Single room «Classic»
Single room «Comfort»
Double room «Classic»


CHF 210
CHF 230
CHF 250

Hotel Kreuz
Zeughausgasse 41
3011 Bern

-> book now
Single room


CHF 177

Hotel La Pergola
Belpstrasse 43
3007 Bern

-> book now
Single room


CHF 170

Hotel Savoy
Neuengasse 26
3011 Bern

-> book now
Double room for single use


CHF 240

 

You will find more hotels here

  • Keynote speakers
  • Scientific Committee

 

  • Prof. Dr. Antje Barabasch (Chair)
    Head of Research Theme: Current VET/PET Context, Swiss federal institute for vocational education and training (SFIVET), Zollikofen, Switzerland
  • Prof. Dr. Carmen Baumeler (Co-Chair)
    Head of National Research & Development Division, Swiss federal institute for vocational education and training (SFIVET), Zollikofen, Switzerland
  • Prof. Dr. Patrick Emmenegger
    Professor of Comparative Political Economy, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
  • Prof. Dr. Laurent Filliettaz
    Full professor in Adult and Vocational Education, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Prof. Dietmar Frommberger
    Research on Vocational Education and Training, University of Osnabrück, Germany
  • Dr. Franz Gramlinger
    Head of Quality Development & Transparency, Austrian agency for international mobility and cooperation in education, science and research (OeAD), Vienna, Austria
  • Prof. Dr. Christian Imdorf
    Professor of Sociology of Education, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
  • Prof. Elisabeth Krekel
    Head of department VET research and VET monitoring, Federal institute for vocational education and training (BIBB), Bonn, Germany
  • Prof. Dr. Samuel Mühlemann
    Professor of Human Resource Education and Development, Munich School of Management, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany