New commission develops global standards for dual vocational training

International researchers on vocational training have observed that initiatives aiming at deregulating professional education have significantly lost in popularity in the course of the last couple of years. Instead, the dual vocational training system celebrates its comeback in countries as disparate as the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Africa or Malaysia.

The considerable differences as regards design and organisation result in significant differences in quality between the various countries with respect to the dual vocational training system. This is the result of a number of studies conducted by the international research network "International Network on Innovative Apprenticeship" (INAP). On the basis of their research results, the INAP members have instituted a commission during this year’s conference in China with the aim of developing international standards for the dual vocational training system.

The assignment of this "INAP Commission: Architecture Apprenticeship" therefore is focused on four aspects:

1. Developing criteria for a unified vocational training structure (equal salary, equal duration of training and equal organisation of training).

2. Development of standards for the plural control of dual vocational training systems.

3. The integration of dual training into the respective national education systems, so as to ensure the link between industrial education and schooling.

4. Development of model training plans.

The results of the commission are to be presented during the INAP conference in South Africa in 2013.