Assuring workplace training quality in firms: Insights into the work of inspectors in the dual Swiss VET system

The quality of workplace training in firms is a key factor in both apprentices’ development of skills and the prevention of dropouts in corporatist dual vocational education and training (VET) systems. This article addresses the governance practices at the micro level of VET in a French-speaking Swiss canton by examining how the legal framework for quality inspection is put into practice. Based on interviews with cantonal inspectors who control and promote quality training in firms, the article focuses on how they adapt the legal framework to their conditions of action. Due to the high workload, inspectors seldom visit firms regularly enough to address problems and conflicts at an early stage to prevent dropouts. Empowering apprentices, who are often reluctant to defend their rights and ask inspectors to intervene, is thus an important measure. Given the trainers’ lack of both qualifications and time for training, inspectors also prioritise guidance over control. Withdrawing a firm’s training licence is rarely initiated, however, as it is an arduous process and often not feasible. The article highlights the impact that actors, such as inspectors, have at the micro level of VET and how coordination with trainers and apprentices defines how a legal framework is implemented.