Person-centred Approach to Assess Quality Perceptions of Role Stress in Dual Initial Vocational Education and Training Apprentices

In the Swiss dual initial vocational education and training (IVET) system, quality plays an important role. Among the quality characteristics are perceived role stress, which can differ depending on school and professional apprentices’ experiences. The aim of this contribution is to highlight different dual apprentices’ profiles based on their perceptions of role stress as a characteristic of their IVET’s quality. Using latent profile analysis, we uncovered four apprentices’ profiles reflecting different perceptions of role stress. We examined the profiles in terms of their sociodemographic composition, perceived satisfaction, and professional and school engagement. The results show that the profile in which apprentices report the lowest role stress is the one with the highest average levels of satisfaction and professional engagement. This contribution underlines the central aspect of role stress perceived by apprentices and informs about the importance of considering it in the quality of IVET.