Section two - International Benchmarking
Summary:
The Netherlands and Switzerland have strong TVET models that ensure high industry alignment and specialised training. In the Netherlands, students complete four-year courses that provide broad training, enabling them to work across varied industries such as manufacturing, maintenance, and specialised sectors like hydroponics. Switzerland’s system combines core learning with outsourced specialist training, ensuring students receive up-to-date, industry-relevant skills, unlike the UK, where advanced technical skills are typically taught in-house, leading to variations in quality.
Switzerland’s TVET system is highly industry-driven, allowing for rapid updates to qualification frameworks when skill gaps emerge. Since training is often delivered by industry partners, Swiss students receive high-quality, real-world learning experiences.
Hungary excels in WorldSkills training by integrating advanced computational algorithms to optimise PLC programming speed. Their approach involves lean assembly techniques, custom software development, and extended training sessions, ensuring competitors push boundaries in their skills. Past competitors also play a key role in mentoring new trainees, fostering continuous improvement.
When comparing European TVET models, UK classrooms often follow structured, step-by-step learning, focusing on predictable outcomes and short, scheduled sessions. By contrast, northern European classrooms encourage creativity, experimentation, and independent problem-solving, where students engage in hands-on projects, work outside scheduled hours, and develop unique solutions—a model that fosters innovation and deep technical mastery. The UK could benefit from a more flexible, open-ended approach to encourage problem-solving and self-directed learning.
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