VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN SWEDEN : FROM WORK-BASED-LEARNING TO SCHOOL-BASED-LEARNING – AND BACK AGAIN?

Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Sweden has evolved through cycles related to political views about the role it should play in the development of society, particularly concerning employability and social cohesion. From the 1950s onwards, public authorities have mostly carried out VET, and up to the late 1980s responsibility lay with the central government. In the early 1990s decentralisation started, and the responsibility and financing shifted to the municipalities. This article analyses these transitions in VET by focusing particularly on four models of organisation. The main intention of the article is to provide a springboard for discussion regarding the consequences of specific lines of development in VET. At a time when VET models in countries like Germany and Switzerland have become a reference of expected development; it is of paramount importance to examine the context specific aspects before attempting any further use of international experience