Skills for Employability and Careers

The International Congress on Vocational and Professional Education and Training offers a platform for the players in international cooperation in VPET to engage in open dialogue and share good practices. The Congress provides global networking and expertise transfer opportunities, promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation and the status of vocational and professional education and training throughout the world. This professional event attracts an international audience from the fields of education, politics and business. It is addressed in particular at VPET decision-makers and specialists from public administration, educational institutions, businesses and associations.

The 3rd International Congress on Vocational and Professional Education and Training has been held from 6 to 8 June 2018 in Winterthur, Switzerland, under the motto Skills for Employability and Careers. The first two congresses in 2014 and 2016 having focused on VPET systems, the 2018 event has concentrated on the individual and career opportunities provided by VPET. Faced with constant change and rapid digitalisation in the world of work, both individuals and companies must constantly reassess. The VPET system must also be able to meet the needs of individuals and companies with offerings that respond to developments in the economy and that provide lifelong learning opportunities.

The 2018 International Congress on VPET has concentrated on the challenges in adapting to the needs of the labour market in a rapidly changing and digitalised world, vertical and horizontal system permeability, lifelong learning and curriculum development in VPET.

Impressions of the second edition 2016 are here available.

Target audience

The long-term goal of the VPET Congress is to provide a platform for networking and dialogue. At its core is the sharing of expertise and the strengthening of the vocational education and «good practice» on an international level. The Congress presents a fertile group for the development of new ideas.

It is intended for participants from

• national and international ministries
• local and international educational establishments
• local and transnational enterprises
• local and international associations
• international experts in the vocational education and training field
• representatives of international organizations
• HR managers

Winterthur – host town

Winterthur is the sixth largest town in Switzerland. In 2008, with over 100,000 inhabitants, it became the center of a self-confident and growing region in close proximity to Zurich and its international airport. Globally active industrial companies such as Sulzer and Rieter have been based in this town for quite some time. While the engineering, electrical and metalworking industry plays a predominant role in the region, a well-balanced mix of economic branches can also be found here. Winterthur offers good living standards - and is an important and appealing location for education and training!

Winterthur is home to the Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW), which is the largest UAS-affiliated college in Switzerland, as well as to numerous other vocational education and training and professional education and training institutions. The Schweizerische Technische Fachschule Winterthur enjoys a Swiss-wide reputation as an important training and continuing training institution for technical professions. The Ausbildungszentrum Winterthur (azw) provides training in industrial and trade professions. In addition, the professional organisation Swissmem runs both a management school in Winterthur and a competence center for training in the engineering, electrical and metalworking industry. Two international schools offer courses in English (e.g. for children of numerous expatriates employed by internationally active companies in Winterthur and whose families live here). In addition, Winterthur is also ideally situated at the heart of the Zurich-Eastern Switzerland region, which is a nationally and internationally renowned higher education region thanks to such institutions as the University of Zurich, the University of St. Gallen, the University of Konstanz, ETH Zurich and ZHAW.

Rich with tradition and crossed by the Eulach River, Winterthur offers high living standards and enjoys an outstanding reputation as a location for technology and education. It is home to numerous multinational companies and top-notch education institutions. The outstanding location – only 15 minutes by road or rail from the Zurich International Airport – is only one of the many benefits that Winterthur has to offer.

Winterthur at a glance – Facts & Figures

• Sixth largest town in Switzerland, with over 100,000 inhabitants
• 15 minutes by rail or road to the Zurich International Airport
• 20 minutes by rail or road to Zurich
• Winterthur main station: the fourth most frequent rail destination in Switzerland
• Town nestled amid seven wooded hills
• Town with the largest proportion of woodland in Switzerland
• Around 20 (420,000 m2) public parks
• Over 4,500 companies
• Over 56,000 jobs
• Each day around 28,000 out-of-town commuters
• 10,000 students enrolled in tertiary-level education and training
• Over 400 restaurants
• 16 museums, 7 theatres, 7 public libraries
• Over 300 sports associations
• Over 50 public playgrounds and facilities 
• Over 175 km of cycling routes through town
• European competence center for photography
• Home of Swiss comedy scene
• Swiss Science Center Technorama

Congress venues

The Winterthur Theatre and ZHAW Campus

With the Winterthur Theatre and the nearby ZHAW Campus on St. Georgen-Platz/Mäander, conferences may be organised in these luxurious facilities. The premises are only one hundred metres from the Winterthur main station and are representative of the importance of Winterthur as a location for education. It is both rich with tradition and international in focus.

All conference requirements are readily met, whether it be in terms of conference room space, catering, technical equipment and logistics. Located in downtown Winterthur, the venue is easily and efficiently reachable by public transport or by car. For foreign guests, the immediate vicinity of the Zurich International Airport is a key advantage.

Map Winterthur (PDF)