"We want to climb Mt. Everest"
The dual vocational education and training system in Switzerland is a model of success. In addition to the countless training companies, the vocational schools are also responsible for ensuring that thousands of young professionals can successfully start their careers every year. At the Chur Vocational School, too, more than 3000 apprentices are currently completing their training - in an "excellent" environment.
Dhe Chur Vocational School GBC has a catchment area that extends far beyond the city and cantonal borders. Trainees come from the cantons of GR, SG, TG, GL, AI, AR as well as ZH and the Principality of Liechtenstein. 57 professions are trained, plus 21 classes for the vocational baccalaureate. Over 160 teachers - the equivalent of 110 full-time positions - are employed at the GBC. This makes the GBC the largest vocational school in Graubünden.
Differentiation despite regulation
Like all other vocational schools, the Gewerbliche Berufsschule Chur GBC operates in a highly regulated environment. But there is also a need to be among the best. Because there is cost pressure - savings are also being made in education - coupled with declining numbers of trainees. In addition, Chur is located in a so-called structurally weak region. It is therefore all the more important to have such a large geographical catchment area that extends far beyond the cantonal borders. And through appropriate certifications, the GBC wants to be in a position to meet the requirements of the organizations of the world of work (OdA) ever better. Innovation also plays a role here: new, unrivalled training courses are being created - at least in the region of eastern Switzerland - such as for the profession of EFZ plant operator. And together with the Aarau Vocational School, the GBC is the only vocational school with the Swiss Olympic Partner School label. It enables top athletes to complete their vocational training in line with their training and competition activities.
EFQM model permeates the management culture
Like many other institutions, the GBC has developed a mission statement. That was in 2000, when the decision was made to obtain ISO 9001 certification. Later, a vision and a mission were developed. Today, the vision is: "We are one of the best vocational schools in Switzerland." And the GBC's mission statement is: "We provide the job market with young professionals who receive an excellent education at the right level. We educate students to become responsible personalities in society." In addition, the school management and staff have jointly defined six values that relate to both the "leadership" and "results" sub-criteria of the EFQM model. For the annual review and measurement of the vision, instruments such as 360° feedback by teachers, vocational training officers and OdA, the qualifications of the teachers, the perception by learners and former learners, the success rate in the qualification procedures, the survey of the costs per lesson and, last but not least, the point evaluation according to EFQM are used.
All of this adds up to a "culture of excellence" that is lived by everyone, be it the school management, teachers or members of the housekeeping staff. After a few difficulties, as headmaster Peter Andres recalls (see interview), the PDCA approach has become second nature. Those affected have become involved, the slogan "Me and my lessons" has changed to "We and our school". And last but not least, this has also led to enjoyment of performance and a high willingness to work together to achieve goals - intrinsic motivation in other words. In order to further embed the EFQM model and the idea of excellence, GBC trains its own assessors and ambassadors. The latter also have the task of translating the sometimes complex ideas into the language of the employees.
Awarded as an employer
The product portfolio of a vocational school is limited due to educational policy requirements. However, the GBC uses the existing freedoms to continuously develop its products - these are basic training courses in currently 57 occupations - and above all the processes. This is done in particular through consultation and hearing of the various interest groups. Ultimately, however, it is the learners - the most important group of external customers - who decide on quality. The results in this respect are impressive: Regular learner surveys show that the GBC consistently exceeds its set targets. The majority are very satisfied with the quality of the training. And there is also a high level of satisfaction among employees: in 2014, the GBC took part in the "Swiss Employer Award" and was the only company out of seven participating companies to receive an award in the administration, schools and NPO sector. In the category of medium-sized companies (100 to 249 employees), the GBC took eighth place overall.
So everything's fine? Not necessarily. There is room for further improvement everywhere. One challenge in particular is the costs: the expenses per learner have risen by around CHF 400 since 2012. The reasons are the higher personnel costs (more lessons with the same number of learners) and investments in infrastructure. Nevertheless, the GBC has managed to stay within budget. No price should be too high to turn people with excellent basic school education into self-responsible individuals in society.
