Plural Administration in Dual Systems in Selected European Countries

Abstract

This chapter presents a comparative qualitative analysis of governance structures in the dual VET systems of Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. First, a theoretical framework for the classification of plural systems, such as dual apprenticeship training, is discussed. It is argued that governance in VET can be described according to the coherence of the system on the one hand and the rationale of agency on the other, and that four ideal types of governance can be distinguished. We present a methodology to implement this framework in data collection and analysis on the basis of desk research and an evaluation tool for expert workshops. In the final sections some results of the qualitative studies and the expert workshops are presented and some conclusions for VET practice and VET research are suggested.