Reform of upper secondary VET curricula

The implementation of new programme curricula is a three-step process:

1. creation of an implementation plan, including the formation of a project team, establishment of project management, and information of stakeholders;
2. realisation of the implementation plan, which involves the formation of a steering group and working groups, the gathering of information (e.g. labour market developments, research results), the development of the curriculum content with the involvement of stakeholders;
3. official review and entry into force.

This process is carried out by curriculum commissions, which comprise experienced teachers and other subject matter experts, and are led by representatives of the Ministry of Education.

The following section outlines the process of updating curriculum content using the Secondary college of business administration, which is one of the largest types of VET schools, as a case study.

The new curriculum was developed through an extensive, five-stage process. The principles of evidence-orientation, stringency and transparency were established as the guiding framework for the process. The involvement of all stakeholder groups (e.g. school administrators, teachers, students, graduates, parent representatives, universities, educational research institutions) was a key aspect of the process, with over 20 000 individuals participating through surveys, discussions and various feedback formats. The curriculum was developed in a phased manner, with interim results presented to stakeholders for feedback before moving on to the next phase, and in accordance with the following five steps:

The first step was to create a charter comprising general and specific educational goals and transversal competences. This was done to ensure a common understanding of the future tasks and goals of the Secondary colleges of business administration among all stakeholder groups. It was based on legal requirements, an environmental analysis, as well as surveys and discussions with all relevant stakeholders. In addition to the previous foci on employability, aptitude for higher academic studies, entrepreneurship and digitalisation, new priorities were set by concentrating on transversal skills, AI and sustainability, and taking into account the ability to shape one's own life.

Based on this, and considering the legal framework and the conditions specified by the Ministry of Education, the subjects and the number of lessons required to achieve this charter were determined. The focus on life skills, for example, led to the introduction of the new subject of 'Economic literacy'.

The next step was to develop subject curricula, which involved identifying, selecting and justifying learning objectives and content for each subject to break down the charter to subject level. To this end, two to four core competences were defined for each subject. On the one hand, these should correspond to the charter. For example, the business core competence 'Managing companies sustainably' is primarily aimed at the general educational goal of employability and the specific educational goal of entrepreneurship and sustainability. On the other hand, core competences provide a didactic structure for the subject.

Subsequently, two to three transversal competences were allocated to these core competences, which are to be given particular attention in this area. Each transversal competence is assigned to several core competences or several subjects, as it must be acquired in different contexts to be able to ensure sustainable acquisition. While additional competences may be relevant, an exhaustive categorisation is neither meaningful nor feasible. To illustrate, the core competence 'Data-based decision-making in purchasing and sales, and the execution of purchasing and sales processes including legal assessments' in the subject of 'Business administration', has been assigned the transversal competences of process orientation, independent problem solving, and communication skills. It is also important to have digital skills, for example when creating a marketing concept using AI or optimising ordering processes. However, in business administration, the objective is not to prompt or automate business processes, but to carry out the entire process and make the necessary decisions.

In the final step, four to eight educational and teaching tasks were defined for each semester, with the objective of achieving the desired transversal and core competences. These are set out as orientation and action competences to ensure theory-led action. The aim is to avoid imparting passive knowledge to students or leading them towards act without sufficient understanding of the underlying issues. The number of competencies was limited to a maximum of eight per semester and subject, to prevent the curriculum from becoming overloaded.