Case Management in Vocational Education – A Reform in the light of the transformation of work

Abstract

The number of young people who have difficulties making the transition from school to work is currently on the rise in Switzerland, a situation that also weakens the socially integrative function of vocational education. Reforms introducing case management, already known in the field of social work, into vocational education aim to help young people entering and completing vocational education, and also to strengthen its integrative function. This paper analyses the notion of case management in vocational education and shows that the justification for these reforms is related either to difficulties within the system of vocational education or to the broader problem of social cohesion. It also argues that the introduction of an individual-oriented approach such as case management into vocational education must be seen in the wider context of the transformation and individualisation of work.