Variations in Implementing the Dual VET System: Perspectives of Students, Teachers, and Trainers in the Certified Trades in Iceland

Vocational education and training (VET) in Iceland is generally organized as a dual system at the upper secondary level. An analysis of the curricula of 34 certified trades in Iceland – where a journeyman’s exam is legally required for working in a field – revealed considerable variations in the way the dual system is implemented (i.e. dual-system models), particularly in terms of the duration of the work-based learning period and sequencing of the periods in the workplace and in school (where the programme should begin and end). The variability in the dual-system models among the certified trades suggests independence in development and a lack of centralized governance in the VET system in Iceland. To study the implications of different VET dual-system models, four trades were selected as representatives of the various models found among the certified trades, and students, teachers, and workplace trainers in each were interviewed. The goal was to look at the rationale for the various VET dual-system models and the effects of integration of school-based and work-based experiences as viewed by the various stakeholders within the system. The results revealed conflicting goals and important trade-offs between economic and pedagogic goals of the VET system. Tensions relating to the duration of the work-based learning period revolved around providing comprehensive training on the one hand and the cost and productivity for the companies on the other. Tensions relating to sequencing revolved around when work-based learning periods should be placed in the programme: if placed early in the programme, they provided students with a sense of place and purpose, while later work-based learning meant the students were ready for work and created the opportunity for a seamless transition into employment. Overall, the results indicate two different patterns of VET dual-system models, reflecting different attempts to balance economical concerns and the educational requirements laid down by the trades, both with clear benefits and particular challenges.