How global research is shaping Indiana’s bold new diploma redesign
By Kimba Rund
Switzerland’s dual vocational education and training (VET) system is widely recognized as one of the most effective approaches in the world for preparing students for careers. Roughly two-thirds of Swiss youth enter VET programs after compulsory schooling, combining classroom learning with structured apprenticeships across more than 200 professions (Egg, 2015). This model has helped Switzerland maintain one of the lowest youth unemployment rates globally, while also ensuring its workforce remains competitive in a rapidly changing economy.
Beginning with the Class of 2029, Indiana is embedding many of these same principles into its high school diploma redesign. Every student will graduate with a single, flexible diploma that emphasizes work-based learning (WBL), career exploration, and credentials of value. It’s a bold shift, inspired by Switzerland’s proven system and tailored for Indiana’s local student and workforce needs.
How Switzerland’s Model Works
At its core, the Swiss VET system succeeds because it integrates academic learning with authentic workplace experience. Students aren’t forced to choose between “school” or “career”, they experience both simultaneously. This combination is not only effective in building technical competence but also in fostering adaptability and lifelong learning.
Egg (2015) argues that Switzerland’s success lies in the partnership between schools, professional associations, and employers, which ensures that education remains tightly aligned with labor market needs. The system is governed collaboratively, giving industry a direct role in shaping training content while preserving academic rigor.
This blend of collaboration and real-world immersion is precisely what Indiana aims to replicate through its redesigned diploma.
How Students Learn in Work-Based Contexts
While the structure of the Swiss model is impressive, its real power lies in how it helps students learn. Apprentices don’t just acquire skills at work and knowledge at school; they integrate the two.
Sauli, Wenger, and Berger (2021) describe two central learning processes in Swiss VET:
- Transformative learning , where students apply theoretical concepts from school in workplace settings.
- Reflective learning , where students bring workplace experiences back into the classroom for analysis and discussion.
When apprentices have opportunities for both, they develop a deeper, more flexible understanding of their trade and the confidence to transfer skills across contexts. In other words, WBL doesn’t just teach students what to do; it teaches them how to think about what they do.
This “bridging” between school and work is at the heart of why Indiana’s diploma redesign puts WBL at the center.
Keeping Students on Course
Another critical strength of the Swiss system is its ability to keep students engaged and motivated throughout their training. Research shows that apprentices’ self-belief and support networks are key.
Findeisen (2022) found that occupational self-efficacy, trainer–trainee relationships, and person–vocation fit are major predictors of whether students persist in their VET programs. When students feel capable, supported, and in the right fit, they are more likely to complete their apprenticeships successfully.
This finding resonates with Indiana’s goals. The redesigned diploma is not just about adding work-based learning hours; it’s about ensuring students leave high school with confidence in their ability to succeed in the workplace and beyond.
Indiana’s Bold Step
Indiana’s diploma redesign reflects lessons learned from Switzerland while adapting them to the state’s unique educational landscape. Key elements include:
- One flexible diploma: Moving away from multiple diploma types toward a unified framework that allows for greater student choice.
- Work-based learning: Students demonstrate readiness through meaningful WBL, career exploration, and/or credential attainment.
- Recognition through Seals: Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment Readiness Seals provide additional certification of a student’s readiness.
- Partnerships with employers: Schools are encouraged to collaborate with businesses to create relevant opportunities, mirroring Switzerland’s model of shared responsibility.
How Career+ Pathways™ Is Supporting Schools in the Redesign
Indiana’s diploma redesign sets the framework, but schools need support to make it real for students. That’s where Career+ Pathways™ comes in. Career+ Pathways™ is embracing the Swiss-inspired model by helping schools weave work-based learning, career exploration, and credentialing into everyday practice.
- Guiding Schools Through Integration: Career+ Pathways™ works with educators and administrators to map out how the redesign requirements can fit into existing school structures. This includes aligning microcredentials, pathways, and work-based learning opportunities with the new diploma’s expectations.
- Expanding Work-Based Learning: Through partnerships with local employers and community organizations, Career+ Pathways™ helps create meaningful WBL placements that mirror the Swiss model’s blend of academic and professional preparation. These opportunities aren’t one-size-fits-all; they’re designed to reflect each student’s interests and the needs of Indiana’s workforce.
- Building Student Confidence and Competence: Just as Swiss research emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy and trainer support (Findeisen, 2022), Career+ Pathways™ provides tools and coaching frameworks that help supervisors guide students effectively. This ensures that WBL experiences develop both hard and soft skills.
- Tracking and Measuring Progress: Career+ Pathways™ also offers data tools to monitor student progress across credentials and WBL hours, making it easier for schools to demonstrate compliance with the redesign while keeping the focus on student growth.
Looking Ahead
Indiana’s diploma redesign represents a forward-looking investment in its students and its workforce. By drawing inspiration from Switzerland’s dual VET system, the state is ensuring that students have access to authentic, skill-building experiences that prepare them for enrollment, employment, or enlistment.
The global evidence is clear: work-based learning works. It builds competence, confidence, and resilience, qualities that young people need to thrive in today’s world.
Career+ Pathways™ is uniquely positioned to help scale these outcomes. Beyond supporting schools with coaching and employer partnerships, Career+ Pathways™ is also building the data infrastructure to make the redesign sustainable statewide. By tracking student progress across microcredentials, WBL hours, and, in the future, pathway seals, Career+ Pathways™ provides policymakers, educators, and employers with the insights they need to continuously improve implementation.
With Switzerland as the blueprint, and with programs like Career+ Pathways™ helping schools scale and sustain these efforts, Indiana is demonstrating how international best practices can be successfully adapted at home.
References
Egg, M. E. (2015). The Swiss vocational education and training system: Its impact on Switzerland’s success. econstor. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/114457/1/827579837.pdf
Findeisen, S. (2022). Persistence intention of apprentices in Swiss VET: The role of occupational self-efficacy, person–vocation fit, and trainer support. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 74(4), 587–608. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2021.2014821
Sauli, F., Wenger, M., & Berger, J.-L. (2021). Supporting apprentices’ integration of school- and workplace-based learning in Swiss initial vocational education and training. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 26(4), 427–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2021.1981137
Bio
Kimba Rund is a workforce training and career development specialist with a background in psychology and a focus on helping students connect education to real career opportunities. She’s currently completing her master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which informs her work designing programs that support student growth, skill development, and long-term success. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time with her family, husband, and two dogs.
