Switzerland as a Reference Society in the OECD Arena: The Case of Vocational Education in the 1960s and 2000s

Abstract

Purpose: This paper examines Switzerland's evolving role as a reference society in the OECD's vocational education and training (VET) agenda across two historical conjunctures: The 1960s and the 2000s. Switzerland's dual VET system—characterised by a strong state–industry cooperation, a close link between training and labour-market needs, and consistently low youth unemployment—has long set it apart from the academically oriented models that dominate international comparison. Combined with a highly decentralised governance structure, these features have positioned Switzerland as a distinctive case within OECD reviews. Yet little is known about how this distinctiveness has been constructed, interpreted, and mobilised in transnational policy arenas over time, particularly given the OECD's evolving analytical frameworks and shifting global policy priorities. 

Approach: Drawing on archival OECD documents, country reports, comparative summaries, and expert interviews, this study traces how Switzerland's VET system was represented and negotiated within the OECD in two periods marked by different global policy grammars: The technocratic planning agenda of the 1960s and the innovation- and skills-oriented knowledge economy discourse of the 2000s. Analytical guidance is provided by three interrelated concepts: The notion of the reference society, the bidirectional dynamics of policy uploading and downloading, and the idea of extrapolated imperial nationalism. These lenses illuminate how Switzerland's position was neither static nor externally imposed but shaped through iterative interactions between national actors and evaluative OECD infrastructures. 

Findings: Switzerland appeared as a case of embedded distinctiveness in the 1960s: Regularly cited in OECD documents yet primarily as an implicitly exemplary system rather than a formally celebrated model. By the 2000s, however, Swiss actors increasingly sought to curate and project their VET system internationally. Through strategic engagement in OECD reviews, participation in expert groups, and coordinated national communication, Switzerland transformed itself from a quietly referenced example into an actively promoted global model of VET. This shift underscores how international benchmarking can be used by small states to reinforce national legitimacy, shape global policy narratives, and expand epistemic influence. 

Key message: Overall, the paper demonstrates that small states like Switzerland do not merely adapt to global norms but participate in co-producing them. Through selective policy downloading and strategic policy uploading, Switzerland leverages its institutional strengths to influence OECD agendas, exemplifying how epistemic authority—rather than geopolitical power—can become a meaningful source of influence in global education governance.