Biography

Director General of the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational and Education and Training SFIVET since 2015. After training as a registered nurse, Cornelia Oertle studied humanities at the Universities of Bern and Zurich where she obtained her PhD. She also holds a Master of Health Administration degree MHA.

She has held various managerial positions in Swiss academic institutions and Intercantonal Conferences and was a member of several Federal and Intercantonal Commissions dealing with Vocational Education and Training and Tertiary Education, especially Universities of Applied Sciences.

She worked as Dean of the Health Faculty of the University of Applied Sciences Bern (2008–2014), as President of the Chamber of Deans of Health Faculties at the Rector’s Conference of the Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences – KFH (2010–2014) and as Project manager for a Master’s degree programme in healthcare professions at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland – HES-SO Delémont/Lausanne (2007¬–2008).

In earlier years, Prof. Dr. Cornelia Oertle was Deputy Secretary General and Head of the Healthcare and Education Division at the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Health – GDK Bern (2000-2006), Project Manager/ Deputy Head of International affairs at the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education – EDK Bern (1995-2005) and worked as an expert in the VET Division of the Swiss Red Cross in Bern (1993 – 1995).

«Digitalization is omnipresent in present-day society and is changing our professional world at an almost impossible pace. In the field of vocational education and training, digitalization opens up completely new opportunities for knowledge transfer but also creates huge challenges for working life. The economic repercussions are difficult to predict. The Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training SFIVET supports federal government policies on the promotion of innovation, in particular, in the field of digitalization. As a competence centre for issues surrounding digitalisation in vocational education and training, SFIVET develops tailor-made digitalization-related products and services for its clients. With innovative solutions, SFIVET helps to promote digital literacy among all actors in vocational education and training. An example of its work in this area is the creation of the Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training OBS SFIVET in 2016. OBS SFIVET identifies, monitors and analyses social, economic and technological developments that have an impact on vocational education and training. The important role played by SFIVET in the area of digitalisation in vocational education and training is illustrated by the digitalisation study commissioned by State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO to SFIVET. Working with the research and consulting firm Infras, SFIVET has investigated how the competence requirements on the labour market will develop as a result of digitalisation. This study will help guide the process of successful adaptation to the challenges of digitalisation. The study findings were included in the Federal Council’s report on the effects of digitalisation on the labour market.»