The design and organisation of initial vocational education and training, IVT are under discussion in most countries. In some countries like Sweden, IVT is embedded in a comprehensive educational structure, while in other countries as Germany, there is a dual system. In both systems, however, the balance between general subject knowledge and specialized vocational knowledge and skills is a major policy issue. Sweden is now taking a further step along the comprehensive approach. Already in the early 1970s an umbrella-organisation for traditional gymnasiums, vocational school and practical schools was created. In late 1980s all two year vocational programmes were prolonged to three years with the objective of giving general eligibility to higher education. In the new curriculum from 1991 all programmes in upper secondary schooling in Sweden share the same eight core subjects. A proposal from a new task force, Gymnasieutredningen 2000, was that 17 educational programmes should be reduced to 8 sectors. The general mission of this task force was to present a model of broader programmes giving to pupils a more general preparation both for an occupational career but also further studies at higher education level.

Looking at education to work transition, two conceptualisations have been discussed in particular during last years. The first view is the belief in universal key-qualifications and generic skills that can be transformed to curricular objectives and broken down to sub-courses and learning modules in various education contexts. The second view is particular in nature and focus on the context-bound and situated forms of learning, communities of practice and it focus more on the socio-cultural context as well as the role of artefacts, activities and boundaries of various learning contexts. One of the aims of this paper is to analyse if it is possible to bridge the gap between these perspectives. Another mission to view and analyse the current reform of upper secondary schooling in Sweden in an epistemological perspective by looking at school-based and work-based contexts of learning. In a more general sense, the purpose of this paper is to review current policies and outcomes of Swedish upper secondary education with respect to objectives as vocational preparation, educational preparation, lifelong learning and personal and civic development.

The paper will also consider the objective of 50% of the age cohort of 25 in higher education as well as policies (or non-policies) for the remaining groups. Questions to be discussed are; what are generic skills, can a common core of subject knowledge function as a bridge both to vocational careers and further and higher education? What is the impact of a more general upper secondary education and a process of de-vocationalisation, for the structure and content of higher education, for the career paths of the individual and for the utilisation of human capital on the labour market? How could various models of work place learning be enhanced in the new system of upper secondary schooling?