Learn how ZBA Basel is supporting youth transition to further education or employment and rethinking what bridge education could be. The school sought to shift culture, pedagogy, and mindset—toward learner autonomy, real-world competencies, and active co-creation.
Transforming Learning
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Context
Zentrum für Brückenangebote Basel (ZBA) is a state-funded educational institution across four centres and serving approximately 500 learners in Basel, Switzerland, supporting young people who need additional preparation before transitioning into vocational training, further education, or employment.
A significant part of their mission is also to support newcomers to Switzerland—students who do not yet speak the language or possess the skills required for professional development.
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Need
ZBA leadership identified key challenges:
1. A need to redefine learner competencies and align them with real-world skills.
2. A cultural shift to transition teachers into learning guides who foster autonomy and engagement.
3. A structured yet adaptable roadmap for sustainable change in a state-funded institution.
4. A participatory approach that involves teachers and learners in shaping the transformation.
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Learning Journey
The transformation at ZBA began with a spark of inspiration during the Inspire event in Barcelona, where three members of the leadership team experienced firsthand what learner-centered education could look and feel like.
Recognizing the need for systemic transformation, ZBA embarked on a strategic multi-year journey to shift its culture, pedagogy, and teacher mindset towards competency-based, learner-driven education.
✺ The Learning Journey Steps ✺
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Recognizing the need for strategic, gradual change, we launched a pilot cohort of 15 educators across ZBA’s four schools, rather than overhauling all 120 teachers at once.
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Carefully selected for their openness to innovation, these educators began with a two-day immersive training in Basel, shifting from traditional teaching to learning guidance. Through online sessions and in-person training, they worked on:
Redefining the learner profile and key attributes
Developing a competency framework, integrating Learnlife’s model and Swiss Learning Plan 21
Testing and iterating competency-based learning strategies in classrooms
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Simultaneously, the leadership team underwent a strategic retreat, aligning on:
Vision, mission, and purpose for the school’s transformation.
Concrete OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) to guide implementation.
A strategic roadmap for execution.
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To reinforce a participatory culture, ZBA also launched a community-wide engagement process, ensuring that all stakeholders—teachers, learners, and school leaders—had a voice in shaping the future of the organization.
Next steps
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Testing the competency framework in select classrooms, ensuring alignment with student needs.
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Designing a structured program that fosters the defined competencies.
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Challenging traditional grading with alternative assessment methods, focusing on evidence-based mastery of skills.
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Ongoing teacher reflection & iteration, supported through peer-to-peer learning, coaching, and leadership mentoring.
This dual approach—working at both the teacher and leadership levels—ensures holistic transformation, making ZBA a pioneer in rethinking bridge education for diverse learner needs.
The Results
Teachers are transitioning into learning guides, competency-based education is taking shape, and a culture of participation and innovation is emerging.
By working strategically on multiple levels—from leadership alignment to teacher empowerment and learner engagement—ZBA has laid the foundation for long-term, systemic change.
Project Timeline
“Your way of guidance is an inspiration to me. When I look at you, I see someone who models an approach to facilitation that I admire. You create an environment where I feel comfortable, seen, heard, and understood. I feel supported by you and by the way you convey knowledge.
You enter my space, observe my teaching, and provide me with feedback that I deeply appreciate. This gives me the confidence that I am on the right path.”