FASIS – Securing a Skilled Workforce in Vision Impairment Services
How can Swiss vision impairment services attract and retain skilled professionals? BFH examines working conditions, career prospects and continuing education to develop recommendations for a sustainable workforce.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Health Professions
- Research unit(s) Innovation in the Field of Health Care and Human Resources Development
- Funding organisation Others
- Duration (planned) 01.10.2026 - 31.07.2027
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Christoph Golz
- Project staff Serena Bühlmann
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Partner
Schweizerischer Zentralverein für
Haute Ecole Arc
Situation
People with vision impairment, blindness or deafblindness need qualified advice, rehabilitation and support to live as independently as possible. Population ageing is increasing the need for support. At the same time, staff turnover and upcoming retirements are making vacancies harder to fill, placing additional pressure on professionals and organisations. Working in vision impairment services requires specific communication, social, legal and technical skills. The relevant continuing education programmes take several years and require considerable personal commitment and time. It remains unclear how well existing qualification pathways meet the needs of professionals and employers, and how they influence entry into and retention within the field. Systematic evidence bringing together both perspectives is currently lacking. Commissioned by the Swiss National Association of and for the Blind (SZBLIND), BFH is working with HES-SO to investigate working conditions, career prospects and challenges in the field. The aim is to develop evidence-based, practical recommendations to retain professionals, attract new staff and adapt continuing education to their needs.
Course of action
The project combines a quantitative online survey with subsequent qualitative group discussions. An advisory group of professionals and representatives from education and employer organisations supports the research team. First, professionals and employers in Swiss vision impairment services are surveyed in German and French. The survey uses the STRAIN 2.0 questionnaire, which includes established scales on working conditions, work organisation, social relationships and leadership. Additional questions address continuing education, specialisation and career prospects. The analysis also examines associations with job satisfaction and intentions to leave, as well as differences between the two groups' assessments. Separate focus groups with professionals and employers in German- and French-speaking Switzerland then explore the findings in greater depth, with particular attention to factors that facilitate or hinder participation in continuing education. The research team integrates the findings and develops recommendations and priorities for action. In a final workshop, managers and the advisory group discuss potential solutions and prioritise them according to relevance and feasibility. A research report documents the findings to inform workforce planning and the further development of continuing education.
