Swiss report summary for the website

Switzerland: Situation of (vocational) education

In Switzerland, education is the responsibility of the government from the pre-school (Kindergarten) to the tertiary level (universities and higher vocational education and training). The main responsibility for education lies within the 26 cantons. The federal government and cantons share responsibility for public post-compulsory education.

The report presents the special system of (vocational) education, as well as the educational level of the Swiss population. The existence of very close links with the labour market is the distinguishing feature and strength of the Swiss VET/PET system. The Swiss VET/PET system subscribes a dual system model, which can be defined as a combination of in-company training and in-school education. Accordingly, young people in a VET programme can be considered as being enrolled in post-compulsory education. At tertiary level, professional education and training also offers a wide range of practice-oriented study programmes that provide students with the necessary skills to undertake specialist or managerial roles.

Switzerland: Transition from school to work

Due to fact that 3,8% of the 15 – 24 year old people are unemployed, many federal institutions coordinate diverse activities and initiatives with the aim to prepare young people for working life.

Today a broad and various offer of activities in the field of transition from school to work exists in Switzerland. The offers are coordinated and financed by the public authorities, communities, associations and social institutions that provide a wide range of promotion activities. Most activities are arranged in the fields of information, counseling and individual support. Their key issues relate to the individual personal and local needs and hence are organized differently.

The current situation and offers are documented in the report, as well as an exemplifying case study.

Switzerland: Back to work

The effort to re-enter the labour market mostly two groups of people in Switzerland are confronted with. On the one hand the group of women who want to return to work after a family break and on the other hand the group of unemployed people who are looking for a job. The federal law of vocational education shows that the re-entry to work is desired.

The report describes the main challenges for unemployed people and the different offers that especially are aimed to enable people the re-entry to work. Furthermore information are given about the situation and dynamic of changing a job, caused by economic, political, technological, social and demographic changes. Hence occupational transitions can increasingly be observed on labour markets in Switzerland, for what various training offers and courses are provided.

The report presents a case study about changing the job in the field of Health and elderly care.

Finally the needs and demands concerning the VET system and the occupational transitions in Switzerland are documented in the report.