Switzerland launches pro-apprenticeship campaign

The Swiss authorities on Friday launched a new campaign aimed at boosting the image of apprenticeship programmes and their value as a career-building move for young people entering the job market.

The Swiss authorities on Friday launched a new campaign aimed at boosting the image of apprenticeship programmes and their value as a career-building move for young people entering the job market.

Addressing a news conference in Berne, Economics Minister Pascal Couchepin and representatives of the Federal Office for Training and Education said the main idea of the campaign was to stress the importance of apprenticeships as a solid foundation for professional development and as a stepping stone for further education.

About two thirds of young people in Switzerland currently choose to enter an apprenticeship job training programme, according to the latest government statistics.

For this year, this means that about 118,000 young people are leaving school and entering the job market under such a programme, which on average lasts three to four years and combines on-the-job training with classroom studies.

The federal authorities said they would use billboards and brochures to bring home the message that apprenticeships are high-quality training programmes which will also significantly boost career opportunities in later life – including advanced professional training at special colleges.

The pro-apprenticeship campaign was launched against the background of an increasing number of young people in Switzerland opting for a university education, rather than an apprenticeship.

The Swiss authorities said that the number of apprenticeship jobs available in Switzerland was continuing to rise, with this year’s figure up by nearly one percent compared to last year.

However, the Federal Office for Training and Education admitted that more training programmes should be created in high-tech and service industries. And training opportunities for the academically less skilled should also be improved, the office said.


Source: APD, sda-ats, Economics Ministry