The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss project recruits more migrant and refugee nurses

A nurse makes a hospital bed.
Hundreds of migrants could be added to Switzerland's roster of nurses and assistants. © KEYSTONE / GAETAN BALLY

A joint pilot project between the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) and the Swiss Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has achieved a 90% success rate in recruiting more nurses from the ranks of migrants and refugees in Switzerland.

The SESAME project, set up three years ago, has seen 444 people graduate from its nursing training programme. Nine out of 10 graduates have found work within the health sector, it was announced on Thursday.

Given the success of the scheme, it is envisioned that hundreds of migrants will be put through training every year in future, alongside the 4,000 other citizens who train to be nurses and nursing assistants.

SESAME’s rigorous selection procedure, including language proficiency requirements, meant that few migrants dropped out of the training programme.

“The SRC’s nursing assistants are in great demand on the labour market. In view of the increasing need for care in old age, migrants are a welcome addition to the Swiss labour force,” said SRC director Christine Kopp.

“I’m pleased that even people without a vocational qualification can find initial access to the labour market with SESAME, which they can later supplement with an apprenticeship,” said SEM deputy director Cornelia Lüthy. “People without a vocational qualification would find it particularly difficult to gain a foothold in the labour market.”

The project is part of wider efforts by the Swiss authorities to integrate migrants into the labour force. Earlier this year, the government pledged to triple its spending on this task.

One pillar of the integration plan is to send 3,600 migrants through various vocational training programmes by 2022.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
Study: Rhine could become up to 4.2 degrees warmer by 2100

More

Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn

This content was published on The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.

Read more: Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
'Leopard 1 A5' combat tanks in Germany.

More

Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme

This content was published on The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.

Read more: Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

More

Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

This content was published on On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.

Read more: Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR