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Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?

In most countries, young people regard universities as the best way to further their education and earn good salaries afterwards. But this is not the case in Switzerland — here’s why.

Published: 9 May 2022 16:05 CEST
Why is vocational training so popular in Switzerland and how much can I earn?
Trades in construction are taught at VET schools. Photo by Pixabay

After having rebounded well from the Covid pandemic, the demand for skilled workers in Switzerland’s labour market far outweighs the supply.

As The Local reported on Monday, thousands of Swiss companies are advertising vacant positions in several sectors, including IT, healthcare, hospitality and catering, construction and sales, among others.

READ MORE: Which jobs are in demand in Switzerland right now – and how much can you earn?

Many of these jobs have one thing in common: they don’t require a university degree but rather a vocational training, also known in Switzerland as apprenticeship.

This is how it works.

Compulsory education ends in Switzerland at age 16, when students have a choice between going to a university or opting for a three-year vocational education and training (VET).

More than two-thirds opt for a VET pathway, a three-year, dual-track programme that includes two days in a vocational school and three days getting an on-the-job training in their chosen sector.

It includes a variety of fields such as business and commercial, administration, retail, tourism, construction, information technology, arts, wellness services, as well as various trades — in all, 230 professions, according to Educationsuisse platform.

In all, 212, 347 students were in vocational training in 2020, the last year for which official data is available.

The most frequently chosen fields were business and administration, wholesale and retail, and building and civil engineering.

According to World Economic Forum (WEF), 30 percent of Swiss companies participate in the VET programme, preparing “a broad cross-section of students for careers in a range of occupations and sectors”. 

At the end of three years, during which apprentices are paid wages, they receive a VET diploma — the Federal Certificate of Proficiency (EFZ in German, CFC in French, and AFC in Italian) — which entitles them to work in their chosen field.

Those who want to continue their education at higher schools, such as Universities of Applied Sciences, can do so, after taking additional courses and passing exams.

VET “enjoys very strong support from Swiss employers, who credit it with being a major contributor to the continuing vitality and strength of the Swiss economy”, WEF said.

And there are advantages for all involved: “The country benefits from a pipeline of young-professional talent, it says, low youth unemployment in the single digits and the skilled workforce needed to produce high-quality goods and services”, WEF added.

How can a student apply for VET training?

Anyone attending a school in Switzerland, whether a Swiss national or foreigner, is eligible for the apprenticeship option once they complete their compulsory education.

Once you decide what field interests you, you can look for a position as an apprentice in a company.

This database lists all of the available registered apprenticeship positions in each canton, so is a good place to start the search.

How much can you expect to earn after VET?

This depends on many factors, including the field you are in as well as the region where you live. Typically, wages are higher in or near large urban centres than in rural areas.

But as a general indication, and as reported in this article, the average salary five years after completing VET training is 5,270 francs a month.

In the IT sector, the salary is 1,100 francs above this average.

The second-highest gross median income for full-time employment is that of nurses.

With an average of 6,060 francs / month after five years of employment, they are followed by apprentices with degrees in electricity and mechanical construction” (5,445 francs), architecture and construction” (5,425 francs), accounting, marketing and secretariat (5,367 francs) and “the social sector (5,349 francs).

Lowest wages — below 5,000 a month — are in the retail and “personal services” sector.

READ MORE:  Which jobs pay the most and least after a Swiss apprenticeship?

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WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

How can a foreign teacher find work in a Swiss school or university?

More Swiss cantons are hiring teachers from abroad, but candidates must meet certain criteria.

Published: 7 May 2024 15:05 CEST
How can a foreign teacher find work in a Swiss school or university?

Too few teachers are being trained in Switzerland, which means that by the beginning of the new decade, between 43,000 and 47,000 new professionals would need to be recruited. 

To remedy this situation, various cantons are taking steps, or are planning to do so in the near future, to fill the gap with teachers trained abroad. 

READ ALSO: Swiss cantons move to hire more foreign teachers 

Does this mean that any foreign teacher can easily find work in Switzerland?

Let’s define ‘foreign’ first.

If you are a foreign national who has been entirely trained at one of Swiss Universities of Teacher Education (PH), and receive a corresponding diploma, then you are in the clear, and no further action is needed.

If, however, you studied abroad and obtained a foreign diploma, then you may have to be-retrained in Switzerland, and meet the local hiring criteria.

One thing to remember is that cantons are responsible for their own school system, so requirements (as well as opportunities) may be different from one region to another.

Teachers with foreign teaching diplomas can apply to the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education (EDK) to have their credentials recognised in Switzerland.  

The EDK will decide what (if any) further training or certification you may need in order to work in a school in a given canton.

This is how it works

The EDK will compare your foreign training with the one provided in Swiss universities.

If it is found to be equivalent, you will receive an official certificate of recognition of your diploma in Switzerland, and can then look for a job.

If, however, there are significant differences in the level of education, the EDK will ask for so-called ‘compensatory measures’ — for instance, via a ‘Certificate of Advanced Studies’ (CAS) —  to be carried out in a Swiss PH before your diploma can be recognised.

The exact steps are described here.

Language proficiency

Obviously, if you come from Germany, France, Italy, Austria, or Liechtenstein, and intend to teach in the linguistically-appropriate canton, then this is one hurdle you don’t have to overcome.

For all the others, however, candidates must provide proof of sufficient language skills in one of the main Swiss national languages.

“As proof of such language skills in German, French or Italian, an internationally recognised language diploma at Level C2 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF) the is required,” according to the EDK.

For those who only teach a language that is not a Swiss national language (such as English), a B2 CERF level in German, French, or Italian is sufficient.

READ ALSO: How can I have my foreign qualifications recognised in Switzerland? 

What about work permits?

If you come from an EU / EFTA state (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), then you will obtain a permit easily – if you haven’t gotten one yet.

For those from third countries, things are more complicated because you are subject to special quotas and will be admitted only if your presence in Switzerland is considered to be “in the general economic interest.”

This means that you must not only be a highly qualified professional in your field, but also that no Swiss or EU / EFTA national can be found for a given teaching position.

However, if you are a third-country national who already lives in Switzerland with a valid permit, then your candidacy will be considered.

All of the above applies to those looking for a job at primary and secondary schools, but what about universities?

Different procedure

The hiring system at Swiss universities is different.

While foreigners can, of course, apply for a teaching job, most universities recruit professors they need themselves.

Overall, foreigners constitute just over half of teaching staff at Swiss universities.

This is especially the case in the two federal polytechnic institutes — the ETH in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne —  with 70 and 82 percent, respectively — of foreigners among their academic staff.

Typically, these institutions recruit staff from reputable universities abroad to fill specific  teaching positions — for instance in sciences.

These people are hired as visiting professors at the invitation of one of the faculties. Such appointments are made for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year, though they can be extended.

In such cases, universities will apply for a visa and a work permit for visiting professors from outside the EU / EFTA.

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