In June, GAN was delighted to host our network coordinators from Argentina, Cecilia Sleiman and Costa Rica, Maria del Mar Munguia, and Isaac Kiema to learn about Swiss excellence in apprenticeships.
In Switzerland, youth face an important choice at the end of their three compulsory years in lower secondary school. When moving to upper secondary school, they can either enroll in a high school (pre-university), or they can opt for vocational training, mostly in three or four-year dual programmes combining classroom with practical workplace experience in a company. The system is designed to allow young people to acquire theory and practice at the same time so they can develop the professional skill-set that is in demand for the selected job market and paves the way to employment.
During their stay, we visited companies, including GAN global corporate members, and government entities overseeing the apprenticeship system in Geneva. One of our visits was with GAN member UBS and their team in Lausanne. Welcomed and guided by UBS Junior Talent Manager for the French speaking part of Switzerland, we learned about UBS’s Junior Talent portfolio and their apprenticeship opportunities in diverse of the bank. Rotations are a key component in this pathway. By taking on roles in different departments, learners gain a comprehensive perspective that enables them to develop the core competencies to thrive in the financial world.
GAN visit to UBS Lausanne
However, we also learned that starting an apprenticeship does not preclude access to further specialization in a second stage – this aspect of duality that allows for fluidity between the education system and the workplace is unique to the Swiss model. When upper secondary level is completed, there is the option to move directly to tertiary level professional education or to begin at a later stage.
Swiss Education System (SERI 2019)
On the occasion of our visit to Firmenich, we met with former apprentices, who are now employees of the famous fragrance and family-owned company. One of them shared with us his own personal experience from laboratory technician to scientist. This route provided him with additional skills that allowed the young man to further grow within the company.
Visit to Firmenich
To finalize our programme on the Swiss apprenticeship system, we also visited the vocational education center, Geneva Industrial Union, CEP UIG-UNIA whose mandate is to train between 35 and 45 young apprentices per year in 7 professional fields related mainly to mechanics and electronics. During their first year at CEP, apprentices acquire basic knowledge in their profession of choice, including learning to use key relevant technologies. Starting in the second year, apprentices continue their classes and gain important workplace experience on the job within a company.
Swiss companies view apprenticeships a strategic investment to build their future talent and an agile workforce. Some Swiss companies have set up apprenticeship programs abroad in their countries of operation and inspired by the Swiss model. A recent publication, JobsNow, by GAN member Accenture together with GAN, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and ETH Zurich tells the story of how several Swiss companies are doing exactly this in the United States.
Latin America and Africa hold a promising opportunity for society and for companies: youth. In both regions, education is still not sufficiently linked to local labour market demands. With the key learnings and new connections from the in Geneva, GAN Argentina and GAN Costa Rica in particular will step-up the efforts to raise awareness and advocate for better policies and targeted action to increase work-based learning as a way to connect young people with the skills sought after in the local labor market, and ultimately with promising job opportunities. Interested in finding out more? Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative number IL-29557-16-75-K-1. 100% of the total costs of the project or program is financed with federal funds, for a total of 2,900,000 USD. The material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, not does mention of trade names, commercial products or organisations imply endorsement by the United States Government.
