Across much of the world, the number of school leavers starting apprenticeships is low and often in decline. In Switzerland, apprenticeships remain the preferred choice of most school leavers.
In Switzerland, of the 94,303 young people about to complete compulsory school in the coming weeks, 55% listed an apprenticeship as an option of interest. By contrast, in England last year, 77,700 people under 19 started an apprenticeship, a rate roughly one quarter of Switzerland’s when adjusted for population.
Last year, when US labor secretary Marty Walsh visited Switzerland, he went to an apprenticeship training centre in Zurich. Speaking to Swiss television he said Switzerland was well ahead of the US on vocational training and hoped Switzerland’s model might inspire the US.
The recent survey, run between February and April 2024, found that 64% of Swiss school pupils aged 14-17 already had plans for life beyond compulsory school. Of this group, 62% of boys and 47% of girls (55% overall) were interested in an apprenticeship. 60% had already signed a contract and another 11% had a verbal commitment.
The next most popular choice (42%) was higher school, which sets young people on a path to university and other higher education options.
The survey also highlighted significant gender differences in study choices. Among the top 10 apprenticeship choices, girls dominate in healthcare (86%) and education (87%), while boys dominate in technological fields such as IT (83%), electrical (100%), logistics (86%) and mechanical (83%).
In addition to gender differences, there are marked regional differences. In German-speaking Switzerland, 68% of school children voiced a desire to seek an apprenticeship, compared to 34% in French-speaking Switzerland and 23% in the Italian-speaking region.
The survey was run between February and April 2024 and surveyed 7,700 young people.
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