Vocational Training (colloquially referred to as Apprenticeships) is a part of Switzerland's dual education system which combines general and professional school education. Vocational education is part of the secondary education sector. There are a variety of programs offered and covered by most industries (from administration to trade professions).[1] [2] [3]
Basic education includes a two-year training for a vocational certificate, along with vocational apprenticeships designed as three- or four-year programs. The legal basis for this is the Vocational Education and Training Act, enacted in 2004. The act defines vocational education as a shared responsibility between the federal government and states. The State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation issues education regulations that outline the goals, requirements, and duration of vocational education programs.[4]
About two-thirds of young people in Switzerland undergo vocational education and training, with the percentage varying by region. In 2019, nearly 70,000 young individuals earned a vocational education certificate.