Apprenticeships: what could we learn from Switzerland?

By: Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader

Wednesday 29 August 2012

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With the steep rise in tuition fees, increasing amounts of young people are applying for Apprenticeships rather than turning to higher education – the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) says applications are up 53% on last year. Yet in the UK, the vocational route is not always as highly valued as the academic alternative.

In Janet Murray’s recent article, she explores the education system in Switzerland – a country with one of the most successful apprenticeship systems in the world with a youth unemployment figure of just 7.5% (in contrast to 21.9% in the UK).

Apprenticeship programmes in Switzerland typically last 3-4 years with young people splitting their week between the workplace and vocational college, rendering them highly employable. Young people are encouraged to think about their future early - from the age of 14, students are split between academic high school and specialist vocational schools.

However, this is not an irreversible decision - young people who have gone down the vocational route can do further qualifications and access higher education. Equally, those that have pursued an academic pathway can then do degree-equivalent vocational training programmes.

In Switzerland, there is a sense of collective responsibility between employers, the education sector and learners for the success of apprenticeships. With this in mind, employers design the programme of study in the specialist vocational schools so that curriculum content is matched with the skills needs of the labour market.

Do you think there are aspects of Switzerland’s apprenticeship success that we could learn from? What are the barriers in Britain that stop us from embracing vocational education in this way? How could we do more to support both employers and potential apprentices?

Read the full article on the Guardian website here

Find out more about NCFE Apprenticeships here

Discover the new criteria for the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE)

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader
96 posts
David Grailey

Chief Executive
79 posts
Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Policy Leader
75 posts
Esme Winch

Managing Director
35 posts
Michael Lemin

Policy and Research Manager
25 posts

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Colleges

Training Providers

Employers

Learners

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