Swiss firms report basic skills deficits among apprentices

Swiss companies are reporting significant weaknesses in their apprentices’ basic skills, with around one in five saying they may recruit fewer apprentices in future, according to a survey reported by SRF.

Writing and mathematical skills received the most critical assessments. The business associations behind the survey said the deterioration had continued for five to 10 years.

About 2,900 people responsible for training apprentices responded to an online survey conducted by Economiesuisse, the Swiss Employers’ Confederation and the Swiss Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. More than a quarter of the responses came from the health and social care sector, while about 14 percent came from the machine, electrical and metal industries.

Two-thirds of the companies said insufficient basic skills created additional costs. Nineteen percent reported spending between 500 and 2,000 Swiss francs per year for each affected apprentice. At most companies, staff spend up to three hours a week supporting each apprentice with inadequate basic skills.

The business associations are calling for schools to focus more strongly on teaching basic skills. Economiesuisse chief economist Rudolf Minsch said politicians must ensure that schools can concentrate on their core mission, without making compromises in this area.

The associations also want a systematic investigation into the reasons for the perceived decline in skills so that appropriate measures can be introduced. They warned that the vocational training system and Switzerland’s economy could be weakened if the trend continued.

The survey is not representative: nearly 3,000 of Switzerland’s roughly 60,000 training companies took part. It also does not show which occupations or cantons are most affected. However, the results indicate that companies are concerned, according to SRF’s assessment.

Christophe Darbellay, president of the cantonal education directors, urged caution in interpreting the findings. Switzerland still performs very well by international standards, he said, and the next Pisa study may not match the picture presented by the business associations.

Darbellay nevertheless supports giving greater priority to basic skills at schools, particularly for children from socially disadvantaged households. The cantons, he said, still had room to improve.

SRF reported that Switzerland already carries out substantial monitoring and research, but that calls for action often lead to few concrete measures. The federal government and cantons are also under pressure to cut spending, while demands for more resources and smaller classes are facing an opposing trend.