Swiss firms keep apprenticeship offer steady as 49% choose vocational training

Swiss employers offered around 86,000 apprenticeship places for summer 2026, with most filled by August, while 49% of school leavers began vocational training. SRF reported the figures from the federal transition barometer.

More than 91,000 young people completed compulsory schooling this summer. Alongside the 49% who chose vocational training, 34% opted for an academic education and 17% chose an interim option. The proportions were unchanged from the previous year, according to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

The transition barometer tracks young people’s education choices after compulsory schooling and conditions in the Swiss apprenticeship market. The annual online survey is conducted in two rounds by research institute gfs.bern. The latest short report draws on responses from 2,003 young people and 3,808 companies across Switzerland.

Of the approximately 86,000 places offered, 93% led to a Federal VET Diploma and 7% to a Federal VET Certificate. More than 75,000 places had been filled by August, an 88% rate, unchanged from the previous year.

Employers cited unsuitable or missing applications as the main reasons for vacancies, including inadequate school performance, language difficulties and a lack of motivation.

Most young people starting vocational training said they felt well or fairly well informed. Two-thirds already knew their workplace trainers, 57% had visited their training company and 55% had received information about their first day at work. Around half had taken part in trial days or had an introduction to their first tasks.

However, one in four wanted more information about learning and time management. Another 23% wanted more detail about the demands of vocational school, and the same share sought guidance on dealing with uncertainty, pressure and stress. Some also wanted information about financial matters and personal difficulties.