Eastern Swiss hospitality sector launches scheme to curb apprenticeship dropouts

Nearly four in 10 hospitality apprentices in Switzerland leave their training early. A new apprenticeship consortium in Eastern Switzerland aims to prevent dropouts by supporting both apprentices and employers, SRF reports.

Federal figures show that about 37 percent of apprenticeship contracts in hospitality and catering end early, compared with 24 percent across all occupations. Walter Tobler, president of the Gastro St. Gallen hospitality association, said the industry shared responsibility for the problem.

Irregular hours, weekend shifts and the transition to working life can lead apprentices to quit, Tobler said. The consortium, set up by the Sapere Foundation, plans to intervene early rather than wait until an apprentice is considering leaving.

Education coaches will help apprentices plan their training, mediate conflicts and support employers with challenges in day-to-day training. Renato Blättler, the consortium’s managing director, said many businesses needed help. He added that training had become more demanding and that younger workers increasingly valued predictable schedules and a better work-life balance.

Pilot scheme began this summer

The pilot has been running since this summer and is open to hospitality businesses in the region. Participation is free in its first year; the aim is for the service to fund itself over time.

The Krone Mosnang, a family-run hospitality business in lower Toggenburg now in its fifth generation, is among the participants. It currently has six apprentices, including second-year trainee cook Sebastian Länzlinger. He is happy with his career choice, saying the working hours suit him because his hobbies do not depend much on weekends. He has classmates who have already left their apprenticeships, and said kitchen work can be demanding.

The business introduced a four-day week several years ago. Its managing director, Philipp Schneider, who also sits on the Sapere Foundation’s board, said the industry needed to take responsibility and make hospitality jobs attractive. The project’s organisers hope the Eastern Swiss model will eventually be adopted in other regions.