The most sought-after apprenticeships in 2026
Commercial clerk EFZ remains by far the most sought-after apprenticeship in Switzerland. An evaluation of the search queries on yousty.ch shows: The ranking is stable, while retail trade, IT and logistics are competing for the places behind.
Apprenticeships are highly valued in Switzerland - this is confirmed by SERI's job barometer: in summer 2025, 50 % of all school leavers opted for basic vocational training. An evaluation of the most sought-after apprenticeships in 2026, based on the search queries on yousty.ch in German-speaking Switzerland, shows a stable picture with few shifts.
Commercial apprenticeship undisputedly at the top
The occupation of commercial clerk EFZ is still by far the most sought-after apprenticeship. Out of a total of around 5 million searches, 1 million were for this occupation alone. The cantons of Neuchâtel (5.0 % below the Swiss average), Nidwalden (-4.3 %) and Geneva (-3.3 %) have the lowest proportion of searches for commercial apprenticeships.
Retail and IT professions follow directly behind commercial apprenticeships. Compared to the previous year, these two areas - together with logistics and drawing - have moved up or down slightly in the ranking. All other professions in the top 10 have retained their exact positions from the previous year. There are no new entrants in the top 10.
Apprenticeship vacancies and regional differences
The vacancy barometer shows that 13 % of apprenticeships remained open in the last recruitment year. As of April 22, 2026, 12,696 apprenticeships are still advertised on yousty.ch.
In addition to the overarching trends, there are also regional differences: The occupation of care specialist EFZ (FaBe) is the least sought after in the central Swiss cantons of Zug, Schwyz and Nidwalden, while it is the most sought after in the western Swiss cantons of Geneva, Fribourg, Valais, Neuchâtel and Vaud. As in the previous year, the canton of Neuchâtel led the searches for the occupation of pharmacy specialist EFZ (formerly pharmaceutical assistant), followed by Fribourg and Valais. Demand for this occupation is lowest in the rural cantons of Obwalden, Uri, Zug, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Lucerne and Schwyz.
Further information and current apprenticeships can be found at yousty.ch retrievable.
