Evaluation shows: basic vocational training is still worthwhile

The The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) has published the results of the fifth cost-benefit survey. of basic vocational training from the perspective of companies. The survey provides key findings on the relationship between the costs and benefits of training apprentices in companies. The data has been collected regularly since 2000 in order to assess the economic viability of dual vocational education and training.

Net benefit of teaching confirmed

On average across all apprenticeship occupations, the average net benefit in the 2022/23 training year was a good CHF 4,500 per apprenticeship year and apprenticeship relationship. A majority of apprenticeships (around 71%) therefore generate a net benefit for the training company. The net benefit results from the value of the productive work of the apprentices during the training period minus all training costs. Companies rate the ratio of costs and benefits correspondingly positively: 80 percent are somewhat or very satisfied with the training of their own apprentices.

The results of the two- and three-year VET programs are largely at the same level as the last survey in 2016/17. The average net benefit is CHF 9,630 for the Federal Vocational Certificate (FVC) and CHF 13,940 for the three-year Federal Certificate of Competence (FCC). For four-year EFZ apprenticeships, the net benefit is significantly higher at CHF 17,510. Part of the increase is due to apprenticeships whose training period has been extended from three to four years.

Training quality remains predominantly good

The results also illustrate the high degree of relevance of basic vocational training. On average, companies consider 82% of the training content defined in the training plan to be relevant to their own company. At the same time, just under a fifth of companies impart additional qualifications that go beyond the training plan.

A similar picture emerges for the quality of training: Over three quarters of training companies offer satisfactory to very good quality. Overall, this confirms that the majority of companies are committed to fulfilling their responsibility in dual training. The survey also shows that apprentices spend the majority of their time in the workplace doing productive skilled work. This is very positive, as it allows them to carry out the activities that they should have mastered by the time they complete their apprenticeship.

Vocational training secures future skilled workers and creates economic added value

The extrapolated cost-benefit values for Switzerland as a whole clearly show the educational and economic importance of training apprentices. Swiss companies with at least two employees invest a total of almost CHF 5 billion per year in this area and thus significantly in the training of future skilled workers. The training costs are offset by the slightly higher productive output of apprentices, who contribute around CHF 5.7 billion per year to Switzerland's economic output even at a young age.

For the Swiss Employers' Association, which also evaluated the SERI results, clearly shows that basic vocational education and training not only pays off economically, it is also a key pillar for securing a qualified workforce and an important contribution by companies to the future viability of the Swiss economy. This must also be taken into account in the future, as a negative cost-benefit ratio would have a negative impact on companies' willingness to provide training and thus worsen the success factor of the Swiss dual VET model, the association said in its statement.