Adult vocational qualification

Options, retraining opportunities and processes

The Swiss education system offers various opportunities for obtaining a federally recognised vocational qualification. Basic vocational education and training was originally conceived as an educational offer for young people. It features clearly structured training courses, full-time training, youth protection provisions as well as numerous support services and counselling centres that are tailored to a young target group.

However, adults can also obtain a vocational education and training qualification (Federal VET Certificate or Federal VET Diploma with/without a Federal Vocational Baccalaureate) in a variety of ways. The Swiss Federal Act on Vocational Education and Training forms the basis for ensuring that skills already acquired can be credited appropriately and that training courses can be shortened accordingly. In addition, the legal framework enables the development of further tailor-made educational offerings for adults.

Basic vocational education and training always consists of three elements: education, admission to a qualification process and the qualification process. In order to complete a qualification process, candidates need to acquire the appropriate authorisation. The specific admission criteria are set out in the respective education ordinance. Participation in a training course organised by a company or school generally meets the requirements for admission. However, candidates can also apply for admission outside of a regulated education programme by providing evidence of the required professional experience and demonstrating that they are able to meet the requirements of the respective qualification process.

The chapters below describe various ways in which adults can obtain a vocational education and training qualification (Federal VET Certificate or Federal VET Diploma with/without a Federal Vocational Baccalaureate).

MANY PATHS LEAD TO THE SAME GOAL

Berufliche Grundbildung mit Lehrvertrag Schulisch organisierter Bildungsgang Zulassung zu einem Qualifikationsverfahren

Forms for crediting educational attainment

Admission to training

Adults are admitted to basic vocational education and training if they meet the academic and practical requirements.

Basic vocational education and training follows on from compulsory schooling or an equivalent qualification. Adults meet the admission requirements if they meet the academic and practical requirements of the respective basic VET programme.

Anyone who does not meet these requirements will need to acquire the missing qualifications. For example, a course on basic skills.

Transferring credits to a training programme

Previous educational attainment can be credited towards courses of study. This may result in an exemption from attending classes or a reduction in the duration of the training period or working hours (part-time apprenticeships).

The providers of school education decide whether to allow the individual to be exempt from attending classes:

The vocational school decides on basic training organised by companies.
The educational institution decides on basic training organised by schools.

Individuals who possess some of the professional VET competencies can complete vocational education and training in a shorter time. The two-year basic vocational education and training programme can be shortened by a maximum of one year.

After consulting the parties to the apprenticeship contract and the vocational school, the canton decides on basic vocational education and training organised by companies.
The educational institution decides on basic vocational education and training organised by schools.

Admission to the qualification process

Adults who have completed basic vocational education and training outside of a regulated education programme are admitted to a qualification process.

Basic vocational education and training concludes with a qualification process. Admission to this qualification process is not conditional on attendance of certain courses of study. The cantons approve admission. This is subject to the following conditions:

Adults must have five years of professional experience. Of this, a proportion defined in the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Ordinance must be demonstrated within the area of expertise for the desired profession.
This demonstrates that they are capable of meeting the requirements of the respective qualification process.

These conditions prevent adults with no realistic chance of success from completing a qualification process.

Transferring credits to a qualification process

The cantons credit educational attainments already acquired in the qualification process. This involves exempting the school-based examination components.

The cantonal authority exempts the school-based components of a qualification process. The exemption covers individual parts or entire qualification areas.

The legal basis does not provide for an exemption from practical parts of the qualification process. The professional competencies required for the profession must be demonstrated in the practical parts of the qualification process. This ensures that adults meet the demands of the labour market.

Recognition of educational attainments in Vocational Education and Training

The SERI guidelines entitled (Recognition of educational attainments in Vocational Education and Training) describe the process for crediting educational attainments and make recommendations to the cantons and the sponsoring bodies.

It is aimed at counselling centres that help adults compile evidence of qualifications, bodies responsible for crediting educational attainment, vocational schools and host companies, and bodies responsible for drawing up recommendations on the crediting of educational attainment.

The guidelines and further information on crediting of educational attainment can be found on the SERI website

RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS

In Switzerland, adults who have obtained an educational qualification abroad comparable to basic vocational education and training have the option of applying to SERI for recognition (equivalence) or confirmation of the level of the foreign qualification.

The recognition process differs depending on whether the profession is regulated in Switzerland or not. A profession is considered to be regulated if carrying out the professional activity in Switzerland is tied to the possession of certain professional qualifications by law or administrative provisions.

More detailed information is available on the SERI website at www.sbfi.admin.ch/diploma

RESPONSIBILITIES

Cantons Kantone and professional organisations are responsible for setting up, providing information and obtaining approval for these routes.

The portal berufsberatung.ch offers an overview of the various options for people who want to achieve a vocational qualification at a later stage in life.