Supplementprof.ch
Each Swiss vocational and professional qualification is assigned to one of eight levels in the Swiss National Qualifications Framework for Vocational and Professional qualifications (NQF VPQ) based on the various requirements that must be met in order to obtain that qualification. In addition, each professional qualification is issued with a corresponding diploma supplement and each vocational qualification is issued with a corresponding certificate supplement. Each supplement indicates the level that the given qualification holds within the NQF VPQ and describes the professional competences that the qualification holders possesses. Employers in Switzerland and abroad can use the additional information to assess the holder's knowledge, skills and know-how and position the qualification within an international context. This makes it easier to compare vocational and professional qualifications and fosters permeability and mobility both in Switzerland and in other countries.
Supplementprof.ch is a term used in all languages to refer to certificate and diploma supplements. The website of the same name in four languages (D, F, I, E) facilitates access to these certificate and diploma supplements. This website is jointly managed by the Swiss Service Centre for Vocational Education and Training | Vocational, Educational and Career Guidance (SDBB) and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI.
Certificate supplements for vocational qualifications (i.e. Federal VET Diploma and Federal VET Certificate)
Certificate supplements describe the professional competences that the qualification holders possess as well as the level that the vocational qualification holds in the Swiss National Qualifications Framework for Vocational and Professional Qualifications (NQF VPQ) and the corresponding level in the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF). Certificate supplements are provided in SERI's List of Vocational and Professional Qualifications. Certificate supplements are only valid together with the original Federal VET Diploma or orginal Federal VET Certificate. All Swiss vocational qualifications bear the supplementprof.ch label.
Certificate supplements for the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate
Certificate supplements provide Swiss and foreign companies or higher education institutions with a description of the competences possessed by the holder of a Swiss vocational qualification. Certificate supplements are available for every specialism covered by the Federal Vocational Baccalaureate. Since the FVB is not listed in the Swiss National Qualifications Framework for Vocational and Professional Qualifications (NQF VPQ), this certificate supplement does not contain any information about the NQF level of the FVB, only its classification according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).
Diploma supplements
A diploma supplement is issued along with each Swiss professional qualification (whether it is awarded through a federal examination or by a professional education institution). Each diploma supplement provides information about the professional qualification and allows employers in Switzerland and abroad to assess the expertise of the qualification holder. Diploma supplements also indicate the level that the professional qualification holds in the Swiss National Qualifications Framework for Vocational and Professional Qualifications (NQF VPQ) and the corresponding level in the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF).
