Multiculturalism and the Swiss Educational System

Ambassador Ruch will talk about multiculturalism and the Swiss educational system. In his talk, he is going to explain Switzerland’s dualistic educational system and its role in integrating people from different cultural backgrounds into Swiss society. A special emphasis will be put on the role of Switzerland’s system of vocational education and training (VET). This system enables young people to enter the labor market and ensures that there are enough skilled workers and managers in the future. It has a high labor market relevance and is an integral part of the education system. Two-thirds of all young people coming out of compulsory education in Switzerland enroll in vocational education and training, which provides them with a solid foundation in a given occupation (there are around 230 occupations to choose from). This system forms the basis for lifelong learning and opens up a wide range of job prospects. Most vocational education training programs include a part-time classroom courses at a vocational school and a part-time worklplace training at a host company. More and more countries are taking an interest in this model, which is an effective tool for combating unemployment. Switzerland’s unemployment rate has been below 4% for over 20 years and is currently just at 2,1% (July 2019). The good health of Switzerland’s economy overall is due in particular to the quality of the VET system, because it is specifically geared to labor market needs. Ambassador Ruch will also explain how the Swiss culture of regarding non-academic labor as equally valuable is a necessary requirement for the VET system’s success in general and for its capability to integrate people from different cultural backgrounds into the Swiss labor market and into Swiss society in particular.

Ambassador Ruch will talk about multiculturalism and the Swiss educational system. In his talk, he is going to explain Switzerland’s dualistic educational system and its role in integrating people from different cultural backgrounds into Swiss society. A special emphasis will be put on the role of Switzerland’s system of vocational education and training (VET). This system enables young people to enter the labor market and ensures that there are enough skilled workers and managers in the future. It has a high labor market relevance and is an integral part of the education system. Two-thirds of all young people coming out of compulsory education in Switzerland enroll in vocational education and training, which provides them with a solid foundation in a given occupation (there are around 230 occupations to choose from). This system forms the basis for lifelong learning and opens up a wide range of job prospects. Most vocational education training programmes include a part-time class-room courses at a vocational school and a part-time workplace training at a host company. More and more countries are taking an interest in this model, which is an effective tool for combating unemployment. Switzerland’s unemployment rate has been below 4% for over 20 years and is currently just at 2,1% (July 2019). The good health of Switzerland’s economy overall is due in particular to the quality of the VET system, because it is specifically geared to labor market needs. Ambassador Ruch will also explain how the Swiss culture of regarding non-academic labor as equally valuable is a necessary requirement for the VET system’s success in general and for its capability to integrate people from different cultural backgrounds into the Swiss labor market and into Swiss society in particular.