🇨🇭 Find the right apprenticeship — explained for teens and parents.

The Lehre — Switzerland's pathway into the working world.

More than two thirds of Swiss teenagers start their careers with an apprenticeship. Find out which one fits you — and how future-proof it is.

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What is a Lehre?

A Lehre (vocational education and training) combines practical work in a host company with school and inter-company courses. After 2 years you earn an EBA, after 3–4 years an EFZ — and every doorway to further education stays open.

Highlighted Apprenticeship of the Day

Meet a different Swiss apprenticeship every day.

Hospitality · EBA

Hotel Employee EBA

Basic cleaning and service work in hotels.

Duration: 2 years
Apprentice wage: CHF 600–1’100

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Example employers

Companies in this field that offer apprenticeships.

Accor

Coop

Migros

SV Group

McDonald’s

All apprenticeships

What happens after — outcomes in numbers

These figures describe Swiss vocational education as a whole, not this one profession. They come from national statistics and are rounded, so read them as a rough picture rather than a promise.

~93%

of apprentices pass the final qualifying exams

~91%

of 25-year-olds in Switzerland hold an upper-secondary qualification

~23%

of apprenticeship contracts are ended early (national average)

~90%

of graduates are working or studying one year later

Ending a contract is not the same as quitting

Most young people who end an apprenticeship contract do not leave vocational training. About 75% start a new contract — often in the same job with a different company, or in a related profession — within about three years. Statistics count contract terminations, not dropouts, and the two numbers are very different.

Differences between jobs and industries

Not every profession has the same experience. This list shows the share of apprenticeship contracts that are ended early in each field, compared with the national average of 23%. A higher number usually reflects tough working hours, physical demands or a mismatch between expectations and daily reality — not that the job is a bad choice.

Hospitality35–45%
Construction & Trades25–35%
Retail25–32%
Nature & Agriculture22–30%
Design & Media18–26%
Health & Social16–24%
IT & Engineering12–18%
Business & Administration12–18%

Why apprentices leave a contract

›The job turned out different from what they expected
›Problems with the trainer, team or working atmosphere
›School results or exam pressure
›Health, family or personal reasons
›The company closed, restructured or lost its training licence
›They found a better fit in another profession

Where people go next

›Straight into a job in the trained profession
›A new contract in a related profession after a change
›Vocational baccalaureate (BM), then university of applied sciences
›Higher vocational training (Höhere Fachschule, federal diplomas)
›A bridge year or short break, then back into training

Sources — read more

Figures are approximate national averages from the Swiss Education Report, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS) and SFUVET (EHB). Numbers for a single profession or canton can differ.