On Tuesday, the Senate CTE Caucus, in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland, hosted a briefing discussing the recent initiatives and developments in the United States related to Swiss-inspired apprenticeships models.
In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Martin Dahinden highlighted the priority the Swiss place on apprenticeships and their benefits for the economy. On an annual basis, Switzerland spends just over 1% of its GDP on apprenticeship initiatives. To put that amount in context, if the United States invested at the same level, it would equate to almost $200 billion annually. The Ambassador further explained that apprenticeship’s success, training two out of every three students, is owed to the fact that over 40% of all businesses participate.
After Ambassador Dahinden spoke, CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) gave brief remarks highlighting their steadfast commitment to ensuring that all students are college and career ready when they graduate high school. Specifically, Sen. Kaine mentioned his legislation, S. 839, the JOBS Act, and how it would make students pursuing short-term job training programs eligible to receive Pell Grants. ACTE publicly supports the JOBS Act.
The other presenters included an executive at an advanced manufacturing firm that is participating, a current apprentice in the program and the Program Director at CareerWise Colorado, the non-profit intermediary administering the apprenticeship system throughout Colorado. The presenters, representing different factions that make up the system, all had a similar message: Apprenticeships offer real credentials and career pathways into middle skill jobs, present a realistic, affordable option for securing postsecondary credentials, and provide employers with a skilled, productive pipeline.
As background, the Swiss vocational and professional education and training (VPET) system is a public-private partnership that includes the professional organizations, cantons (state government), and the Swiss Confederation (federal government) to jointly define curricula, skill sets and standards for occupations throughout the country. At the end of students’ compulsory education, they have a choice between continuing their studies (postsecondary) or opting for vocational education training (VET). VET combines school with practical, on-the-job experience. The basic in-company apprenticeship involves spending three or four days in the workplace, then moving to the classroom at a vocational school for the remainder of the week. The training, during which the apprentice is paid by the employer, lasts between two and four years, at the end of which the apprentice receives a Federal VET Diploma or Federal VET Certificate. The former apprentice can then go straight into the labor market or enter higher education.
For a more detailed look into Switzerland's Vocational and Professional Education and Training System, please visit their website.
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