The federal government, cantons, and professional organizations are jointly committed to high-quality vocational education and training and strive to ensure a sufficient number of apprenticeships. Vocational education and training also forms the basis for lifelong learning and opens up a wide range of career opportunities.

Vocational training provides the skills and knowledge necessary to practice a profession. It takes the form of a two-year apprenticeship with a federal vocational certificate or a three- or four-year apprenticeship with a federal certificate of competence. In addition to the three- or four-year apprenticeship, the federal vocational baccalaureate can be obtained. Adults can also obtain a vocational training qualification. The Vocational Training Act provides several options for this: the spectrum ranges from regulated, structured procedures for occupational groups or parts thereof to individual recognition procedures.

Tasks of the SBFI

As in all areas of vocational education and training, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) works closely with the cantons and professional organizations in the field of basic vocational training. SERI's tasks include, in particular:

• the monitoring and issuance of regulations on basic vocational training (formerly: training regulations)

• the further development of basic vocational training

• the regulation of the vocational baccalaureate.

Image: SBFI_Admin.ch