Vocational education and upper-secondary school
After compulsory schooling, there are two educational routes in Switzerland: vocational education or upper-secondary school. There are plenty of further education options open to you during the course of your professional life, at every level.
The external pageChart above has been produced by the external pageState Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. The text is an abbreviated excerpt taken from the external pageDepartment of Education of the canton of Zurich – Office for Upper-Secondary and Vocational Education (German).
Vocational education follows on from compulsory schooling. In addition to practical training, on one to two days a week vocational college teaches professional skills as well as general education and social skills. The Swiss dual vocational education system is outstanding and attracts a great deal of international interest.
Vocational baccalaureate
The external pagevocational baccalaureate (German) is an alternative to attending an upper-secondary selective school that is open to capable and practically gifted young people. It supplements the vocational training provided at schools and qualifies people who have passed the exam for admission to a university of applied sciences or, through the “Passerelle” top-up programme, a university.
The vocational baccalaureate can be obtained during basic vocational training or after completing the basic training, while attending full-time education.
Apprentices at ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich also trains apprentices. The Office for Vocational Education and Training ensures that the 170 or so apprentices in 15 different vocational fields receive the best possible support. More about vocational education and training can be found on the apprentices’ homepage (German).
Upper-secondary selective schools (external pagecantonal upper-secondary schools, German) give pupils direct access to university and to ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne, the two Federal Institutes of Technology. More information about upper-secondary schools can be found in the brochure "external pageGymnasium" (German).
external pageUpper-secondary business schools (German), external pageupper-secondary computer science schools (German) and external pageupper-secondary specialised schools (German) are routes into a university of applied sciences and are an additional educational option in the stage between upper-secondary selective schools and vocational apprenticeships.
Specialised baccalaureate
external pageUpper-secondary specialised schools (German) develop students’ general education and personalities and, with the wide range of course options, enables them to focus on their chosen career or training path and progress to a PET college or university of applied sciences.