The Swiss Vocational Education and Training System as an Inspiration for Slovakia

The Swiss system of vocational education and training is considered one of the best in the world and serves as an inspiration for many countries, Slovakia included. Why is this education system so successful? The key to its success lies above all in the cooperation between schools, companies and the state (cantons). The education system is based on a dual model that combines school-based education with paid work-based training in companies. The curricula of study programmes and qualification standards are developed in close cooperation between the state, the cantons and employers, so that education corresponds precisely to the needs of the labour market. Vocational education and training enjoys high social prestige, is the first choice of the majority of young people and is at the same time highly permeable – it allows graduates to progress to higher vocational schools and universities without “dead ends”. Thanks to this, Switzerland has low youth unemployment and a highly qualified workforce.

Switzerland began gradually reforming its vocational education and training system as early as the 1970s and continues to effectively adapt the education system to changing labour market conditions today (for example, to digitalisation).

Vocational education and training is one of the key priorities of the second Swiss contribution to selected Member States of the European Union to reduce economic and social disparities within the EU. This priority has also been incorporated into the Swiss–Slovak Cooperation Programme, in the project “Improving quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) towards labour market needs”, implemented by the State Institute of Vocational Education. One of the Swiss partners in the project is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich – ETH Zürich. As part of the project, a workshop entitled “Strategic factors linking vocational education and training with professional adult education on the labour market” was held on 5–6 November 2025, led by internationally renowned expert Prof. Ursula Renold from ETH Zürich. Prof. Renold accepted an invitation for an interview with STVR, in which she explained in more detail what lies behind the success of vocational education and training in Switzerland.

You can watch the full interview with Prof. Dr Ursula Renold in AKTUÁLNE :24 at this link.