Dual vocational training – a valuable feature of the Swiss model meets with approval

We cannot overstate the importance of the dual education system for young people and for social cohesion in our country as a whole. It is an indispensable part of the Swiss economy and an expression of our unique cooperative-based social model. A recently published detailed report on vocational training at Stadler Rail in the USA shows us what we have in Swiss vocational training and that it cannot simply be exported.

USA: Working or studying

When Stadler Rail wanted to start building railways for a major contract in Salt Lake City ten years ago, the Swiss realised that no one in Utah had ever built a train before. The screws and tools had to be sourced from Europe, and above all, there were no specialists. In the USA, people go to university after high school whenever possible. Those who cannot manage this or who can’t afford to study go to work – if they find a job. Vocational training is generally not available. Before joining Stadler as apprentices, most young people had only learned what they needed to know for their job.
    For example, people applied for jobs as electricians “whose only professional experience was having connected a lamp once,” reports Denis Cerrone, now head of the production department. So the Swiss professionals in Utah did what almost every company in Switzerland does: they started training apprentices. In doing so, they sometimes encountered personal deficits in addition to poor maths skills. “Those who have no formal education often have problems with organisational matters and also with organising themselves,” says Cerrone.
    Today, ten years later, Stadler Rail in Salt Lake City employs 650 skilled workers.
    The combination of practical and theoretical training was new to the apprentices and their families. What makes it particularly attractive is that you don’t have to pay for it like you do for university and end up with a mountain of debt, but instead receive free education and a salary on top of that.

Switzerland: social contract based on the cooperative principle

The Swiss vocational training system has historically developed. Apprenticeships developed primarily in the guilds of German-speaking Swiss cities, where high-quality products and the training of the next generation went hand in hand. That is why apprenticeships are still more widespread in German-speaking Switzerland than in French-speaking Switzerland or Ticino. There are people who insist that the number of students obtaining a school-leaving certificate should be increased. Well, I myself obtained a school-leaving certificate and certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from pursuing this path. But we cannot overestimate the value of a large proportion of young people completing vocational training. Those who roll up their sleeves and persevere for three or four years in a company and at vocational school often have better opportunities for their future (not only in terms of their career) than some grammar school pupils if they tend to coast through school. This is usually not possible in a training company, because you encounter the factual objections of real requirements and trainers who counter this. Especially in today’s world, this is of great importance for the personal development of the individual and for the cohesion of society as a whole.
    In addition to young people’s desire to learn a trade, the second essential factor is the willingness of the vast majority of SMEs, but also large companies, to train apprentices. This only works because the majority of entrepreneurs not only want to train good people for their own businesses – which is, of course, also the case – but also feel jointly responsible for training the younger generation as the basis for the economy, social solidarity and democratic participation. Another hallmark of modern Swiss vocational training is its permeability, which enables motivated young people to pursue a degree after their apprenticeship, for example. NZZ economics editor Chanchal Biswas: The dual education system with vocational training and higher education is “firmly anchored in society and in the country’s self-confidence. It excludes no one, is permeable and, thanks to apprenticeships, produces skilled workers who really know their stuff. It is a model of success [...]”

USA: Why invest in training your employees if they are going to leave?

The author describes the attitude of many entrepreneurs and employees in the USA differently. “Why should a company invest in training its employees if they are then poached by a competitor? Why should an employee stay with Stadler longer when everywhere else they are taught that they should change jobs every two to three years to increase their salary?” This reveals a deeper lack of social cohesion. The reliability and willingness of some apprentices to take responsibility for the quality of the products and the positive image of their training company also had to be established first.
    In Switzerland, we are used to different things from apprentices, notes production manager Cerrone. As a former vocational school teacher, I can confirm this. Although education and training in our country is known to leave much to be desired, I was always impressed by my 16-year-old students, who usually mastered the transition from the comfortable classroom to the strict working day with astonishing positivity. They proudly talked about the first product they had created all by themselves, the new machine they had learned to operate with care and concentration, and the responsibility they had to take for their work, which sometimes meant working overtime when something had gone wrong.
    In the USA, on the other hand, vocational training is hardly known among parents and young people. That is why Stadler organises school visits, company tours and information evenings. “The USA as an industrial location needs a fundamental reorientation in education, otherwise we [the US economy, mw] will never be competitive, tariffs or no tariffs,” says Martin Ritter, head of Stadler USA.
    Until now, Stadler Rail has had to organise and finance college education itself, which has not been easy, “simply because of a lack of infrastructure, materials and teaching staff.” The curricula for the individual professions are compiled by experts based on the Swiss model. At least in Utah, the company has succeeded in attracting the interest of the relevant authorities and universities, and fortunately four other companies have joined the apprenticeship programme.

A window of hope for a better future …

Many of the young Americans who is allowed to do an apprenticeship at Stadler are aware of its importance for their personal development. “The apprenticeship has changed my life,” explains Carlos, who previously laid parquet flooring and carpets on construction sites: “There’s no training there, you just work. His future will be better with the qualification and the professional experience.” Now he is considering a bachelor’s degree in engineering. “With Stadler’s help, I will be able to do it,” Carlos adds confidently.

… and a warning for us Swiss

We Swiss, for our part, would do well to take care of our excellent vocational training system. Our education policymakers must fulfil their responsibility to provide our children with a good primary school education, without any ifs or buts. Otherwise, we must expect that more and more school leavers will fail to start an apprenticeship or will not complete their apprenticeship – even if the trainers in the companies and vocational schools do their utmost to teach them what the primary school failed to teach them.
    Editor Biswas: “When Americans order a Swiss train, they are also buying a promise. Terms such as punctuality, reliability and quality come to mind.” And: In Swiss companies, employees learn that responsibility for product quality “lies with each individual.” Let’s make sure it stays that way. •

Source: Biswas, Chanchal. “‘The Apprentice’ – live in Salt Lake City: Wie Stadler Rail den Amerikanern das Lehrlingswesen beibringt». (How Stadler Rail is teaching Americans about apprenticeships.”) In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung of 20 October 2025