MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Swiss Canton of Vaud – news in French
A large promotional campaign is planned to support these efforts, as well as the opening of a Cité des métiers in Crissier to provide information and guidance throughout the year. However, to observe real changes, an evolution in the orientation and the end of compulsory schooling will be necessary via the MAT-EO project.
On the eve of the opening of the career fair on October 1, 2024, State Councilor Frédéric Borloz presented generally stable figures on the career guidance of young people in the Canton. These figures nevertheless show for the first time in a long time a 1% increase in the choice of apprenticeship upon leaving compulsory school (19.3% in 2023 to 20.3% in 2024). The number of young people in pre-gymnasium who directly choose apprenticeship is also up by 2% (7% to 9%). At the same time, transition measures are falling by 0.9% to 24% and enrollments in maturity schools are stable at around 37.7% and have not increased for 3 years. Out of 36,4000 young people in post-compulsory education, the Canton of Vaud has 19,500 young people in apprenticeships compared to 13,950 in general education at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
Building bridges between schools and the world of work
Promoting vocational training is a priority of the 2022-2022 legislative program7 and a priority of the Council of State. For two years, the Department of Education and Vocational Training has continued its efforts and deployed its action plan. In addition to the one-off and symbolic event represented by the Salon des Métiers, an entire ecosystem of measures and systems are now in place and developing. For example, we can cite the organization of meetings between local businesses and students through regional forums. These events are set up in several establishments by the coordinators of the approach to the professional world, now present in all school regions. Thus, young people benefit from opportunities for individual or group internships thanks to the links established with the world of work in each region.
A City of Trades in Crissier and a campaign to promote apprenticeships
The head of the training department also announced that the Cité des Métiers project has started. This permanent place dedicated to information and guidance will be available to the population by 2028 at the latest on the site of the future Crissier gymnasium. Various Vaud administration counters will be represented there, academic and professional guidance, training for young people and adults, employment and scholarships. In addition, a campaign to promote apprenticeships will be launched to enhance the image of apprenticeships among young people, parents and teachers. It will help combat stereotypes and show the diversity of professions and career opportunities.
The Careers Fair and a day of higher education
Thousands of young people, students and families are expected at the Salon des Métiers 2024, which takes place earlier this year. For the first time, Sunday will be devoted to higher education courses that follow the CFC, whether they are higher education diplomas, federal certificates or professional diplomas.
Efforts are continuing to highlight the apprenticeship pathway, in several timeframes, for several audiences and in various forms. While some indicators seem rather encouraging, real changes can only be observed with time and by changing the orientation of students at the end of compulsory schooling. In the years to come, this is precisely one of the missions of MAT-EO, the project of the reform of the four-year maturity and compulsory schooling.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.