WorldSkills competitions – Peak performance, team spirit and sustainability

Early support for talent across all areas of education and training yields results

Participants who have successfully competed in national or international skills competitions are living examples of the robust and competitive Swiss VET sector. As a key pillar of the permeable education system, the VET sector demonstrates that training programmes focusing on specific occupations produce enviable outcomes and that individual motivation and performance yields results. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) therefore intends to prioritise extracurricular support for talented young people, whether they are enrolled in general education or in vocational education and training. The Swiss Youth in Science Foundation works closely with the Science Olympiads and the Swiss Study Foundation. The coordinated efforts of these three organisations create synergies that encourage and empower talented young people to compete in national competitions, including SwissSkills. Held every two years, SwissSkills draw young professionals from all over Switzerland to compete against their peers, showcasing around 150 different occupations. Over a six-day period, participants vie with one another for medals in 90 different occupational fields. SERI provides CHF 2-3 million annually in support of the SwissSkills Foundation’s activities. In doing so, the federal government, together with the professional organisations and the cantons, shows its commitment to VET as an appealing and future-oriented path for young people. SERI also works with professional organisations and other sponsors to enable talented young Swiss apprentices to take part in the EuroSkills and WorldSkills championships. The SwissSkills National Team provides intensive preparation for these competitions and for the trip abroad. 

Laying a foundation by fostering talent

Mario Liechti is enthusiastic about every aspect of skills competitions because they have helped him to grow on both a professional and personal level. Every additional problem he was able to resolve, even in stressful situations – whether at work or in competitions – has made him more resilient. This is now helping him in his studies at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Northwestern Switzerland, where he is currently studying electronics and information technology alongside his regular employment. This was thanks to his own hard work and the flexibility of the Swiss education system, which allows young professionals who hold both a Federal VET Diploma and Vocational Baccalaureate to gain access to Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes at Swiss universities of applied sciences. Moreover, there is also the possibility of enrolment in Swiss federal institutes of technology and cantonal universities for those who pass the University Aptitude Test (UAT). Within the Swiss education system, there are no dead-end qualifications.

Commited to the potential of VET

As in the past, around two-thirds of young people coming out of compulsory education in Switzerland begin their working lives with an apprenticeship. This is due to the relatively good future employment prospects and the numerous opportunities for further training.

Ensuring that practical training is closely aligned with the needs of the labour market is important. And the people who put their heart and soul into helping the next generation play a key role in this by preparing them for skills competitions. It is therefore particularly valuable when talented young professionals – and especially successful medallists such as Mario Liechti – become members of the SwissSkills Ambassador Programme.