Apprenticeship leaver study 2021: Commercial apprentices optimistic about the future
For more than 15 years, the Swiss Commercial Association has been surveying commercial apprenticeship graduates in Switzerland about their working conditions during their apprenticeship, their transition into professional life and their plans for the future. The 2021 Apprenticeship Leaver Survey shows that a large proportion of young professionals have weathered the difficult Covid 19 situation well and are positive about their future.
With around 14,000 graduates per year, the commercial apprenticeship is the most popular basic education in Switzerland. In order to monitor the situation during and after the apprenticeship as well as the future plans of young professionals, the Commercial Association has conducted an annual survey of commercial apprentices in Switzerland since 2006. Around 3,600 people took part in the first survey wave in July 2021; around 1,200 people in the second survey wave in November 2021. The last two years have been marked by the Corona pandemic and the prescribed measures. For commercial apprentices, this meant a daily routine with home office and home schooling and thus reduced contact with their friends, school colleagues and employees in the company. In addition to the job situation of the young professionals and their further training plans, the focus of the apprenticeship leaver study 2021 is therefore on mental health and general well-being.
After the apprenticeship is far from over
The Covid 19 pandemic had hit young professionals hard and made it difficult for them to enter the labor market. However, the situation of apprenticeship graduates recovered quickly after the pandemic-related challenges in 2020. As a result, the majority of graduates (71.6%) are employed at the time of the second wave of the survey in November 2021 (see Chart 1). "The upward trend observed in recent years is continuing after an interim low in 2020," confirms Kathrin Ziltener, specialist in charge of basic education & youth counseling at the Commercial Association. At 4.2%, the proportion of jobseekers in November is even lower than in the years before Corona. The interest of young commercial apprentices in further training also remains enormous. Some 90% of the participants have already started continuing education or plan to do so in the future. "The survey confirms that CT continues to serve as a solid basic education for a wide variety of specializations and careers," says Ziltener.
Apprenticeship leaver study 2021 asked specifically about well-being and mental health
It is pleasing to note that around 90% had a positive perception of the training period in the apprenticeship/internship company: Both in terms of the nature of the tasks, the working atmosphere and the support provided by the vocational and practical trainers. Most respondents also coped well with the more difficult Covid 19 situation and are positive about the future. Nevertheless, a considerable proportion of young people also share fears. About one-third (32.4 %) of youth say the future worries them. "The reasons vary in nature: some worry about their professional future, their job or further education, while others feel overwhelmed and stressed," explains Ziltener. Uncertainty factors also include the megatrends of digitalization and climate change.
Ziltener states: "It is particularly important that young people are given the opportunity to talk about fears and negative feelings. Only by talking openly about it can solutions also be found for those affected and mental health strengthened." 86% of the participants have one or more people in their environment with whom they can talk about their worries and fears in confidence. However, not all young people fare equally well: around 14% state that they cannot or do not want to talk to anyone about their problems (see chart 2). For these young people, there is an urgent need for external contact points so that they can also get the support they need in difficult situations.
New Partnership with Health Promotion Switzerland
The Commercial Association says it takes the concerns of commercial apprentices and their need for more information very seriously and is therefore expanding its existing support services. This includes a new partnership with the Swiss Health Promotion Foundation. This will further focus on the health of apprentices and healthy home offices. Reto Kälin, Head of Partnerships at Health Promotion Switzerland, confirms: "The Job Stress Index, which we have been calculating periodically since 2014, provides key figures on how work-related stress affects the health and productivity of employees. The latest survey reinforces that particular attention should be paid to the mental health of young workers." A comparison of different age groups shows that in Switzerland, young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 have the highest stress levels. Health Promotion Switzerland launched Apprentice for VET students in 2021 to promote the mental health of learners. As part of the cantonal action programs and two language-regional campaigns to promote mental health, the foundation is also working with the cantons to ensure that young people eat a balanced diet, take more exercise and stay mentally healthy.
Source and further information: KV Switzerland
