Supply of apprenticeships possibly smaller in 2023

The ApprenticeshipPulse measures the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on apprenticeship companies and their current and future apprentices in Switzerland. The latest results show the situation of apprentices in September 2022 and compare it with the situation since the beginning of the pandemic - especially with the last survey in June 2022 and one year ago.

Supply of apprenticeships declines slightly

The results show that 72 percent of companies are offering the same number of or more apprenticeships for the start of apprenticeships in 2023 than in 2022, compared with 74 percent of companies in September 2021. However, the study authors point out that this offer may still change in the coming months and that the recruitment process for apprentices in Western Switzerland has not even started yet. Future ApprenticeshipPuls surveys will show whether this decline in the number of apprenticeships on offer will prove to be true and could become a challenge in view of the rising number of students.

Career starters with better prospects

By contrast, the outlook for career starters is more encouraging: Compared with previous years, a higher proportion of companies believe that entering the workforce is easier this year than before the COVID 19 pandemic. Only a small proportion still feel that the situation is currently more difficult. Specifically, in September, 28% (25% in June) of establishments indicated that it was currently easier for apprenticeship graduates to find a job than before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, only 7% (12% in June) felt that it was currently more difficult to get a job. Notably, even compared to one and two years ago, establishments rated job entry as easier currently. In September 2021, 32% still stated that it was more difficult for apprenticeship graduates to find a job than before COVID-19, and in September 2020 this figure was as high as 47%.

The results are particularly encouraging because the apprentices had completed a large part of their apprenticeship during the pandemic, the study continues. This positive outlook is also supported by the fact that the apprenticeship companies consider the overly choosy apprentices - especially with regard to working conditions and wages - to be the greatest challenge for career entry. In addition, this year the training companies have continued to employ a relatively large number of apprentices in the company after they have completed their apprenticeship, albeit often in a temporary position.

Home office also plays a more important role in vocational training

Despite the abolition of all measures, the home office has remained a component of in-company training for apprentices, as the current Apprenticeship Pulse shows: 6% of all apprentices still spend at least one day in the home office. However, this proportion varies according to occupational field, with home office still part of the daily routine of in-company training for 29% of learners in the top occupation "IT". However, home office is limited to an average of one day per week for most learners. The results show that home office can have both positive and negative effects on the learners. On the one hand, according to the companies, the grades of the company QV worsened for the weaker learners due to home office. This is possibly related to the fact that the apprenticeship companies consider distraction to be one of the biggest challenges in the home office. Thus, the companies find it particularly important that the learners in the home office have clear rules regarding presence and accessibility and that the vocational trainers and learners meet regularly in the office. On the other hand, the home office has influenced the soft skills of the learners: In particular, the motivation but also the resilience of the learners has decreased in the view of the companies.

Source: www.lehrstellenpuls.ch