Cantons to offer ‘pre-apprenticeship’ training to refugees
Switzerland is launching a pilot scheme to help refugees and asylum seekers allowed to stay to integrate into the workforce.
Keystone
Switzerland is rolling out a one-year pilot scheme to help refugees and asylum seekers allowed to stay in the country prepare for an apprenticeship, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) announced on Thursday.
Eighteen out of 26 cantons will offer the so-called pre-apprenticeship course for one year to selected refugees and asylum seekers to help with their integration. The aim is to prepare those with labour market potential for a full apprenticeship.
Under the scheme, participants will work three days per week in a company and acquire the practical, academic and language skills necessary for an apprenticeship.
The programme, which has been agreed for a four-year period, should cost CHF46.8 million (S46.8 million). SEM will provide co-financing for a maximum of 3,600 places. Cantonal authorities, which are responsible for providing vocational training, will receive a fixed annual fee of CHF13,000 per training placement.
The scheme will be implemented together with companies, business associations and vocational schools. The cantons are currently recruiting participants and talking to interested companies.
Eighteen cantons have signed a contract with the federal government, including the six French-speaking cantons and the canton of Bern. In the canton of Zurich, a tech hub, pre-apprenticeships are already available in the logistics sector.
The integration pilot scheme is part of the government’s efforts to boost the potential of the national workforce. In 2019, the federal authorities will decide whether to renew the programme or not.
It also belongs to the national integration agenda – an accord between the federal and cantonal governments – which the government presented in April, detailing how the authorities plan to speed up the integration of refugees into the labour market.
More
More
Switzerland to test algorithmic asylum placement
This content was published on
Switzerland is to start using a new algorithm to distribute asylum seekers among cantons in such a way that they can find work more easily.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss-backed ‘Hera’ asteroid mission hits key milestone with Mars flyby
This content was published on
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the Red Planet’s gravity will tweak the probe’s path, cutting months off the journey and saving a lot of fuel.
Swiss man arrested over Geneva parcel bomb attacks
This content was published on
A 61-year-old Swiss man was arrested in Geneva in connection with the parcel bomb incidents that left a man and a 12-year-old girl seriously injured.
UN officials in Geneva report over 100 civilian executions in western Syria
This content was published on
Verification is ongoing, and the actual number is likely higher, said a UN spokesperson in Geneva. A Syrian NGO claims executions could exceed 1,000.
Swiss pharma giant Roche partners with Zealand Pharma on new obesity treatment
This content was published on
Roche announced that it has struck an exclusive deal with Denmark's Zealand Pharma to develop and market petrelintide, a new treatment for obesity.
Experts lower Swiss growth forecasts due to US trade tensions
This content was published on
The uncertainty caused by ongoing trade conflicts is making companies hesitant to make decisions, which significantly hinders investment.
Swiss abbot resumes role following abuse investigation
This content was published on
Scarcella was accused in the Catholic Church abuse scandal last autumn. In October 2024, the Vatican declared there was no evidence of abuse or harassment against him.
Swiss stock exchange operator SIX to cut 150 jobs in efficiency drive
This content was published on
"We're not revealing the number of job losses at each location at the moment," said a SIX spokesperson. However, there will be cuts in Switzerland as well.
Martin Pfister named new Swiss government minister
This content was published on
Pfister’s election keeps the linguistic balance of Switzerland’s government, but shifts gender balance to only two women.
Swiss interior minister meets UN leaders in New York for women’s rights session
This content was published on
The Swiss interior minister also held bilateral meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women
The image of foreigners in Switzerland has deteriorated
This content was published on
The Federal Statistical Office has found that Swiss people’s views of foreigners have worsened over the last couple of years.
More than 800 crimes committed in Swiss asylum centres
This content was published on
The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has reported that 813 criminal offences were committed in Swiss asylum centres in 2017.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.