Swiss youth in vocational training seek jobs less prone to automation 

Generative AI cannot replicate tasks such as bricklaying. SwissSkills/Michael Zanghellini

In Switzerland and around the world, younger generations are re-assessing their career choices in response to the growing automation driven by the boom of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. How is Switzerland’s renowned apprenticeship system adapting to these rapid changes? 

AI tools such as ChatGPT are already changing the way we work. They produce realistic images from simple descriptions, summarise large texts in seconds, draft emails or come up with marketing campaigns, copying the style of the humans who prompt them. For creative professionals, the rapid growth of so-called generative AI has often meant settling for lower salaries or, in some cases, losing work altogether, as we recently reported. 

Secondary school graduates in Switzerland who are choosing which field to train in are quickly catching on to these trends. Those who pursue vocational education and training – some two-thirds of all Swiss pupils – are increasingly seeking jobs that are less likely to be replaced by AI-based applications.  

>> Read how AI is affecting the creative sector below.

“After the launch of ChatGPT, we’ve observed a significant drop in interest for previously popular apprenticeships, such as commercial office work, in favour of manual trades like masonry,” says Daniel Goller, lead author of a recent analysis on the topic which examined search queries on an apprenticeship platform. External link 

Manual labour has long been seen as the type of work most at risk of being replaced by machines. But generative AI cannot replicate tasks such as bricklaying. Nor can it take on interpersonal roles, including those of nurses, therapists and teachers, which are challenging to automate due to their reliance on human connection and empathy. Such professions are likely to remain vital even in an AI-enhanced world. 

We spoke with vocational school students in Bern to hear their thoughts on AI and discuss the potential risks it poses to their careers.

A global surveyExternal link by consulting firm Deloitte found that six in ten members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations (those born between 1981 and 2012) expect to re-train either in skills resistant to automation or in AI-related expertise which is increasingly in demand. Job titles for junior roles requiring AI proficiency, social aptitude and managerial capabilities have grown by 91% worldwide over the past year. This trend is particularly evident in the education, tourism, maintenance, IT and finance sectors, according to labour market analysis company Lightcast. 

Vocational training systems such as Switzerland’s, considered among the best in the world, must therefore keep pace with rapid technological change in order to prepare workers for the demands of an increasingly automated job market. 

Tracking the declining interest in apprenticeships for office and commercial roles 

Goller says the shift in young people’s career interests is no surprise, especially in Switzerland. In the Alpine country most young people start vocational training after compulsory schooling, often through company apprenticeships.

“For adolescents, it doesn’t seem worth spending three years learning a trade if there’s a high risk of being replaced by AI,” he says. 

Future apprentices can choose from around 240 different professions. After the public launch of ChatGPT, Goller and his colleagues at the University of Bern noted an 18% decline in young people’s interest in apprenticeships for office and commercial roles, particularly those requiring high cognitive and language skills that models such as ChatGPT can easily fulfil. For occupations that were previously considered at high risk of automation, involving manual and routine tasks, interest has only dropped by 3%.  

The researchers arrived at these findings after analysing millions of job-search queries on orientamento.ch, Switzerland’s primary platform for apprenticeship opportunities. 

Pivoting to jobs less susceptible to automation, such as those in healthcare and social services, might be a strategic move. Employment in these sectors is rising sharply and it is expected to double in the future, according to data from the association Swissstaffing. “A carefully considered career choice oriented towards the future can position apprentices excellently in the labour market,” says Marius Osterfeld, head of economics and politics at the association. 

AI as a career opportunity 

While many future workers in Switzerland are seeking careers in more stable fields, most still view digitalisation, including AI, as a chance to upskill and enhance their career prospects rather than a threat. Only a quarter of respondents to the 2024 Transition BarometerExternal link, a survey of over 2,000 young people and 3,000 companies across the country, believe AI will reduce their opportunities in the labour market. 

“Young people see digitalisation with optimism and believe AI will be an important element for humanity’s future,” says Martina Mousson, a political scientist at the gfs.bern institute, which carried out the survey on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.  

Yet the survey also shows that over 40% of respondents (aged 14-17) worry that their skills may no longer be relevant due to digitalisation. It also reveals a similar shift in job preferences as observed by the University of Bern team: in 2024, the popularity of commercial office apprenticeships – long among the most sought-after in Switzerland – dropped significantly for the first time in six years. Meanwhile, occupations such as hairdresser, healthcare assistant, and dental assistant have climbed to the top ten. 

Mousson says it’s too early to draw firm conclusions, noting that “AI may have influenced this decline, but claiming this definitively is still speculative”. 

The Swiss Commercial Employees Association also maintains that there isn’t yet enough evidence that tools such as ChatGPT have impacted young people’s career interests. Official cantonal dataExternal link shows that interest in vocational training in the commercial field has remained stable over the past 15 years, with a slight decline since 2016 (up to 0.9% annually), attributed to demographic changes. However, these statistics only go up to 2022, before generative AI had firmly taken hold.   

Even if some repetitive tasks, such as accounting, are already being automated, staff in roles requiring technical understanding and client communication will continue to be indispensable, says Melinda Bangerter, head of education at the Swiss Commercial Employees Association. 

Switzerland’s apprenticeship system will be ‘resilient’ in the face of AI 

The Swiss government has already taken measures to align training with job market demands, reforming basic commercial trainingExternal link in 2023 with a view to strengthen digital competences and AI use. The reform also sought to better integrate “soft skills” such as creativity, problem solving and interpersonal communication. All young apprentices will also have to learn two foreign languages. Vocational training curriculums are generally reviewed every five years in collaboration with trade associations and employers. 

Because of this, Swiss apprentices could prove to be more resilient to AI-driven changes than their peers in countries such as Italy, France or Spain, where youth unemployment exceeds 10% and where vocational training programmes are less developed.  

So far, Switzerland’s education system has managed to adapt to disruptive technologies such as the internet and to crises such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic. “Even then, what young people wanted to do and learn didn’t change much,” says Mousson. 

Goller from the University of Bern is also optimistic. Despite the risks, he is confident that generative AI will not significantly affect job opportunities for Swiss youth. “The Swiss vocational training system is well-grounded in the actual needs of companies,” he says. “It will be able to withstand future challenges.” 

Edited by Sabrina Weiss and Veronica DeVore/ac