Training apprentices is profitable for companies. The profit made thanks to the work done by apprentices and students, overall, exceeds the costs incurred by the training. For initial three- and four-year vocational training alone, this benefit totals some CHF 500 million a year for all training providers.
To date, three studies have been conducted on the costs and benefit of initial three- and four-year vocational training within a training provider (dual training system). The results show that the profit made by companies thanks to the work done by the people they train, in most professions, exceeds the costs incurred by the training. In other words, training apprentices is profitable for the companies who train them. In 2009, the economic sector as a whole registered a profit of CHF 474 million.
Even if they conduct numerous training courses associated with a negative end profit, companies have everything to gain by taking on apprentices. In actual fact, they usually manage to keep on the young professionals once they have completed their training. If we consider this process as a whole, companies turn a profit in the process. In fact, they save on the recruitment and job initiation costs involved in hiring new employees.
Even for initial two-year vocational training, the benefits exceed the costs of the training on average. However, there are big differences from one profession to another.
Overall benefit for the economy
These results also have positive repercussions for the economy. They encourage companies to offer enough high-quality apprenticeship positions so that most young people and young adults can start their working life off on the right foot and integrate into society. In Switzerland, the supply of apprenticeship positions, overall, exceeds demand. In some very highly-rated professions, demand is even higher.
Higher-level vocational training
No cost/benefit analysis has been conducted in the area of higher-level vocational training. Many companies support their employees who complete in-house training by providing them with financial support or agreeing to training hours being counted as working hours. They are thus counting on enjoying a positive benefit from this investment. From 2018 onwards, people who have completed a preparatory course for federal exams (professional exams and higher-level professional exams) receive greater financial assistance from the Confederation.
