The world of work, society, the economy, politics and, last but not least, the individual professional fields and sectors are confronted with continuous and, above all, rapid change (driven by digitalization, globalization, mobility, climate and developments in technology, among other things). One trend follows the next and new (scientific) findings are published almost hourly, as well as new tools and instruments brought onto the market with which work can be done even more effectively and efficiently.

Skilled workers with the relevant qualifications are therefore not only in demand, but are now also desperately sought after (keyword: skills shortage).

Therefore:

• Ongoing training and further education is not only welcomed on the job market and by employers, but is now also required.
• Continuing professional development is important in order to maintain or increase your professional attractiveness on the job market and thus be able to hold your own against the competition in the long term.
• Continuous further training increases your chances of climbing the career ladder and thus also increasing your salary opportunities.

TheSwiss education systemwith its characteristics of "duality" and "permeability", offers unique further education opportunities worldwide, depending on the previous education, professional experience and goals of those interested in training. This gives you the opportunity to expand or deepen your knowledge, skills and abilities in order to be able to act professionally in your professional field and function.

So there is hardly any investment that is more worthwhile than education!

Various factors play a role in the decision to complete training/further education, which should be analyzed individually in each case. However, we at Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch are of the opinion that age plays a subordinate role here.

Rather, the driving factors behind the decision to complete further training are

• Interest in personal development
• Getting to know new theories and solutions
• Understanding of (complex) interrelationships
• Broadening the (knowledge) horizon
• Or simply for the fun of change.

There is no age limit for these points.

The driving factors behind the decision to complete further training are, for example, an interest in personal development, learning about new theories and approaches to solutions and consequently a broader understanding of (complex) interrelationships, broadening (knowledge) horizons and, finally, simply enjoying change. Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch is of the opinion that there is no age limit to the points mentioned here.

Regardless of the age at which you would like to complete your training or further education, the question of your goal is of essential importance.

• What would you like to achieve with this training or further education?
• Where do you see yourself professionally in the next three to five years?

On this basis, in addition to the training and further education already completed, a decision can then be made as to whether, for example, a Bachelor's or consecutive Master's degree (FH, Uni, ETH) with international recognition makes sense or whether a degree at postgraduate level (CAS, DAS, MAS, NDS-HF) or at higher professional education level (BP, HFP, HF) also offers sufficient career advantages. It may also be possible to achieve the desired professional goals with a course leading to a "school certificate".

Whether and to what extent your foreign training is recognized or accepted in Switzerland is not within the competence of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to judge.

To do this, please contact

• for vocational training qualifications to theState Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
• for university degrees to theSWISS ENIC (Swissuniversities)

SERI has the authority to issue a level confirmation or equivalence recommendation for foreign diplomas and certificates in the field of basic vocational education and higher vocational education and training. With the letter from SERI, you will then know which professional activities are possible in Switzerland with the foreign qualification. A distinction is made between regulated and non-regulated professions.
Note:In Switzerland, there is no recognition authority for non-regulated professions, so applications for jobs must be submitted directly to the employer. You can obtain more informationhere.

You can find a list of regulated professions herehere.

The Swiss ENIC can issue a so-called recognition recommendation for foreign university degrees that lead to a non-regulated profession.
But beware:The recommendation for recognition is not a recommendation for admission to studies. The education provider decides whether and to what extent your education from abroad meets the requirements of an apprenticeship or further education. Recognition is therefore subject to the registration and admission procedure of the respective school.

Would you like to work in Switzerland and/or complete training/further education? Are you in possession of a foreign diploma? Then you may need to have your foreign diploma recognized in Switzerland.

There are various recognition offices in Switzerland. Which recognition office you need to contact depends on your degree.

Underthis linkyou will find an overview of which authority you need to contact with your request.

The chances of a salary increase essentially depend on many different and individual factors, such as the industry, region, size of the company, professional experience, previous education and age. In terms of salary, another decisive factor is whether the graduate will take up a new position and function in the previous company or in another company.

It is therefore not possible to make a general statement. However, you have the option of assessing your personal salary opportunities in employment with "Salarium", the federal government's salary calculator. Click here to go directly to theWage calculator.

You can also find out more about wages and earned income on the website of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The following criteria can help you in your search or when choosing a school:

• Technical and didactic skills of the lecturers
• Lesson times
• Reviews
• Location (if face-to-face teaching)
• Modern teaching methods
• Certifications

You can use these criteria to compare the various schools in question.
Note:This is not an exhaustive list. There are certainly many other criteria that are very important to you personally when choosing a school.

Tip:Why don't you take a look at ourGuide to choosing a school. Here you will also find a checklist with the most important points to be clarified, which you can of course expand with your individual wishes and needs for a school.

Also helpful when looking for a school or choosing a school is ourEvaluation tool. Here you will find a large number of reviews that will certainly help you choose the right course and school.

Tip:Take advantage of the numerous filter options in the left-hand column and view exactly the reviews that interest you. You can filter and sort the reviews according to their number of stars, region, year, school or course.

Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch is a neutral Swiss education portal. We are therefore unable to make a direct recommendation.

In this case, we recommend that you take a look at ourEvaluation toolto throw.

Here you will find a large number of reviews that will certainly help you choose the right course and school.

Tip:Take advantage of the numerous filter options in the left-hand column and view exactly the reviews that interest you. You can filter and sort the reviews according to their number of stars, region, year, school or course.

We at Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch have no insight into internal school data, nor is it within our competence to assess whether and to what extent your previous school achievements can be credited - this is decided by the respective school or sponsoring organization/examination secretariat for the federal examinations (professional examination/higher professional examination).

For offer-specific questions, you must therefore contact the provider of your choice directly.

On Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch you can contact the appropriate schools directly free of charge and without obligation via the "Free information on the topic..." button and receive detailed information on the respective course and can ask your questions.
You could also attend the school's information events.

You can easily find out which schools offer suitable courses in your area using our filter.

Simply select the relevant region at the top of the provider overview, below the "Providers" tab in the blue bar under "Sort by".

There are various financing models and sources of money that can help you pay for training or further education.

• Payment by installments:At most schools, it is possible to pay the course costs in installments. However, the schools usually charge a small surcharge for paying in installments.
• Employer:Depending on the situation, the employer may be prepared to contribute to the costs of training or further education. After all, it is also in his interest to promote the skills and abilities of his employees. However, such a solution is of course only sensible and beneficial for both parties if you already have an employer and are willing to continue working in this sector. At best, your current employer may not see any point in investing in your professional future. Note: Even if your employer wants to support you in your training and/or further education goals, this will probably not happen without a guarantee of something in return. As a rule, this means that you will have to work for your employer for a predetermined period of time after completing your training and/or further education.
• Family, friends & co.If you do not have the necessary equity to finance your education and/or further training, friends and family can also be a (temporary) solution.But beware:Money matters can quickly lead to disputes and disagreements. So think carefully about who you want to enter into such a financing arrangement with.
• Confederation, canton and foundations:If the financing options presented so far are not possible, support from the federal government, canton and foundations may be available. Did you know, for example, that since January 1, 2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government? Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.More information can be found here.
• Loans:Loans from scholarship offices and banks are also a source of funding. In contrast to scholarships, which do not have to be paid back, loans must be repaid.
  Tip:The EducaSwiss Foundation for the Promotion of Education offers help by supporting you in drawing up your further education budget and in finding a suitable lender.You can find more information here.

Also take a look atour guide "How to finance your further training properly"and benefit from further information on financing options.

Students and trainees in Switzerland can receive one-off or recurring support contributions during their education. A distinction is made between grants and loans. Scholarships, unlike loans, have no repayment obligation.

The cantons are responsible for granting scholarships. The cantons decide how much educational aid a person receives on the basis of their respective scholarship legislation.

It is therefore best to contact the scholarship office in your canton of residence and find out about your prospects of receiving support.A list of the cantonal scholarship offices can be found here.

You can find more information on cantonal scholarships and educational loans herehere.

In principle, the employer is not obliged to support your training and development plans financially. There are certainly companies that also lack the financial means to offer their employees internal seminars, for example, or to have special courses developed.

However, many employers support their employees in their training and further education goals. After all, the company also benefits from the deepened or expanded skills, knowledge and abilities of its employees. It is therefore a win-win situation for both parties involved.

The fact that the costs of further training do not generally have to be borne by the employees alone is also demonstrated byFigures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO)which has been collecting data on the training efforts of Swiss companies since 2011.

Nevertheless, financial support from the employer is usually linked to something in return. In most cases, employees must undertake to work for their employer for a fixed period of time after completing their training or further education. Such an agreement for financial support for training and further education therefore only makes sense if you already have an employer and are also willing to continue working in this sector. If you are changing careers, your employer is unlikely to see the point in helping you financially with your training plans.

The best thing to do is to talk to your line manager about your wishes for further training. Think in advance about appropriate arguments in favor of the company providing you with financial support for your training or further education.

As long as you meet the admission requirements for training or further education at the respective school, anyone is free to pursue training or further education in Switzerland.

Good to know:If you would like to do an apprenticeship in Switzerland, you must generally be able to demonstrate German language skills at level B2 to C1, and you will also need a residence permit. In order to obtain a residence permit, you may need a job.

Further information is available here:

• Official Swiss information portal for your questions.
• Information on work permits and residence permits.
• General information on training and studying in Switzerland.

In the Swiss education system, courses that conclude with a school's own certificate are classified as "non-formal continuing education". (see Swiss education system)

They are not recognized by the Federal Office for Professional Education and Training. However, this does not mean that the qualifications are less highly regarded in the relevant sectors or are of lower quality than federally recognized diplomas. The school's own certificates can also be absolutely profitable and career-enhancing.

Courses leading to a "school certificate" are not federally regulated, which means that the course content, duration, costs, methods, etc. can vary (greatly) from provider to provider. It is therefore important to compare the courses on offer.

Unfortunately, Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch is the wrong place to ask such questions.

Career paths are often not linear and depend on many different factors (e.g. previous education, experience, interest, personal vocation, professional network, etc.). Accordingly, we are not aware of any officially binding key figures.

It is best to look around on the usual job portals and find out what the requirements are for the jobs you are interested in. It is also always helpful to talk to colleagues and fellow workers.

Time and again, prospective students come to Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch with the desire to obtain a (higher) qualification as quickly as possible.

Of course, resources, such as the duration and consequently the financial aspects of training or further education, play an important role in choosing a suitable course.

Nevertheless, the question of personal goals plays or should play a much more decisive role when choosing a suitable course.

• What would you like to achieve with training or further education?
• Where do you see yourself in three to five years?

Many people are also unaware that the decision to complete training or further education is accompanied by various obligations and, in particular, effort. Not only do the lessons have to be attended and actively participated in, but the content taught also has to be seriously prepared and followed up. Internalizing the content in this way takes time.

Finally, the structure of the Swiss education system also plays a decisive role. Although the Swiss education system is characterized by its permeability, it does not function entirely without prerequisites or admission requirements that must be met. For example, the path to a university of applied sciences from basic vocational training is only open to those with a vocational baccalaureate (BM1 or BM2).

You can find out about the different paths in the Swiss education system (direct access or with additional qualifications/professional practice) in ourinteractive graphicview.

If you are looking for a professional reorientation, then educational counseling, as offered here by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch, is the wrong place to go.

Our educational guidance is aimed at people interested in education with a clear focus in a specific field of activity. Within such an area of activity, we can suggest suitable courses and programs based on the requirements and goals of the person interested in education.

In the case of a professional reorientation, the topics to be dealt with are usually very broad - often not even known or defined yet. For meaningful educational guidance, the educational direction must be known.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to determine an area or a direction over the phone within the limited framework. For this purpose, you must make use of a career counseling service. In several sessions on site, targeted questions and solutions to tasks (assessment) are used to define a suitable area that suits you and possible educational paths.

Under the following links you will find simple and direct offers from various consultants:

• Vocation coaching
• Career counseling

Why not take a look at our helpful and free guide "Find your own calling".