What does the everyday working life of holders of a VSH commercial diploma look like?

People who hold a commercial diploma from the Association of Swiss Commercial Schools VSH are able to carry out a demanding commercial activity in administration or business in a customer-oriented manner. The diploma is regarded as basic commercial training and certifies a good general business education as well as good written and oral communication skills. In addition, graduates of the VSH Commercial Diploma are able to communicate orally and in writing in at least one foreign language.

Successful graduates of the part-time preparatory course for the VSH diploma, which is also referred to as "additional commercial training", have knowledge that corresponds to the subject matter of the school-based part of the dual apprenticeship for commercial apprentices (EFZ). They therefore have the same level of schooling as commercial apprentices - but no work placement.

The VSH commercial diploma is recognized by the Swiss Trade Association (SGV) as being of a high standard and similar to basic commercial training. Holders of a commercial diploma are able to take on various commercial processing tasks and/or specialize according to their inclinations (for example in accounting, sales or logistics). They plan, organize and carry out the tasks assigned to them. Depending on the size of the company and the tasks involved, this may be done under supervision or independently.

Important! The weighting and frequency of the individual areas of responsibility can vary greatly depending on the company and job profile.

Who is the Association of Swiss Commercial Schools (VSH)? What does it do? What is the status of the VSH commercial diploma recognition?

Since 1978, the Association of Swiss Commercial Schools has been an association of private commercial schools, i.e. private educational companies that offer commercial training and further education.

The VSH and its member schools pursue the goal of providing sound training for commercial practice.

The training courses are characterized by a uniform and correspondingly high quality. To this end, the association is in close contact with important organizations and associations, offices, authorities and private institutions in the education sector. In addition, the VSH carries out regular monitoring of its member schools and checks whether the schools comply with the association's standards, specifications, requirements and rules.

The examinations leading to a VSH diploma are regulated and monitored by the VSH, which is why the diploma is a quality label that is also recognized and valued on the job market. The VSH diplomas awarded are registered by the association.

Target group and skills: Who is the VSH commercial diploma course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The commercial diploma further training for the VSH diploma addresses the following target groups.

• People with a VSH office management diploma
• Persons who are aiming to obtain a commercial apprenticeship certificate (EFZ)
• Professionals who want to acquire basic commercial knowledge
• People without vocational training who want to improve their chances on the job market
• Self-employed persons who need sound commercial knowledge for their business activities
• People who want to retrain for a commercial profession or want to re-enter working life

Holders of the VSH Commercial Diploma should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Precise working method
• Reliability
• Ability to work in a team
• Friendliness

Requirements for admission to the commercial diploma course:

In order to start a commercial diploma course, you must generally meet the following requirements when you start the course:

• Full-time day commercial school (so-called "basic commercial training", more for young people): Completion of compulsory schooling, proficiency in German and keyboarding skills
• Part-time part-time courses (so-called "additional commercial training", aimed at adults who have already completed initial training): Apprenticeship certificate with EFZ, age of majority, proficiency in German and keyboarding skills

Depending on the school, the following requirements may also apply:

• Minimum age of 18 years (at the time of the last module examinations)
• VSH office management diploma

Note: At some schools, it is also possible to attend the course without taking an exam. However, you will not be left empty-handed - in this case you will usually receive a certificate from the school.

In addition, many schools offer various refresher courses, such as German grammar, spelling, keyboarding, computer science or other languages.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter of the commercial school for continuing education is based on the requirements of the VSH association. As a rule, the following topics are covered (analogous to the examination subjects):

Full-time day commercial school/"basic commercial training" (more for young people, the course includes the office management diploma)

• Standard language: German (word types, spelling, syntax, punctuation, stylistic layers, understanding text content, classifying texts, summarizing texts, editing texts, verbal communication, etc.).
• Foreign languages: French and English (basics of foreign languages, listening, speaking, reading, writing)
• Economy and society (S+G) (understanding financial, business, macroeconomic and social contexts, bookkeeping, law and government)
• Information, Communication, Administration (IKA) (information management, administration, basics of computer science, written communication, text design, spreadsheets, office automation, presentation, operating systems, file management, image design, e-mail and internet)
• Project work: Deepening and networking

Part-time part-time courses/"additional commercial training" (building on initial training, therefore more for adults)

Core subjects:

• Communication skills / German (spelling, punctuation, use of suitable aids, feedback, text production)
• IT skills / computer science (with ECDL certificate) (data administration, file management, virus protection, shortcuts, data protection, copyright, data security, web browser, social media)
• Office Skills / Administration & Information (rule-compliant presentation of documents, formatting, creating tables, basic operations, calculations, editing data and documents, common business transactions, complaints, meetings, creating presentations, etc.).
• Finance skills / accounting (introduction to double-entry bookkeeping, structure of balance sheet and income statement, commercial accounting, foreign currencies, VAT, etc.)
• Business skills / business administration, economics, law (stakeholder groups, environmental spheres, mission statement/strategy/corporate concept, economic cycle, economic policy, globalization, insurance/provision, basics of law and state, contract theory, etc.).
• Personal Skills / Personality & Teamwork
• Optional subjects such as English or French

Specialization subjects (as of March 2023):

• Business Communication
• Human Resources
• Accounting
• (Online) Marketing

There may well be slight differences in the learning content between schools. For example, schools can offer additional subjects, so-called "free subjects" in further education (e.g. French or English). The examination requirements for the additionally examined subjects are then determined by the schools themselves - however, these are not effective for passing the VSH commercial diploma examination.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the school and training model (full-time or part-time, and with one or two foreign languages). In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2-3 semester course:

• Course fees:
  • Full-time day commercial school/"basic commercial training": approx. CHF 22,000
  • Part-time courses/"additional commercial training": between CHF 5,700 and CHF 6,600

The fee for the VSH commercial diploma is usually included in the course fees.

• ECDL modulesapprox. CHF 400.-
• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Enrollment
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents
  • Pre-courses
  • Internal examinations and examination training
  • Simulation test

It is best to contact the provider of your choice directly regarding the possible extra costs.

* Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations have been financially supported by the federal government. Anyone who attends the commercial diploma as a module of a compact course to prepare for a federal professional examination such as technical salesperson, marketing specialist or management specialist can therefore receive up to 50% of the course fees back after taking the professional examination.

Duration of study, training options, number of lessons and learning effort

• The VSH commercial diploma is modular and takes 2-3 semesters (depending on the provider)
• The VSH commercial diploma is offered in various models and variants, which are structured differently:
  • Full-time day commercial school/"basic commercial training"This course comprises between 2180 and 2300 lessons. The exact breakdown of the lessons into the respective teaching areas is set out in the corresponding VSH regulations.
  • Part-time part-time courses/"additional commercial training"Central" variant with final examinations (with or without specialization subject) or "Credit" variant with examinations at the end of the subject area to be examined (with or without specialization subject). For the sub-variant without a specialization subject, a minimum number of 320 learning hours applies; for the sub-variant with a specialization subject, a minimum number of 360 learning hours applies.
• Various time options are offered for attending the lessons or learning sessions. For example, all day once a week or two mornings or evenings a week.
• Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with your family, career and free time in the best possible way.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

Qualification procedure for the VSH commercial diploma in basic commercial training (full-time day commercial school, more for young people)

Every year, the VSH Quality Commission creates examination series, i.e. examination templates that schools must use unchanged.

The conduct, correction and grading of all parts of the VSH Commercial Diploma examination are subject to the control of the VSH.

The examination for the VSH Commercial Diploma in Basic Commercial Education consists of the following five parts (examination form, duration)

1. Standard language (German) (written (120 minutes), oral (20 minutes))
2. Foreign language (French or English) (written (90 minutes), oral (20 minutes))
3. IKA Information, Communication, Administration (experience grades)
4. W+G Economy and Society (written 180 minutes)
5. Project work Deepening and networking

Qualification procedure for the VSH commercial diploma in additional commercial training (part-time part-time courses, for adults)

The qualification procedure differs slightly depending on the variant.

• Central" variant (with or without specialization subject): Final examinations take place here. The examination series are made available to the schools by the VSH and must be adopted unchanged.
• Credit" variant (with or without specialization):Here, so-called "credit examinations" take place at the end of the subject area to be examined. The schools create the credit exams independently

For both variants, controlling, i.e. the implementation, correction and grading of all examination parts, is carried out by the VSH or by the PQSK or experts commissioned by it.

The final examination for the VSH commercial diploma in additional commercial training is structured as follows (subject, form and duration):

1. Communication Skills / German (written, 60 minutes)
2. IT Skills / Computer Science (written, 60 minutes)
3. Office Skills / Administration & Information (written, 90 minutes)
4. Finance Skills / Accounting (written, 60 minutes)
5. Business skills / business administration, economics, law (written, 90 minutes)
6. Personal Skills: At the school's discretion (e.g. written, 90 minutes or written, 60 minutes and oral 15 minutes etc.).
7. If variant with specialization subject (written, 60 minutes)

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of a commercial school of further education receive the "VSH Commercial Diploma" (basic commercial training or additional commercial training) and are entitled to use the protected title "VSH Graduate Businesswoman / VSH Graduate Businessman".