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2025
Country-specific report
Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices
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Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices - Switzerland

Please cite as:Cedefop (2025). Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices - Switzerland. CareersNet national records. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/country-reports/inventory-lifelong-guidance-systems-and-practices-switzerland
CareersNet Contributor:Daniel Reumiller
Acknowledgements:Swiss Conference for Vocational, Academic and Career Counselling
Reviewed by:Cedefop
Copyright:Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.
Disclaimer:Translations of titles/names for entities, country policies and practices are not to be considered as official translations. The facts and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the official position of Cedefop. Information supplied by the CareersNet core expert is updated to the best of their knowledge according to the relevant reference period and available information provided by stakeholders and sources consulted. The records have not been edited by a professional English language service (Last updated August 1st, 2025).

Introduction

In order to gain a better understanding of the current structure of lifelong guidance [1],  in Switzerland it is worth examining the historical background: The Vocational Training Act of 1978 called for vocational guidance to be supported by the Swiss Confederation through 'funding contributions and other measures' (Art. 5 of Vocational Training Act, 1978). Under Art. 3 of the Vocational Training Act (1978), vocational guidance was ‘voluntary and free of charge’ (Art. 3 of Vocational Training Act, 1978). 

Following a complete overhaul of this act, a new Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act (VPETA) came into effect in 2002, marking a turning point. The Confederation decided to discontinue funding for vocational guidance and transferred responsibility for these services exclusively to the cantons. The cantonal mandate for lifelong guidance was described in Art. 49 VPETA from 2002 as follows: ‘Vocational, educational and career guidance helps young people and adults to make the right choices as far as their occupation, course of study and career are concerned. It consists in the provision of information and personal guidance’ (Art. 49 VPETA, 2002). Art. 55 of the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Ordinance (VPETO) of 19 November 2003 specifies the range of tasks covered by cantonal LLG centres[2]: ‘In collaboration with partners, vocational, educational and career guidance practitioners help individuals to prepare for, choose and shape their careers. Guidance covers the provision of general information about existing education and training programmes as well as specific information and advice based on individual needs. Personal advice is intended to enable persons seeking advice to make informed vocational, educational and career decisions based on their specific skills and aptitudes as well as on the needs of the labour market.’ (Art. 55 VPETO, 2003).

With implementation of VPETA in 2004, there was a sharp reduction in the presence and influence of lifelong guidance at national level. VPETA from 2002 describes the cantonal mandate in extremely general terms and transfers exclusive competence for implementation of LLG to the cantonal authorities. As a result, the general conditions and range of services applicable to LLG can vary considerably from one canton to another.

In 2014, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) launched the 'VPET 2030' project with the aim of preparing the Swiss VPET system for the future (SERI, n.d.-a). Under the vision and strategic guidelines developed from 2018 onwards, the relevance of effective vocational, educational and career guidance was reemphasized. It became clear that information and guidance on initial and further education and training options have once again become important with the increasingly flexibility of vocational education and training, more robust support for permeability within the Swiss education system and the need for lifelong learning (SERI, n.d.-b). At the same time, the discrepancy between the national development of the Swiss VPET system, on the one hand, and the heterogeneous approaches to guidance and information at cantonal level, on the other, became more apparent. To tackle this problem, the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektorinnen EDK) tasked the Conference of Heads of Career and Educational Guidance Offices (Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung KBSB) – now the Swiss Conference for Lifelong Guidance[3] – to devise a national lifelong guidance strategy. This work began at the end of 2018 and EDK adopted the resulting strategy in 2021. Since then, the Swiss confederation for lifelong guidance and the cantons have been implementing this strategy. The aim is to achieve a certain degree of intercantonal harmonisation (KBSB, 2021).

Despite this progress, there are still considerable differences between the cantons in how cantonal lifelong guidance centres are structured and in the range of services offered. The relevant sections of the Inventory record for the country will not provide a comprehensive overview of all cantonal differences; instead, the focus is on the key elements that can be found in all cantons, highlighting some of the cantonal specificities that are particularly interesting.

[1] In Switzerland, the term vocational, academic and career counselling (VACC) is generally used in laws and ordinances. The term vocational counselling or vocational guidance generally refers to the counselling of adolescents and young adults in their first educational or career choice. Academic counselling refers to the choice of higher education. Career guidance is used for counselling adults in career matters. For the sake of simplicity, the internationally used term lifelong guidance is used in this document.

[2] In Switzerland, the cantonal and public institutions responsible for the implementation of lifelong guidance are traditionally referred to as "career information centres" (Berufsinformationszentren) or "career guidance and information centres" (Berufsberatungs- und Informationszentren). In order to emphasise that the centres cover the entire spectrum of vocational counselling, academic counselling and career counselling (see also footnote 1), the term "lifelong guidance centres" is used in this document.

[3] In German «Schweizerische Konferenz für Berufs, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung» SK BSLB. The designation SC LLG was introduced in 2023 and replaced the designation "Conference of Heads of Career and Academic Guidance Offices" (KBSB). In the interests of clarity, the new designation Swiss Conference for Lifelong Guidance is used below, even if text passages refer to statements or documents from the time when the old designation was still used.

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Coordination and collaboration among stakeholders

In Switzerland, the cantons are responsible for lifelong guidance. The federal act VPETA from 2002 and corresponding ordinance VPETO merely indicate the training and qualification requirements that lifelong guidance practitioners must have and provide a rough outline of the subject areas that must be covered by cantonal lifelong guidance centres (Art. 49 VPETA, 2002; Art. 55 VPETO, 2003), which serve users of all ages in various education, training and labour market contexts. There are public-sector lifelong guidance centres in all 26 cantons of Switzerland. With the exception of one canton (Aargau), these are government services provided through the corresponding cantonal Department of Education, usually by a division of a cantonal VET office. In one canton (Aargau), lifelong guidance services are delegated to an external organisation independent from the cantonal administration. In some cantons (e.g. Fribourg, Jura, Schwyz, Uri, Zug), the lifelong guidance centres are structured as a separate agency under the direct supervision of the political authority or the cantonal Minister of Education. As VPETA does not specify in detail the tasks of cantonal bodies, cantonal lifelong guidance services and strategies can vary considerably. The Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance is responsible for ensuring appropriate coordination. In this capacity, it facilitates interaction between cantonal directors, manages joint projects and liaises with the EDK at national level (EDK, n.d.-a).

The Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance acts as a specialised advisory body to the EDK and is an autonomous unit within the extended structure of the Swiss Conference of VET Offices (SBBK) (EDK, n.d.-b; SBBK, n.d.). The extended SBBK consists of the Conference of Directors of Vocational Education and Training Offices, the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance and the Swiss Conference for Continuing Education and Training SWBK. The latter brings together the cantonal directors of public-sector continuing education institutions. In some cantons, these institutions are part of lifelong guidance structures. These bodies were included within the extended structure of SBBK for the purpose of optimising synergies between vocational and career guidance, vocational education and training and publicly funded CET (EDK, n.d.-c).

In addition to the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance, a number of professional associations are involved in lifelong guidance activities: at national level, profunda-suisse focuses mainly on low-threshold access to lifelong guidance services (Profunda-suisse, n.d.). This association consolidated its positions in a policy paper in 2022 (Profunda-suisse, 2022). The Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance and profunda-suisse worked together to develop ethical guidelines for lifelong guidance (KBSB and profunda-suisse, 2021). In addition, the Vereinigung der Fachleute für Beratung und Information im Mittel- und Hochschulbereich (AGAB) is actively involved in encouraging the sharing of knowledge and experiences in the area of academic guidance (AGAB, n.d.).  laufbahnswiss is an association of independent private providers of lifelong guidance services who have joined forces to operate a common communication platform and to promote the common interests of private providers (e.g. intervision, supervision, further training, etc.).

In each canton, lifelong guidance centres generally work closely with lower-secondary schools to provide vocational guidance. In most cantons, there is a policy framework in place that clearly specifies the roles and responsibilities of lower-secondary schools and lifelong guidance centres. This is done to ensure that all young people have universal access to vocational guidance services (see, for example, the policy framework for vocational orientation established by the Canton of Bern). In addition, core syllabuses also stipulate that schools are responsible for preparing pupils for their professional choices (Canton of Bern, n.d.).

In most cantons, lifelong guidance centres also systematically work with upper-secondary schools to provide educational guidance. This includes Gymnasien (baccalaureate schools) and Fachmittelschulen (specialised schools), which are the two types of general education schools found in Switzerland. Educational guidance is intended to help pupils enrolled in these schools to make informed decisions regarding their future choice of university studies. While lifelong guidance centre collaboration also extends to vocational schools, it is generally less structured (see sections Career guidance for school pupils and Guidance for higher education students). At tertiary level, some universities have their own educational guidance services.

Various services, particularly relating to information, continuing education and training and diagnostics, are provided by the Swiss Centre for Vocational Education and Training | Vocational, Educational and Career Guidance (SDBB). This organisation is funded in equal measure by the Confederation and the cantons. In addition to performing tasks relating to vocational education and training, SDBB mainly develops and distributes informative materials on occupations and training options (SDBB, n.d.-a). SDBB manages the berufsberatung.ch website, which serves as the information portal for public-sector lifelong guidance centres. This website provides comprehensive documentation on occupations, study programmes and further training options available in Switzerland. It also maintains a list of companies that offer apprenticeships. In addition to this website, there are private platforms that are also accessible to the entire population free of charge, but are financed by companies or business organisations., e.g. Yousty.ch, Gateway.one), which generally obtain their raw data from berufsberatung.ch as well. These platforms are usually financed by organisations in the world of work and companies, which is why there is a risk in terms of objectivity t, e.g. by giving preferential treatment to information on training in paying companies. However, access is free for everyone. However, access is free for everyone.

In Switzerland, vocational and career guidance focuses mainly on initial and further education and training. In contrast, coordination and cooperation with other government agencies (economic and social affairs) vary greatly from canton to canton and are usually less systematic. As a rule, the cantonal directors responsible for lifelong guidance are members of interagency steering groups. However, their cooperation is often relatively non-binding. As a result, cooperation with the relevant agencies outside of the field of education is also vary accordingly.

In most cantons, lifelong guidance centres work closely with regional employment centres (RECs) to provide career guidance. RECs help the unemployed to find work and can refer jobseekers to lifelong guidance practitioners. In  most cantons, disability insurance offices (Invalidenversicherung) have their own lifelong guidance practitioners, whereas in some  cantons, this role is delegated to the cantonal lifelong guidance centre or private providers.

Cooperation with social services varies from canton to canton. In some cases, social services can refer their clients to the cantonal lifelong guidance centres to clarify career-related questions. However, there is often no systematic exchange between the lifelong guidance practitioners and the social workers regarding the results of the counselling. In 2024, the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (SKOS) and the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance signed a 'Letter of Intent' to ensure that social welfare recipients in all cantons have access to lifelong guidance services free of charge (Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance and SKOS, 2024).

Alongside public-sector lifelong guidance centres, there are numerous small and very small private counselling centres. In addition, some private schools and trade associations (e.g., such as the Kaufmännischer Verband der Schweiz) offer career guidance services. The costs for their services are usually borne by the customers themselves or are financed by membership fees or school fees. Interaction between these private providers and public-sector lifelong guidance centres is usually sporadic and unstructured. In 2024, the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance adopted a position paper outlining basic principles in an attempt to clarify the position of public-sector lifelong guidance centres vis-à-vis private providers (Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance, 2024). It states that the cantonal lifelong guidance centres act in the public interest and are therefore obliged to fulfil their legal mandate and therefore provide most services free of charge in the public. At the same time, these services are not available indefinitely, but the lifelong guidance practitioner determines the extent of the service based on the need for advice. The private providers supplement these offers with offers for people who are ready to pay for more extensive services or with offers that are comparable to those of the public lifelong guidances but which function according to alternative approaches.

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Access to guidance

Each canton is responsible for organising and providing vocational and career guidance services. All cantons have public centres (Lifelong Guidance centres (lifelong guidance centres) that provide guidance services to both young people and adults. While the services for young people and young adults of all ages are relatively similar there are significant differences in the way adults gain access to career guidance.

In Switzerland, young people make their first choice of educational pathway (i.e. whether to pursue vocational education and training or general education at upper-secondary level) at the age of 13 to 15. For this reason, vocational guidance is an integral part of the lower-secondary school syllabus in all linguistic regions. Cantonal lifelong guidance centres have a mandate to support schools in the area of vocational guidance. In most cantons, the teachers are responsible for teaching so-called “vocational orientation” as part of core syllabuses (Lehrplan 21 for the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Plan d'études romand for the French-speaking part, piano di studio for the Italian-speaking part). The services provided by the lifelong guidance centres are subsidiary and generally include information events relating to choice of profession and educational pathway, brief career counselling sessions at schools, and career counselling at lifelong guidance centres. These services are available to young people free of charge.

Lifelong guidance services for adults are highly diversified. In many cantons, particularly in the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland, all public-sector career guidance services are provided to all target user groups free of charge. Adults therefore enjoy unrestricted access to basic services; fees are only charged for more advanced services (e.g. in-depth career assessment) and can vary greatly from canton to canton and range from a symbolic obligation to contribute to full cost-covering tariffs. However, in several German-speaking cantons, fees were introduced following implementation of VPETA in 2002. Some of these services are heavily subsidised while others are provided at a fee that covers the full cost of services. In these cantons, the services provided by lifelong guidance centres are usually free of charge until the first post-compulsory qualification is obtained, i.e. Federal VET Certificate (Berufsattest, two-year VET programme), Federal VET Diploma (eidgenössisches Fähigkeitszeugnis, three- to four-year VET programme), or tertiary-level professional qualification (see EDK's 2005 guidelines on the free provision of vocational and career guidance) (EDK, n.d.). After that, a fee can be charged for the services provided, although the rates vary considerably from canton to canton, ranging from heavily subsidised fees to fees that cover the full cost of services. In all cantons, it is possible to have fees waived, e.g. for people who lack recognised vocational qualifications or people who find themselves in precarious economic circumstances. The precise waiver criteria vary from canton to canton. Jobseekers or individuals who have been referred to the lifelong guidance centre by the disability insurance office are also exempt from having to pay for career guidance services. In such cases, it is the referring institutions that cover the costs, taking into account their own criteria when deciding whether and to what extent an individual is entitled to guidance services. If the costs are not covered by the referring organisation, the individuals are entitled to the lifelong guidance services available in the canton for the entire population.

The pronounced heterogeneity with regard to the cost obligation for adults in lifelong guidance - lifelong guidance services are free of charge in many cantons, while in other cantons fees are charged, ranging from a symbolic contribution to fully cost-covering tariffs - has led to a political discourse at national level in recent years on the abolition of fees. For example, the profunda-suisse association is calling for a general abolition of the cost obligation for career counselling (Profunda-suisse).  However, due to cantonal sovereignty over lifelong guidance, these efforts have thus far proven unsuccessful. Within this context, the ‘VPET 2030’ concept (SERI, n.d.) is worth mentioning. Elaborated through the joint efforts of the Confederation, the cantons and trade associations (organisations of the world of work responsible for training), this concept was an important development towards a national vision. VPET 2030 calls for the intensification of information and guidance throughout a person’s entire working life. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) is the federal agency responsible for the Swiss VPET system. As a concrete measure to implement VPET 2030, SERI launched a project called 'viamia', which offers people over the age of 40 the opportunity to undergo a career assessment and receive career guidance. These services are provided to this age group free of charge in all cantons. In addition, these guidance services are all designed according to uniform criteria. Emphasis is placed on a thorough analysis of the individual's employability based on a standardised questionnaire and an interview, which is then used as the basis for subsequent career guidance. Following the initial rollout phase in eleven pilot cantons in 2021, the viamia programme was then scaled up to include all cantons in 2022 (viamia, n.d.).was then scaled up to include all cantons in 2022 (viamia, n.d.).

The debate on free access to career guidance services for adults in Switzerland has gained serious political traction. While some political fractions, notably the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party, have been advocating for universal free access – exemplified by the motion introduced in the National Council to 'position vocational, educational and career guidance as an integral part of the Swiss education system' (Swiss Parliament, 2022) – a counter-current also emerged following implementation of 'viamia'. In 2023, a parliamentary initiative was launched at national level to 'create a level playing field between public- and private-sector providers of vocational, educational and career guidance'. This initiative postulated restricting access to free lifelong guidance services to individuals (regardless of age) who lack an upper-secondary level (vocational or general education) qualification as well as to individuals who find themselves in economically precarious circumstances. Instead, the initiative proposed that the cantons issue vouchers that could be redeemed at either public- or private-sector providers of career guidance services (Noser, 2023). This parliamentary initiative was mainly driven by the concerns of private-sector lifelong guidance practitioners, who expressed that the 'viamia' programme created unfair competitive distortions. Although the initiative was withdrawn by the initiator and replaced by a less far-reaching motion, which then also failed to make it through the corresponding standing committee (National Council's Science, Education and Culture Committee, 2022), support for more extensive implementation of fee-based services persists in certain political circles.

In addition to the services offered by public-sector lifelong guidance centres, some larger companies and professional organisations also offer in-house or branch-specific guidance services free of charge or at reduced cost. The focus of these services is generally on independent career counselling in the interests of the individual. One example of this is career guidance provided by the Kaufmännischer Verband beider Basel (KFMV, n.d.).

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Quality assurance

Because public-sector lifelong guidance centres have been integrated into different organisational structures in the various cantons, quality management systems (QMS), such as EFQM, CAF or ISO, also vary. There is no mandatory requirement to use a specific QMS or to obtain certification for public-sector lifelong guidance centres. Despite this, several centres have undergone certification, either at their own initiative or following an overarching cantonal government authority. Examples include the EFQM certification obtained by the lifelong guidance centres of the Cantons of Aargau and Lucerne and the ISO certification obtained for the one in the Canton of Valais.

Established QMS such as EFQM, CAF or ISO are not specifically designed for the counselling context. For this reason, applying aspects of these QMS to the context of public-sector lifelong guidance centres can prove challenging. This prompted the KBSB (now called SK BSLB) to start developing a counselling-specific QMS in 2004. The University of Lausanne was commissioned to develop the Swiss Counselling Quality (SCQ) standard (EDK, n.d.). Revised and updated in 2018, the SCQ is conceptually based on the EFQM approach and is mainly designed for self-assessments of providers. There are currently no plans for formal certification in the form of a specific SCQ label.

Several cantons have documented their understanding of guidance counselling and designed specific counselling models. For example, the Canton of Aargau (Ask! guidance services, n.d.) or the German-speaking part of the Canton of Valais, which developed the 'GUIDE' model. This model is currently being used throughout Switzerland as the basis for the 'viamia' service offered in all cantons (Canton of Valais, n.d.). In addition, most cantons have their own vision for lifelong guidance such as the one drafted in the Canton of St. Gallen.

In many cantons, the lifelong guidance centres evaluate the quality and customer satisfaction of their services using their own evaluation systems.In the canton of Bern, for example, adult clients receive an e-mail invitation to take part in a feedback survey two weeks after the counselling session. There is also a survey of school headmasters to gauge their satisfaction with the level of co-operation with cantonal lifelong guidance centres.

One of the few mandatory aspects in VPETA is that cantonal lifelong guidance centres may only employ lifelong guidance practitioners who hold federally recognised qualifications (Art. 50 VPETA, 2002, see section Training and qualifications).

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Career management skills

Prior to early 2024, there was no standardised definition of career management skills (CMS) in Switzerland. In the area of compulsory school education, CMS are anchored in the core syllabuses for compulsory education in each of the three main linguistic regions of Switzerland: Lehrplan 21 for the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Plan d'études romand for the French-speaking part piano di studio for the Italian-speaking part. All three core syllabuses specify the skills that need to be taught during vocational orientation. Each individual canton decides how specifically these core syllabuses are to be implemented.

The national lifelong guidance strategy adopted in 2021 formulated the objective of specifying career management skills for all phases of one's educational and professional trajectory in a lifelong perspective (see national lifelong guidance strategy, objectives 1.1. and 1.2) (KBSB, 2021). In a subsequent phase, there are plans to create a national inventory of tools and methods to develop these skills.

In early 2023, the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance commissioned a study at the University of Bern and the University of Lausanne to specify career management skills for the Swiss education system and labour market. The results published in 2024 include skills covering seven phases of a person's educational and professional trajectory: primary school, lower-secondary school, upper-secondary (vocational school or general education) school, early employment phase, middle employment phase and latter employment phase (Hirschi et al., 2024). In 2024, the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance launched a project with the aim of better anchoring CMS in various contexts in Switzerland.

Sources

  • Conférence intercantonale de l’instruction publique de la Suisse romande et du Tessin (CIIP). (n.d.). Plan d’études romand et moyens d’enseignement romands (PER-MER): Plan d’études romand [Romandy curriculum and teaching resources (PER-MER): Romandy curriculum].  https://portail.ciip.ch/per/domains
  • Lehrplan 21. (n.d.). [Home page]. https://www.lehrplan21.ch/
  • Repubblica e Cantone Ticino: Dipartiment dell’educazione, della cultura e dello sport. (n.d.). Piano di studio della scuola dell’obbligo [Compulsory school curriculum]. https://pianodistudio.edu.ti.ch/
  • Hirschi, A., Massoudi, K., Wilhelm, F., Mullen, S. & Marciniak, J. (2024). Definition von Laufbahngestaltungskompetenzen über diverse Bildungsstufen und Laufbahnphasen [Definition of career development skills across various educational levels and career stages]. Im Auftrag der Schweizerischen Konferenz für Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (SK BSLB). https://edudoc.ch/record/234685/files/2023-12-11_LGK-Schlussbericht_d.pdf
  • Schweizerische Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). (2021). Nationale Strategie für die Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (BSLB) [National Strategy for Vocational, Academic, and Career Guidance (BSLB)]. https://edudoc.ch/record/216772/files/Nationale_Strategie_BSLB_d.pdf

Evidence, monitoring and assessment

While lifelong guidance is very systematically and at cantonal level, so far, there have been virtually no systematic approaches at national level to regularly monitor the quality and effectiveness of these guidance services. While most cantonal lifelong guidance centres have their own systems in place to gather customer feedback, the results are not consolidated at national level. Furthermore, these surveys are generally limited to ascertaining client satisfaction immediately or shortly after a counselling session. They are not designed to assess medium term outcomes.

The latest career guidance impact study was published in 2020 by the Institute for Human Resource Management and Organisation (PMO), which is part of the School of Business at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). This study focused on career guidance impact in the second half of one's career (Frerichs & Fachinger, 2020).

The national project 'viamia' is an exception to this general observation. From the very start of the pilot phase in 2021, viamia consultations have been systematically monitored by two institutions (University of Bern and Ecoplan). Client feedback has shown an outstanding level of satisfaction, with 100% of respondents stating that they would recommend viamia to others. This monitoring is particularly important as 80% of the funding for viamia's guidance services comes from the Confederation and 20% from the cantons. This form of financing has created major political controversy (Hirschi; Wilhelm und Hänggli, 2022; EDK, n.d.).

On a quantitative level, the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance publishes an annual statistical report detailing the services provided by cantonal lifelong guidance centres. This report also includes socio-demographic characteristics of clients and the various issues handled. For some years now, this statistical report has mentioned and described examples of innovative services in the cantons (KBSB, 2023).

As far as academic research is concerned, so far there has been no systematic collaboration between the higher education institutions who conduct studies themselves and cantonal lifelong guidance centres or the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance. Similarly, there is no systematic transfer of research findings into practice. Although research findings are used to improve the training courses offered for new lifelong guidance practitioners, they are not systematically applied in cantonal guidance practice. One of the reasons for this may be the lack of an institution that takes responsibility for coordinating research. While the responsibilities for conducting research and transferring research findings into practice are regulated by law for most areas of the education system, this is not the case for lifelong guidance. SERI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) lacks a legal basis to conduct research in the lifelong guidance field and the cantons also have no clear mandate in this regard. One of the aims of the national lifelong guidance strategy is therefore to establish and continuously update a national research agenda and ensure the systematic transfer of research findings into practice (national lifelong guidance strategy, objective 5.2) (KBSB, 2021). From 2025, the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance will organise annual round table discussions bringing together all relevant research institutions in the lifelong guidance field The aim is to develop a plan of action to improve the level of research coordination and ensure the systematic transfer of research findings into practice.

Sources

  • Frerichs, F. & Fachinger, U. (Eds.) (2020). Selbstständige Erwerbstätigkeit und Erwerbskarrieren in späteren Lebensphasen: Potentiale, Risiken und Wechselverhältnisse [Self-employment and careers in later life: potential, risks, and interdependencies]. Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30463-8
  • Hirschi, A., Wilhelm, F. & Hänggli, M. (2022). Evaluation Pilotphase viamia 2021: Pilotprogramm ‘Kostenlose Standortbestimmung, Potenzialabklärung und Laufbahnberatung für Erwachsene über 40 Jahre’ – Abschlussbericht [Evaluation of the viamia 2021 pilot phase: Pilot program ‘Free assessment, potential evaluation, and career counseling for adults over 40’ – Final report]. Universität Bern. Im Auftrag der Schweizerischen Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). https://edudoc.ch/record/224533/files/viamia%20Pilotphase%20Evaluationsbericht%20UniBE_2022.pdf
  • Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektorinnen und -direktoren (EDK). (n.d.). Schweizerische Konferenz für Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (SK BSLB): Unterlagen Ecoplan [Swiss Conference for Vocational, Study, and Career Guidance (SK BSLB): Documents Ecoplan]. https://www.edk.ch/de/themen/transversal/bslb/skbslb?/
  • Schweizerische Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). (2021). Nationale Strategie für die Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (BSLB) [National Strategy for Vocational, Academic, and Career Guidance (BSLB)]. https://edudoc.ch/record/216772/files/Nationale_Strategie_BSLB_d.pdf
  • Schweizerische Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). (2023). Statistischer Jahresbericht 2022. Öffentliche Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung der Schweiz [Statistical Annual Report 2022. Public vocational, academic, and career guidance in Switzerland]. https://edudoc.ch/record/231800/files/KBSB_Report2022_D_extern.pdf

Career information, ICT in guidance

Information on education, career management and other topics relevant to the lifelong guidance sector are published by a large variety of institutions in education, public administration and many organizations of the working world. Cantonal lifelong guidance centres have a legally anchored core mandate to collect such information and make it more accessible to the public. . This information is published on the national, trilingual website berufsberatung.ch and supplemented by data from other stakeholders. This website provides extensive information on around 2,000 occupations and professions for which training exists in Switzerland. It also covers over 22,000 initial and further training courses and study programmes. In addition, the berufsberatung.ch website includes online apprenticeship vacancy listings referred to as 'LENA' (Lehrstellennachweis), which are maintained by the 26 cantons. Young people can find all available apprenticeship positions on these webpages. Berufsberatung.ch is managed by the SDBB on behalf of the cantons (see also section Funding career guidance). The website receives lump-sum funding from each canton calculated on the basis of the number of inhabitants in the given canton. At national level, SERI contributes 50% of total funding (SDBB, 2020). Alongside this official national website, there are several private platforms, such as the apprenticeship websites Yousty, Gateway or Lehr-Stelle.ch. These websites generally obtain their data from the national website berufsberatung.ch. However, private websites are often not impartiall, as their business model allows companies to boost the visibility of their listings (e.g. apprenticeships) by paying for certain additional services.

In addition to national websites, the cantons run their own websites and online resources that compile data related specifically to the context of the given canton. One example of this is the Canton of Zurich's occupational choice website, which has its own online chat, an interactive ‘occupational choice roadmap' and an online test to gauge occupational interests (berufswahl.zh.ch). The Canton of Aargau website is just as extensive and contains a wealth of additional information on career planning (Ask!).

Most of these websites focus primarily on initial and further training options. Information on other aspects of career planning - such as a general career assessment, job search support or retirement planning - is comparatively limited or difficult to find. As an innovative solution, the Canton of Bern developed a website called ‘BIZ-Links‘. This is a kind of career mosaic with links to a wide range of information resources on these topics. Several other cantons have adapted and implemented this concept.

In 2022, a separate section was added to the website berufsberatung.ch to provide information for people wishing to explore career options but not necessarily interested in pursuing further education and training. The webpage berufsberatung.ch/laufbahn includes career assessment questionnaires. There is also detailed information on work and employment prospects. Information on vocational, educational and career guidance can also be found at the information points of cantonal lifelong guidance centres. In recent years, the cantonal lifelong guidance organizations have repeatedly addressed the question of whether information points in the traditional sense, with their wealth of analogue information, are still necessary in the Internet age (Fachhochschule Graubünden (2024). So far, however, all cantonal lifelong guidance centres have continued to operate their information points. Generally speaking, information points mainly try to bridge the gap between analogue and digital sources of information. A good example are postcards with QR codes. Visitors at the lifelong guidance (physical) information points can scan the code using a scanner on site or take the card with them and scan it using their own smartphone or computer. This gives them easy access to information available on the web which is structured and curated by the lifelong guidance centres, e.g. on professions, educational paths or topics relating to career planning.

In 2008, a 'Cité des métiers' was established in the Canton of Geneva. Based on the French model, it serves as a 'one-stop shop' offering a complete range of career information as well as low-threshold guidance services at various contact points (including the lifelong guidance centre, employment centre, scholarship offices). Several other cantons are pursuing this strategy of creating an integrated service centre (Republic and Canton of Geneva, n.d.).

In 2024, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons (FHGR) published a study commissioned by the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance on 'Good Practices in Information and Documentation Points at lifelong guidance Centres in Switzerland'. This study documents exemplary approaches to the design of information and documentation points and formulates corresponding recommendations (University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons FHGR, 2024).

Rapid advances in digital technologies, in particular artificial intelligence applications, pose a significant challenge. In 2019, the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance commissioned the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft HTW Chur -  which on 1 January 2020 became the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons FHGR) - to conduct a study on future use of ICT, with emphasis being placed on information and interactions at cantonal lifelong guidance centres. Although still relevant today, several of the recommendations formulated in this study would now require fundamentally different means of implementation due to technological progress In particular, the potential of artificial intelligence - e.g. through chatbots and generative large language models - has not yet been taken into account in the study. (Schade; Mastrandrea and Alt, 2019).

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Training and qualifications

In order to work as a lifelong guidance practitioner at a cantonal lifelong guidance centre in Switzerland, the person must hold a qualification recognised by the Swiss Confederation. Art. 50 VPETA stipulates that the Federal Council is responsible for establishing the minimum requirements for the recognition of courses of study. The accreditation of the corresponding courses of study at universities is based on a competence profile, which was extensively revised on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) in 2023 (Art. 50 VPETA, 2002). The qualification is only required for lifelong guidance practitioners who work in a public lifelong guidance office and entitles them to advise clients of all age groups. The qualification is not required for work as a lifelong guidance practitioner in private organisations.

Training to obtain the qualification is provided at universities that have obtained accreditation for their courses of study based on the competence profile revised in 2023 specified by the federal government. Such training is currently available at three cantonal universities (University of Bern, University of Fribourg and University of Geneva) as well as at two universities of applied sciences, namely the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) and Zürcher Fachhochschule (ZFH), the latter more specifically through its affiliated institution the Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW). These are non-formal postgraduate courses, referred to as Masters of Advanced Studies (MAS), for which admission is only open to holders of at least a Bachelor's degree (at ZFH and FHNW) or a Master’s degree (at the University of Bern and University of Geneva) (University of Fribourg and University of Bern, n.d.; University of Geneva, n.d.; ZHAW, n.d.; FHNW, n.d.). Only one cantonal university, the University of Lausanne, offers a formal Master of Science degree in psychology with the option of specialising in guidance counselling. This programme is only open to holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (University of Lausanne, 2021).

The prerequisites for admission to Masters of Advanced Studies (MAS) programmes vary from one institution to another. At the University of Bern, a Master's degree in Psychology is required, whereas the University of Geneva accepts holders of Master's degree in Psychology or Human Resource Management. ZFH and FHNW universities of applied sciences are more flexible: ZHAW’s Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP) in Zurich prefers holders of a university degree in psychology, pedagogy or social work whereas the FHNW accepts applicants holding qualifications in a broader range of fields. FHNW requires only a Bachelor’s degree without any indication of the field of studies. This concept was developed explicitly for career changers on the initiative of the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance in order to encourage greater diversity among lifelong guidance practitionersat cantonal lifelong guidance centres. In addition, universities have the option of admitting candidates on a ‘case-per-case’ basis according to their prior experience and learning. This means that universities can admit applicants who do not fully satisfy formal requirements but whose individual educational and career trajectories make them viable candidates for admission. This would include, for instance, holders of a tertiary-level qualification awarded by a Swiss professional education institution.

In Switzerland, the SDBB is responsible for designing specific non-formal continuing education and training for lifelong guidance practitioners. Every year, the SDBB uses a questionnaire to survey the cantonal lifelong guidance centres on their training needs, and draws up an annual programme on this basis. This training is generally limited to one-day courses and seminars (SDBB, n.d.).

However, the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance sees a need for action in the area of further training for lifelong guidance practitioners. Swiss higher education institutions have structured programmes leading to issuance of a non-formal 'Certificates of Advanced Studies' (CAS) or 'Diplomas of Advanced Studies' (DAS), which are widely recognised on the labour market. These programmes enable the acquisition and certification of comprehensive, in-depth knowledge and skills in specific fields. However, there are currently no such advanced qualifications or credentials for practitioners working at cantonal lifelong guidance centres. In the future, consideration should be given to whether to develop structured CAS and DAS courses for lifelong guidance and if so, in what areas. Objective 5.5 of the national lifelong guidance strategy states that ‘an overarching framework and concepts [should be] established for human resources development, knowledge management and continuing education and training for cantonal lifelong guidance professionals in order to ensure a consistently high level of quality of lifelong guidance services as well as to maintain and improve the employability of lifelong guidance professionals’ (KBSB, 2021, p. 4).

At this point, the training of teachers at compulsory schools should also be mentioned: This takes place at universities of teacher education (Pädagogische Hochschulen) and also imparts the competences required to teach the subject area of vocational orientation (see also section Career guidance for school pupils). There are also various further training programmes in the area of vocational orientation: Two universities of teacher education, the Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau (PHTG) and the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (PHZH), offer career coaching courses for teachers and career coaches. These qualifications are further education courses for teachers who teach the subject area of vocational orientation or for career coaches[4]. However, these further educations do not entitle the holder to work as a lifelong guidance practitioner at a public institution.

[4] In contrast to career practitioners, career coaches, according to the wording commonly used in Switzerland, are specialists who support clients in the implementation of career plans.

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Funding career guidance

In Switzerland, the cantons are responsible for public lifelong guidance. In keeping with federal requirements, each canton must provide vocational, educational and career guidance (Art. 49 VPETA, 2002). This also means that funding is provided by the cantons. Vocational and educational guidance services are provided to adolescents and young adults free of charge until they obtain their first post-compulsory professional or academic qualification; funding is drawn from the budgets of the respective cantonal government agency to which the lifelong guidance centre is assigned. As a rule, universities also offer guidance services that are publicly funded (SERI, n.d.).

The situation for career guidance for adults of all age groups in relation to entitlements, individual costs and funding of public lifelong guidance services varies: In most cantons, these services are also financed via the budgets of the respective cantonal government agencies. In some cantons, however, adults are charged a fee for career guidance unless the fee can be waived on the basis of certain criteria. In the Canton of Bern, for example, those seeking advice do not have to pay if their financial circumstances are precarious or if they lack a vocational qualification. As a rule, career guidance is subsidised by public funds even in cantons where fees are charged (See section on Access to guidance, including on the issue of fees and recent debates). It should be noted at this point that the services of public lifelong guidance centres are not available without any restrictions, but are dependent on the needs of the customer; it is therefore the lifelong guidance practitioner who determines the extent of the advice provided. As a rule, further advice is subject to a charge, or customers turn to private lifelong guidance advisors, whose services are subject to a charge and are based on market rates.

In special cases, career guidance services are financed by third-party sources, such as unemployment insurance (UI), social services or disability insurance (DI) offices, which reimburse the lifelong guidance centres for the costs of guidance, unless they have their own lifelong guidance services, as is the case with disability insurance in most cantons (see also sections Guidance for unemployed adults and Guidance for persons with disabilities).

Funding of the ‘viamia’ programme is a special case: created by the Swiss Confederation and subsequently rolled out in all cantons in 2022, this career guidance service for adults over the age of 40 is based on the same standardised approach all over the country. In terms of funding, the Confederation covers 80% of the total costs and the cantons pay the remaining 20% (viamia, n.d.). However, federal funding will expire at the end of 2025.

The SDBB is also jointly funded by the Confederation and the cantons. It operates the national information website berufsberatung.ch and provides other services for cantonal lifelong guidance centres (SDBB, 2020).

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Career guidance for school pupils

Vocational guidance at schools plays a crucial role in Switzerland and has a long tradition. Its importance stems primarily from Switzerland's dual vocational training system, which places particular emphasis on vocational education and training (VET). The term “vocational counselling” or “vocational guidance” in the country context generally refers to the counselling of adolescents and young adults in their first educational or career choice (see footnote 1 in the section Introduction). During the transition from lower- to upper-secondary level, young people between the ages of 14 and 15 are faced with the fundamental decision between pursuing vocational education and training or enrolling in general education. In the latter case, there are two options: attending a Gymnasium (baccalaureate school) or a Fachmittelschule (specialised school[5]). (SERI, n.d.). In 2022, an average of around 65% of all young people coming out of compulsory education in Switzerland chose to enrol in an upper-secondary level VET programme leading to either a Federal VET Certificate (after completing two years of training) or a Federal VET Diploma (after completing three or four years of training) (upper-secondary level; choice of educational pathway). With around 240 different vocational educations to choose from, sound vocational guidance is essential. The decision-making process is made even more complex by the fact that most young people who opt for the vocational pathway enroll in dual-track VET programmes. This involves a combination of workplace training at a host company (apprenticeship) supplemented by one or two days a week of classroom instruction at a vocational school. In other words, young people not only have to choose a suitable profession, they also need to find a host company that is willing to hire them for an apprenticeship. (Vocational and Professional Education and Training in Switzerland, Facts and Figures 2022) (SERI, 2022, p.11). For this reason, high-quality vocational guidance is essential for a carefully considered and future-oriented choice of profession.

In most cantons, there is a conceptual framework specifying the division of tasks between compulsory education and cantonal vocational guidance (for example: Rahmenkonzept berufliche Orientierung des Kantons Bern). The core syllabuses for each linguistic region (Lehrplan 21, Plan d’études romand, Piano di studio) specify the vocational orientation skills that young people need to acquire in order to make an informed decision on their training and take corresponding action. During the 9th to 12th school year (approximate age: 13 to 15), young people go through a clearly structured vocational orientation process consisting of various phases. The actual lessons on educational choice are usually given by lower-secondary school teachers (see also section Training and qualifications). lifelong guidance practitioners, in turn, perform more specific tasks. This typically includes organising information events for young people and their parents/guardians on the Swiss education system and educational pathways (i.e. vocational or general education at upper-secondary level); giving brief counselling presentations at schools; leading themed workshops (e.g. on application strategies or job interviews); and holding one-on-one counselling sessions. In addition, lower-secondary school teachers can consult lifelong guidance practitioners on specific topics. The precise manner in which this cooperation is structured varies from canton to canton. In some cantons, for instance, lessons on vocational orientation are taught directly by qualified lifelong guidance practitioners. In general, it can be said that all young people systematically come into contact with a cantonal lifelong guidance centre when choosing an educational pathway.

Given the early age at which young people choose their educational pathway (i.e. vocational or general education at upper-secondary level) in Switzerland and considering the specific difficulties that young people may encounter when looking for an apprenticeship in the dual VET system, the transition from lower-secondary to upper-secondary level is not always a smooth one. For this reason, the cantons provide one-year transitional options (“Brückenangebote”) to bridge the gap. These are post-compulsory programmes that give young people the time needed to deepen their vocational choice and offer targeted support in search for follow-up solutions (SBFI, n.d.).

In addition to schools and lifelong guidance practitioners, there are a number of other important stakeholders who help young people to find amenable follow-up solutions after compulsory education. In particular, professional organisations (mainly trade associations) and host companies actively seek to recruit apprentices in a bid to cover their need for young workers. Their commitment to hiring apprentices is incentivised by the fact that apprenticeship training is generally also economically profitable for the companies that offer apprenticeship positions: the value of the work performed by apprentices typically exceeds the actual training costs incurred by host companies(Gehret et al., 2019). In order to give pupils a practical insight into the world of work, so-called "taster apprenticeships" (“Schnupperlehren”) in training companies play a central role. This is an important way of gaining career information through practical experience.

Cantonal concepts for educational guidance for young people enrolled in upper-secondary general education (baccalaureate schools or specialised schools) are more heterogeneous than those used for vocational guidance in lower-secondary schools. Here, the question of choice of university studies arises around three years after the young person has made the first choice of educational pathway. The majority of cantons have binding concepts for the choice of studies at baccalaureate schools, which set out how the preparation for the choice of studies at baccalaureate schools is organised, what resources and tools are provided and who is responsible for what (e.g. Canton of Zurich, n.d.). These concepts are generally similar to those used by lower-secondary schools. Upper-secondary schools are responsible for helping young people to select a university study programme and usually have to document the process for this in a school concept. Cantonal lifelong guidance centres provide selective support through information events and presence at schools and, if necessary, individual counselling at the lifelong guidance centres.

According to the national lifelong guidance strategy, the fostering of career management skills should be systematically initiated in primary school, even before the actual process of career orientation (which takes place in the last three years of compulsory schooling). (KBSB, 2021). As a result, a number of cantonal lifelong guidance centres offer specific services for schools even before the 9th school year, e.g. information events for parents on the Swiss education system. Among other aims, these measures are intended to preventively counteract the strong stereotypical patterns (gender stereotypes, in particular) encountered in Switzerland when young people decide which educational pathway to take.

[5] “Fachmittelschulen” (specialized schools) are schools comparable to baccalaureate schools  that prepare students for a Specialised School Certificate (Fachmittelschul-Diplom) or a Specialised Baccalaureate (Fachmaturität). They are comparable to baccalaureate schools; however, the curriculum prepares students more strongly for certain fields of study, such as teacher education, certain education programmes in the healthcare sector, etc.

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Guidance for VET participants

Young people wishing to enrol in a VET programme are asked to choose from approximately 250 different professions. They generally start their corresponding apprenticeship at the age of 15 to 16. Despite this, the relevance of career guidance was long considered negligible by many stakeholders who assumed that the process of choosing a professionended as soon as a person began his/her apprenticeship. It thus followed that there was no real need for these young people to receive systematic support in shaping their future careers. Recently, however, this perception in Switzerland has changed markedly. A good example of this is a study on career management skills, which was commissioned by the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance and conducted by the University of Bern and the University of Lausanne. This study demonstrates a clear need for career guidance services to be provided during vocational education and training (Hirschi et al., 2023).

The Core Syllabus for Language, Communication and Society (LCS) at vocational schools, contains a number of career management skills in the 'Society' module, such as such as job search, obtaining information about further education, or labor law and employment contracts. Nevertheless, imparting these skills in VET programmes is not yet comprehensively and systematically regulated. In addition, the level of cooperation between cantonal lifelong guidance centres and vocational schools varies widely from canton to canton (Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology OPET, now the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI, n.d.).

As for baccalaureate schools (see section Career guidance for school pupils), the lifelong guidance centres offer dedicated services to VET schools to promote career planning of their learners, e.g. information events at the schools. In addition, all learners enrolled in VET programmes have access to career guidance services at cantonal lifelong guidance centres free of charge. Under the 'Pro Apprenti-e-s' programme, the Canton of Geneva offers a specific career guidance service for young people who express doubts about their choice of profession during their training. These young people are considering either transferring to a different profession or are at risk of dropping out for various reasons (Republic and Canton of Geneva, n.d.). In many cantons, cantonal lifelong guidance centres are involved in events intended to help young people to explore other educational options and acquire career management skills. A good example is the 'Lehrabschluss – wie weiter?' event, which is organised by the lifelong guidance centre in the Canton of Aargau in the final year of vocational education and training. The aim is to encourage young adults to adopt a proactive approach in shaping their professional future.

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Guidance for higher education students

During 'transition 1' (i.e. from the end of compulsory to post-compulsory education), there are two pathways that young people in Switzerland can take: the vocational pathway, which entails choosing one of around 250 different professions, or the general educational pathway. In most cantons, ‘vocational orientation’ (also see section Career guidance for school pupils) helps prepare young people this decision-making process. In certain cantons, there are so-called "Langzeitgymnasien" (long term baccalaureate schools), where the transfer to the Gymnasium takes place after the 8th year of schooling (after two years of kindergarten and six years of primary school). Preparation for the choice of studies takes place during baccalaureate school or specialised school. Each canton takes a different approach to preparing students for their choice of studies. In most cantons, ‘academic guidance’ (e.g., related to decisions on higher education study programmes at universities and universities of applied sciences) is included in the range of support provided by the public-sector (cantonal) lifelong guidance centre (see also footnote 1 in section Introduction). In some cantons, academic guidance is outsourced from the lifelong guidance centre and attached to a university institution, as it is the case in canton Basel-Stadt for example. Cantonal educational guidance services vary, but most lifelong guidance centres coordinate with baccalaureate schools and specialised schools and align their concepts with those used for the vocational guidance services provided at lower-secondary level. Educational guidance concepts generally include organising events at schools to provide information about choice of university studies, offering brief on-site consultations and individual educational guidance at the cantonal lifelong guidance centre. As a case in point, the Canton of Zurich maintains a website providing information on the full range of available university study programmes (Canton of Zurich, n.d.).

In recent years, there has been growing political focus on high university dropout rates, which has prompted upper-secondary general education schools to pay closer attention to choice of university studies. In June 2023, the Federal Council and the EDK adopted a new regulation on recognition of baccalaureate school diplomas (Maturitätsanerkennungsreglement MAR) and corresponding ordinance (Maturitätsanerkennungsverordnung MAV), which stipulate that pupils must have access to free lifelong guidance services to improve their career management skills (Art. 31 MAR, 2023). Universities generally have their own lifelong guidance practitioners who provide students with advice on transferring to a different field of study or choosing further studies after graduation. These lifelong guidance practitioners also often provide additional services such as learning and psychological support and therapy during study, and help students to prepare for entry into the labour market, e.g. with information about the labour market, application trainings, autonomy, etc. (e.g. guidance office at the University of Bern; Career Service Center (CSC) at the University of Basel) (Canton of Bern, n.d.; University of Basel, n.d.). Universities also organise 'Career Days', where students have the chance to meet potential employers.

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Guidance for adult learners

All public-sector lifelong guidance centres offer a comprehensive range of career guidance services for adults. This includes basic services such as providing information and career advice as well as more extensive services such as career assessments. No explicit distinction is drawn between career guidance for adults pursuing further training and other forms of career guidance. According to the Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance's 2023 statistical report, in 7% of the cases, career guidance results in enrolment in tertiary-level professional education; in 4% of the cases, in enrolment in adult education at quaternary level; in 3% of the cases, in the pursuit of basic professional qualifications catch-up training or the validation of prior learning to obtain an upper-secondary level vocational qualification; and in 2% of the cases, in enrolment in non-formal continuing education (CAS, DAS and/or MAS) (Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance, forthcoming).  The guidance services offered by cantonal lifelong guidance centres are free of charge for people who lack an upper-secondary level vocational diploma (Federal Certificate of VET or Federal Diploma of VET) as well as for social welfare recipients. Some cantons charge fees for all other clients.

At national and cantonal level, greater efforts have been made in recent years to encourage adults who lack an upper-secondary level vocational diploma (Federal Certificate of VET or Federal Diploma of VET) (SERI, n.d.). In 2020, SERI launched a campaign in this vein (SERI, 2018). In addition to enrolment in a two-year VET programme for the Federal VET Certificate or a three- or four-year VET programme for the Federal VET Diploma, Art. 32 VPETA provides for two other ways to obtain an upper-secondary level vocational qualification without having to complete a two-, three- or four-year VET programme: validation of prior learning (i.e. via validation procedure) and direct admission to the final examination (i.e. via qualification procedure) (Art. 32 VPETA, 2002). However, these two options often require much closer career guidance during implementation. A number of cantons have websites specifically designed to guide candidates through the various procedures (e.g. the websites maintained by the Canton of Vaud and the cantons of northwestern Switzerland). In the Canton of Solothurn, adults wishing to obtain a vocational qualification receive continuous support from a specialist from the moment they express their interest to the moment when they receive their qualification (Canton of Solothurn, n.d.). As a rule, guidance and support also include an evaluation of existing basic skills and personal factors that can contribute to implementation of the training project. Examples include the Canton of Geneva’s EVASCOL service (Hospice Général, n.d.).

The cantons often lack sufficient funding and/or human resources for projects aimed at helping adults to obtain the vocational qualifications that they lack. However, several cantons (e.g. the Canton of Lucerne) have introduced training vouchers that can be downloaded online (Canton of Lucerne, n.d.). The city of Zurich offers 'labour market grants’, which can be used to offset training costs and loss of earnings (Town of Zurich, n.d.). The private Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation provides coaching and financial support to compensate for loss of earnings, childcare costs, etc. under its 'Second chance for a vocational qualification' project. A particular aspect worth mentioning is that a detailed aptitude assessment must be carried out by the lifelong guidance centre of the Canton of Bern before a person can be accepted into the project. (Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung, n.d.).

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Guidance for the employed

In Switzerland, career development is primarily seen as a task for employers as part of personnel development, with employees also having to take responsibility. In addition to their personnel development departments, some larger companies have their own independent lifelong guidance services. In addition, there are numerous mostly smaller private companies that advise employees on career issues. However, all cantonal lifelong guidance centres provide a basic range of career counselling services (see also section Access to guidance). Generally, these services are less well known than the vocational guidance services provided to young people enrolled in lower-secondary school. According to the national statistics report for 2023, only around one-third of cantonal lifelong guidance clients are over the age of 25 (Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance, forthcoming). The national lifelong guidance strategy states as a recommendation that 'adults [...] should have access to information and guidance and [...] receive beneficial and proactive career planning support that is tailored to the specific needs of this target group’ (KBSB, 2021, p.2). A study from 2019 revealed that over half of the Swiss population had never heard of the career guidance services offered by cantonal lifelong guidance centres (Schmidlin; Kobelt and Allemann Theilkäs, 2019).

In most cantons, adults have access to cantonal lifelong guidance services free of charge, regardless of their employment status. While career guidance has traditionally focused on mapping out further training options, the range of options has been expanded in recent years. Greater emphasis is now being placed on fostering career management skills, irrespective of specific plans for further training. This includes services such as job search support, general career assessments, employability analysis and opportunities for career growth within the company. In 2024, an Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance-commissioned study on career management skills was published, recommending that guidance services be geared towards the needs of specific target groups (Hirschi et al., 2024).

Career guidance is still highly focussed on initial and continuing education and training. According to a study from 2019, employed persons in particular often see no added value in career guidance services unless they have specific concerns regarding initial and continuing education and training (Schmidlin; Kobelt and Allemann Theilkäs, 2019). Objective 2.2 of the national lifelong guidance strategy therefore calls for efforts to be made to make the Swiss population more aware of the importance of career planning throughout one's entire working life (KBSB, 2021). With this in mind, the national vocational guidance website berufsberatung.ch was expanded to include a career guidance section designed specifically for people interested in career planning without necessarily wishing to pursue further education and training: Under ‘Meine berufliche Zukunft klären‘ (‘Clarifying my career prospects’), for example, users have access to self-assessment questionnaires as well as extensive information on labour market and career growth prospects (SDBB, n.d.). Objective 2.5 of the national lifelong guidance strategy calls for more intensive collaboration with partners from the private sector to encourage more people to proactively shape their careers and to improve the effectiveness of career guidance services (KBSB, 2021).

Sources

  • Hirschi, A., Massoudi, K., Wilhelm, F., Mullen, S. & Marciniak, J. (2024). Definition von Laufbahngestaltungskompetenzen über diverse Bildungsstufen und Laufbahnphasen [Definition of career development skills across various educational levels and career stages]. Im Auftrag der Schweizerischen Konferenz für Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (SK BSLB). https://edudoc.ch/record/234685/files/2023-12-11_LGK-Schlussbericht_d.pdf
  • Schmidlin, S., Kobelt, E. & Allemann Theilkäs, E. (2019). Entwicklungs- und Koordinationsbedarf der kantonalen Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (BSLB) [Need for development and coordination of cantonal vocational, academic, and career guidance (BSLB)]. Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation. https://edudoc.ch/record/206381/files/Studie_Entwicklungs_und_Koordinationsbedarf_BSLB.pdf
  • Schweizerische Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). (2024). Statistischer Jahresbericht 2023. Öffentliche Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung der Schweiz [Statistical Annual Report 2023. Public vocational, academic, and career guidance in Switzerland] [unpublished]
  • Schweizerische Konferenz der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufs- und Studienberatung (KBSB). (2021). Nationale Strategie für die Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (BSLB) [National Strategy for Vocational, Academic, and Career Guidance (BSLB)]. https://edudoc.ch/record/216772/files/Nationale_Strategie_BSLB_d.pdf
  • Schweizerisches Dienstleistungszentrum Berufsbildung | Berufs-, Studien- und Laufbahnberatung (SDBB). (n.d.). Klären Sie Ihre berufliche Situation [Clarify your professional situation]. Berufsberatung.ch. https://laufbahn.berufsberatung.ch/ 

Guidance for unemployed adults

The unemployment rate in Switzerland has been at a low level for several years (approx. 2 - 3 %) (SECO, n.d.). Regional employment centres (RECs) act as a central point of contact in all cantons for unemployed persons receiving unemployment benefits. These institutions mainly focus on achieving rapid and lasting reintegration into the labour market. RECs not only help with preparation of resumés, but also provide additional employment-related services such as job interview coaching and further training. For  cases requiring career guidance for comprehensive or higher-level needs, the person is referred to the cantonal lifelong guidance centre. Typically, this is when the labour market situation in the client’s original professional field is unfavourable, requiring the person to seek more extensive retraining or further training. Some individuals may also feel less inclined to look for a job in their previous professional field and where a change of profession could lead to a more lasting reintegration into the labour market. lifelong guidance practitioners usually schedule several consultation sessions and then prepare a detailed career assessment report for the REC worker handling the client’s case. The lifelong guidance practitioner then works with the client to determine what further action needs to be taken and, if necessary, determines whether the REC can provide financial support for retraining or further training measures. Career guidance services are usually billed to the REC.

Conflicting objectives and expectations may occasionally arise between RECs and lifelong guidance centres. This is especially the case when the REC determines that rapid labour market integration is both feasible and appropriate, whereas the lifelong guidance centre expresses doubts about the long-term viability of such integration and argues instead for a more detailed examination of a potential career change in order to boost the client's motivation for sustainable reintegration. In 2024, the ‘Government Strategy for Job Placement for 2030’ was published. This policy paper stresses the importance of improving the sustainability of labour market integration. As a result, opportunities for initial training, further education and retraining will be significantly expanded and greater attention will be given to professional counselling for jobseekers (Swiss Confederation, 2023).

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Guidance for older adults

Recently, politicians have been increasingly concerned with the situation of older employees on the labour market. The need to invest more to ensure the employability of older workers was stressed, particularly given the fact that people over the age of 50 often experience longer than average periods of unemployment after losing their job and the need for workers to remain in the labour market longer.  (SECO, 2021).

In principle, older jobseekers qualify for the full range of lifelong guidance services. Nevertheless, few people over the age of 40 have used these services in the past. The KBSB (now called SK BSLB) statistical report from 2019 showed that the 40-49 and 50+ age groups accounted for merely 5% and 3% of clients respectively (KBSB, 2020). By 2023, however, a significant increase was observed for these age groups: The 40-49 age group rose to 11% and the 50+ age group rose to 6% (KBSB, forthcoming). This surge is largely due to the introduction of the ‘viamia’ programme, which was initially launched as a pilot project in eleven cantons in 2021 and then rolled out nationwide in 2022.

In 2019, the Federal Council announced a range of measures to reinforce domestic labour force potential. This initiative was taken following the Swiss-wide vote on the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons within the EU, which reduces the administrative hurdles faced by companies in Switzerland wishing to hire skilled workers from the EU. These aid measures were designed to optimise the competitiveness of domestic workers compared to competition from workers immigrating to Switzerland . A key component was the introduction of free career assessments and career guidance for people over the age of 40 in all cantons. The federal government covered 80% of the costs of this initiative. (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, 2019).

The KBSB (now called SK BSLB) was commissioned to develop a standardised career guidance concept that could be used throughout Switzerland. This concept was introduced in eleven pilot cantons in 2021 under the name ‘viamia’. In 2022, the service was scaled up to all cantons. Relying on proven cantonal concepts, viamia includes a career assessment based on the Career Resources Questionnaire developed at the University of Bern (SDBB, 2017). Individual career guidance is then tailored accordingly. Finally, participants receive a detailed report with results and recommendations on how to optimise their employability (viamia, n.d.).

‘Viamia’ is the first career guidance programme to be offered uniformly throughout Switzerland. Feedback on the programme has been extremely positive. The final evaluation report ‘Evaluation of viamia - implementation and impact’ published in March 2024, states that 98% of all clients would recommend the programme to others (Ecoplan, 2024).

Implementation of ‘viamia’ has led to a greater awareness of career guidance services in Switzerland across the entire political landscape. At the same time, it has also triggered debate on the justification of providing free services to people over the age of 40, irrespective of their level of education and income. There are also calls for private-sector providers to be included in the provision of ‘viamia’-based guidance services (see also section Access to guidance).

The ‘viamia’ will continue to be funded by the Swiss Confederation until the end of 2025. From 2026, viamia must be financed by the cantons; it is still open (as of 08/25) whether all cantons will continue to provide the service. However, in order to fulfil the various legal requirements in the cantons, viamia may be offered in a slightly diversified form.

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Guidance for early leavers

The Swiss education system provides for eleven years of compulsory education (Swiss Confederation, n.d.). This is followed by one of two options at upper-secondary level: vocational education and training (VET) or general education (baccalaureate schools or specialised schools). In the '2015 Declaration on Common Educational Policy Objectives for the Swiss Education Area', the cantons and the Confederation formulated the joint policy objective of ensuring that 95% of all 25-year-olds should hold an upper-secondary level qualification (Swiss Confederation and EDK, 2015). The 2023 Swiss Education Report states that this target has nearly been achieved in most cantons (SKBF, 2023).

In order to ensure the highest possible participation rate in post-compulsory education, systematic preparation for the transition from lower- to upper-secondary education occurs in the last three years of lower-secondary school. In most cantons, there is structured cooperation between schools and lifelong guidance practitioners during this phase. This process enables identification of pupils who are at increased risk of not pursuing post-compulsory education or failing to transition from lower- to upper-secondary level. Most cantons have special support measures in place for this group. Young people who drop out of compulsory education early are generally supported by VET case managers (usually with a qualification as a social worker), who coordinate the activities of the various parities seeking to help the young person to re-enter the education system (e.g. parents and school social services). A good example of this is the VET Case Management programme in the Canton of Bern (Canton of Bern, n.d.).

In addition to this, there are other services to prevent young people from opting out of post-compulsory education. In the canton of Ticino, the GO95 service focusses on teenagers aged 15-18 who have discontinued their education. These young people are contacted to help them develop an individual education and training project and, if necessary, referred to the lifelong guidance centre (Republic and Canton of Ticino, n.d.). The Canton of Geneva has the CAP Formations programme, which is unique in Switzerland. Under this programme, teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 25 receive long-term coordinated support from the cantonal employment office, the cantonal social services office and the office for vocational guidance and personal development. The aim is to encourage young people to resume the education and training process (DIN; DIP and OCE, 2016).

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Guidance for NEET

People who have exhausted their entitlement to unemployment insurance benefits will consequently also lose access to support measures from regional employment centres (RECs). However, as with all adults, they retain their access to the services provided by cantonal lifelong guidance centres. Most of the people falling into this category are social welfare recipients. The social services office usually also works with a cantonal lifelong guidance centre. This cooperation is intended to improve the employability of clients – if necessary, through retraining and further education measures. The aim is to help these individuals to re-enter the labour market and reduce their long-term dependency on social welfare benefits as much as possible.

The cooperation modalities between cantonal lifelong guidance centres and social services at communal level vary from one canton to another. In 2024, SKOS and the Swiss Conference for lifelong guidance signed a letter of intent aimed at ensuring free access to lifelong guidance services for social welfare recipients in all cantons (Swiss Conference for  lifelong guidance and SKOS, 2024).

In several cantons, lifelong guidance centres assist the social services office in evaluating the education and training options available to social welfare recipients. One example of this is the Canton of Valais ‘Mandat d’insertion professionnelle‘ (MIP).

(Also see sections Guidance for early leavers and Guidance for young people at risk)

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Guidance for young people at risk

Lower-secondary schools and cantonal lifelong guidance centres work closely together during the last three years of compulsory education. As a rule, this enables identification of pupils who are at risk of opting out of post-compulsory education or not finding a means of transitioning from lower- to upper-secondary level. Most young people completing lower-secondary education in Switzerland enrol in upper-secondary level vocational education and training (VET). This is generally dual VET, which combines workplace training at a host company with classroom instruction at a vocational school. The transition from compulsory education to upper-secondary level is particularly challenging for young people at risk, as they need to find an apprenticeship in a company that is willing to train them. These young people usually complete a pre-vocational traineeship before applying for an apprenticeship. Teachers and lifelong guidance practitioners help them with this process; parents and legal guardians also play an important role. Additional support is provided to young people who receive insufficient support from their personal environment, exhibit poor scholastic performance or are struggling with other issues. This support may include attendance of specific workshops (e.g. how to prepare resumés or how to prepare for job interviews) or individual coaching. In the Canton of Zurich, for example, young people in less challenging situations are assigned to a volunteer mentor under the ‘Mentoring Ithaka’ programme (Canton of Zurich, n.d.). In more complex cases, the Canton of Bern assigns them to a professional coach under the ‘Support+’ programme (Canton of Bern, n.d.). Another example is the OMax service provided by the Canton of Fribourg, where young people are supervised and guided in small groups twice a week in their final year of lower-secondary school. The aim is to build their motivation to successfully transition to working life (Canton of Fribourg, n.d.).

In situations where there are multiple problems (e.g. learning deficits, lack of support from the home environment and health problems), most cantons provide VET case management (see also section Guidance for NEET). In addition to support from professional coaches, this service also includes handling cases and coordinating with the various stakeholders involved, e.g. social services, health services and schools. Case management was originally initiated and co-funded by the Confederation. After the federal government withdrew its funding, some cantons reduced or discontinued case management services. As a result, the national lifelong guidance strategy includes the objective of making suitable concepts and services available in all cantons for particularly vulnerable young people and young adults. The aim is to facilitate their integration into both the education system and the labour market. (Swiss Confederation, n.d.).

Many young people find it too difficult to make a seamless transition from lower- to upper- secondary education. For this reason, most cantons offer various solutions that are intended to 'bridge the gap'. Traditionally, a bridge year gives young people the opportunity to bring their knowledge and skills up to speed. During this time, they receive intensive support in their search for a suitable option at upper-secondary level.

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Guidance for persons with disabilities

In Switzerland, young people with physical or mental impairments receive support from a cantonal disability insurance office if certain criteria is met, which generally has specialised lifelong guidance practitioners who can assess their aptitudes for vocational education and training, general education and/or higher education (see also section Training and qualifications). In the case of adults, advice is given on possible retraining measures. The corresponding disability insurance office covers a portion of the cost of implementing these training measures. Vocational integration specialists from disability insurance offices generally have a similar qualification as lifelong guidance practitioners at cantonal lifelong guidance centres (Pro infirmis, n.d.).

In some cantons, vocational and career guidance is not provided by disability insurance specialists themselves, but by cantonal lifelong guidance centres or private institutions. They use diagnostic procedures to assess an individual's potential and then send a report with corresponding recommendations to the disability insurance office.

Cantonal lifelong guidance centres generally offer their services to young people and adults before they formally register with the disability insurance office. The 'Beratungplus' programme in the Canton of St. Gallen is a good example. Under this programme, the cantonal lifelong guidance centre works on behalf of the Social Insurance Office (SVA) of the Canton of St. Gallen to evaluate the career prospects of young people and identify support options for various types of disability (SVA, 2020).

In all cases, the services of the lifelong guidance centres should be barrier-free - not least in accordance with the requirements of the cantonal authorities regarding inclusion.

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Guidance for immigrants

Vocational and career guidance services for immigrants and recognised refugees in Switzerland vary significantly among the various cantons. In principle, cantonal vocational guidance services are also available to this target group, although a minimum level of proficiency in a national language (usually A2) is generally required. In the event of insufficient language skills, intercultural interpreters may be called in to clarify the relevance of language acquisition and to evaluate labour market integration prospects on the basis of the person’s professional skills. A key aspect of these guidance services is to explain to immigrants how the Swiss education system and the labour market works and what options are available to them.

Several cantons offer specific services in cooperation with or on behalf of migration authorities or communes, which seek to quickly integrate immigrants into the labour market. One example of this can be found in the Canton of Bern, where communes are required to refer immigrants to integration contact centres where needed. These centres, in turn, can contact the cantonal lifelong guidance office to arrange for an initial assessment of employment prospects (Canton of Bern, n.d.-a).

Given the complexity of situations and issues faced by immigrants and refugees, as well as the often rapidly changing circumstances (particularly for refugees), a number of cantonal lifelong guidance centres now have in-house specialists to provide information and support for specific issues.

One particularly challenging issue for immigrants is often the recognition of foreign qualifications. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI maintains a contact point for initial clarification of this. This contact point can be consulted either directly or through a cantonal lifelong guidance centre. A dedicated website on the recognition of foreign qualifications has also been online since 2024 (recognition.swiss).

Although cantonal lifelong guidance centres are also responsible for advising immigrants, they generally lack the resources needed to support implementation of educational projects. To fill this gap, there are public or private, publicly funded bodies in most cantons that can provide further support or coaching on behalf of the cantons. Examples of this are the Canton of Uri’s Fachstelle Integration und Vernetzungi or the Bureau lausannois pour les immigrés in the Canton of Vaud.

For young people and young adults who do not have sufficient language proficiency to enrol in vocational education and training, many cantons offer special bridge-year programmes that focus on language acquisition. Examples include the Canton of Bern’s Berufsvorbereitende Schuljahre Praxis und Integration (BPI) (Canton of Bern, n.d.

The Integration Pre-Apprenticeship (INVOL) programme was established in 2018 for recognised refugees and temporarily admitted adolescents and young adults (Swiss Confederation, n.d.). This programme, which is co-funded by the federal government, is designed to provide targeted and practical training to prepare this group for an apprenticeship. In the summer of 2021, the programme was opened to young people and young adults outside the asylum system (INVOL+). In this context, cantonal lifelong guidance centres advise the INVOL / INVOL+ target group on their choice of educational pathway. The specific services vary from canton to canton and range from one-off counselling sessions to in-depth assessments to ascertain the labour market potential of refugees. One example of this can be found in the Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Appenzell Ausserrhoden, n.d.).

Another target group that should be given special attention by cantonal lifelong guidance practitioners are the parents of children and young people who pursue post-compulsory education at upper secondary level. It is important that this target group is involved in the professional orientation of their children, as they play an important role in career choices. These parents often have limited knowledge of the Swiss education system. Therefore special events are organised and different media are used to explain how the Swiss education system works and the various options available. One example of this is a series of explanatory videos that were developed in the Canton of Bern specifically for immigrants (Canton of Bern, n.d.-c).

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Guidance for other groups

Public-sector cantonal lifelong guidance centres offer their services to the entire population, regardless of ethnic background, nationality, age or gender. If at all appropriate[6], consultations at the lifelong guidance centres can take place with the assistance of intercultural interpreters. This can be particularly useful when counselling young people in the presence of their parents who do not speak the counselling language. This egalitarian approach reflects the desire for an inclusive and equitable guidance landscape. As an extension of their usual activities, some cantonal lifelong guidance centres work with correctional facilities to address career-related issues affecting inmates. This cooperation is aimed at facilitating the professional reintegration of this specific target group and improving their employment prospects. The diverse range of services and collaboration options underscores the comprehensive and inclusive nature of cantonal lifelong guidance systems, which strive to provide all population groups - including marginalised or vulnerable individuals or those in specific life circumstances - with access to professional career guidance.

[6] In many cases, language acquisition is a priority before career counselling makes sense.

Gender-based policies

Lifelong guidance services also include gender-specific aspects such as encouraging young people to avoid gender stereotypes in their choice of educational pathway (i.e. vocational or general education at upper-secondary level) and advising women and men on how to reconcile family and career and return to work after family-related career breaks.

There is a pronounced gender bias in Switzerland in vocational choices (Swiss Education Report 2023, p. 151). When working with lower-secondary schools, cantonal lifelong guidance practitioners generally organise information events for parents and students to explicitly draw their attention to the fact that all professions are open to both men and women.

Extensive efforts are also being made outside of this context to break down gender stereotypes. These include, in particular, the National Future Day, a federal initiative intended to give children between the ages of 11 and 13 initial exposure to working life. On this day, adolescents are usually accompanied by a relative, such as their father, mother, uncle or aunt. One of the main aims of Future Day is to get young people interested in vocational profiles that are not typical for their gender and to help them to understand that vocational choices are not gender-specific. Future Day is also supported by companies that organise special programmes for visiting adolescents (National Future Day, n.d.).

In recent years, a number of tools and materials have been developed for schools and lifelong guidance practitioners to help young people to break gender stereotypes when choosing their educational pathway (i.e. vocational or general education at upper-secondary level). One example is the game Like2Be (University of Bern, n.d.). Another example is the ProApp project in the Canton of Ticino, which provides information and organises workshops, webinars, and information events to encourage young people to choose an educational pathway in a manner that is free of gender stereotypes (Swiss Confederation, n.d.). Universities are also involved in the fight against gender-stereotyped choices of educational pathway: The University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland, for example, organises computer science workshops for primary school girls under the title 'Digital Girls - Computer Science is Fun' (OST, n.d.).

In order to narrow the gender gap, it is also important that CMS is taught at compulsory schools before the actual vocational orientation process. The teaching of such competences is generally provided for in the language-regional curricula. In addition, the national lifelong guidance strategy includes the promotion of CMS from the beginning of school education (i.e. from kindergarten onwards) as an explicit goal (KBSB, 2021).

Some cantonal lifelong guidance centres offer specific guidance services on how to reconcile family and career. For example, the lifelong guidance centre of the Canton of Basel-Landschaft has developed specific career guidance services for women under the label ‘professionnELLE’ (Canton of Basel-Landschaft, n.d.). The Canton of Geneva offers a similar programme under the ‘Femme et emploi’ label (Republic and Canton of Geneva, 2022).

Until a few years ago, the Federal Office for Gender Equality contributed funding to cantonal guidance centres specialised in family and career balance. These centres provide women in particular with advice on how to reconcile family and career and how to return to work after a family-related career break. One example of this is the institution frac, which is based in the Town of Biel. After the federal government discontinued funding for these career-family guidance centres, they disappeared in some cantons (frac, n.d.). In 2022, a federally commissioned study published by the University of St. Gallen and BSS Economic Consultants assessed the need for career-family guidance services and prepared corresponding recommendations for the cantons. It was found that, in principle, all cantonal lifelong guidance centres offer career guidance that also covers this topic. However, the existence of these services is often not made explicit enough in external communication. It was also recommended that cantonal lifelong guidance centres encourage practitioners to specialise in career-family guidance and that there be more targeted advertising of these guidance services (Frey et al., 2022).

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Country-specific report details

Country report type
Inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices
Related Country
Related Project
Lifelong Guidance
Related Network
CareersNet
Keywords
Guidance and counselling
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