A report by four Swiss and American organizations released Oct. 12 offers insight into effective ways to develop apprenticeship programs.
Accenture, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, the Global Apprenticeship Network and ETH Zurich/KOF Swiss Economic Institute released the report, “Jobs Now,” which lays out key elements of Switzerland’s apprenticeship model. Access the report here.
Nearly 70% of Swiss citizens participate in an apprenticeship program, according to a news release from Accenture, a global professional services company with headquarters in Dublin.
“The vocational education and training system in Switzerland is considered the global gold standard due to its positive impact on the nation’s economic success, rich employer engagement and low youth unemployment,” says Martin Naville, chief executive officer of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.
Some of the highlighted practices include:
- Involve key partners and stakeholders early. In the United States, those partners would include community colleges; industry groups; local, state and federal governments; and social partners.
- Create buy-in within the organization. Not all companies are convinced apprenticeships are worthwhile. Make sure decision makers know about the benefits of training talent.
- Allow flexibility in designing the program. Each employer should create a program that works with its business needs and serves its community.
“The U.S. faces a skills shortage that threatens our competitiveness,” says Julie Sweet, Accenture’s CEO for North America. “People are our country’s greatest strength, and apprenticeship programs, particularly at the local level, can play a critical role in developing new sources of talent.”
