Apprenticeship and vocational training: Lucerne guide (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Vocational training in Switzerland combines business teaching, vocational school and general training
• Apprentice is subject to AVS/AI/IPG (5.3% employee), AD/AC (1.1%) and LAINF/LAA (0.7-1.5%) contributions
• The maximum time is 45 hours per week (industry, offices, trade) or 50 hours in other sectors
• Professional maturity is a federal certificate that allows access to universities of applied sciences

Key facts

• What: Vocational training for apprentices in Switzerland through a dual system
• Who: SECO (State Secretariat for the Economy), cantons, training companies
• Where: Canton of Lucerne and other Swiss cantons
• When: Starts after compulsory school, generally aged 15-16
• Duration: 2-4 years according to professional address
• Minimum holiday: 4 weeks per year (5 weeks if the apprentice is a minor)

Vocational training in Switzerland is one of the pillars of the national education system. At the federal level, the SECO coordinates vocational training standards, while individual cantons manage territorial enforcement. In the Canton of Lucerne, as in all Swiss cantons, apprenticeships combine three fundamental elements: practical teaching in the company (3-4 days a week), attendance at vocational school (1-2 days a week), and integrated general training (ethics, citizenship, foreign languages).

Choosing to undertake an apprenticeship is a decision

Operational details

In the Canton of Lucerne, as in the rest of Switzerland, finding an apprenticeship position requires personal initiative. Companies registered in the canton's list of trainers offer positions, often advertised on their websites or through sectorial trade associations (agricultural, construction, commercial, industrial, etc.). The secondary school provides information and contacts to facilitate the search for an apprenticeship.

The apprenticeship contract

Once a company willing to offer an apprenticeship is found, the apprentice and the employer sign a binding contract. The contract must specify: the total duration of the apprenticeship (2-4 years depending on the field), the monthly wage, the weekly working hours, the holiday arrangements, and the initial probationary period.

Swiss law provides for an initial probationary period (generally 1-3 months) during which both parties can terminate the contract with short notice. After the probationary period, the notice periods become more stringent: 1 month in the first year, 2 months from the second to the ninth year, and 3 months from the tenth year onwards. The apprenticeship contract is regulated by federal civil law (Code of Obligations, CO), not by cantonal laws, thus ensuring national legal consistency.

Rights and protection of the apprentice

During the apprenticeship, the young person has the right to a fair wage, although lower than that of a qualified worker in the same sector. The wage varies according to the canton, the professional sector, and the year of training: apprentices in the first year typically earn 30-60% of what an experienced professional earns; the amount increases in subsequent years.

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Key points

The apprentice's remuneration and mandatory contributions

The apprentice's remuneration is subject to the same mandatory social security contributions as other dependent employees. Although the gross remuneration is lower than that of a qualified professional, the contributions remain unchanged in percentage.

For an apprentice, the main contributions on remuneration are:

• AVS/AI/IPG: 5.3% on the employee's behalf (the employer pays an additional 5.3%)
• Unemployment insurance (AD/AC): 1.1% up to an annual maximum
• Accident insurance (LAINF/LAA): 0.7% – 1.5% depending on the industry

In the Canton of Lucerne, as in many cantons, some apprentices may be enrolled in a company pension fund (LPP/BVG) if the company provides it; this enrollment depends on the industry and the company's policy. In the first year of apprenticeship, several cantons offer partial or total exemptions from some contributions. It is important to verify with the employer and the cantonal vocational training office the specific procedures applicable to your situation.

The professional maturity: advanced federal certificate

The professional maturity is a federal certificate that the apprentice can obtain in parallel to the apprenticeship (parallel training) or after the end of the apprenticeship (subsequent training). This certificate attests to both the specific technical skills of the trade and a solid general education (foreign languages, economics, sciences), and represents a significant added value in the labor market.

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