In-company training: new federal priority until 2028 (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• New SERI priority area for dual education and training from 2026 to 2028
• Federal budget of CHF 3 million to strengthen the quality of education
• Three objectives: awareness-raising, knowledge exchange, project support

Key Facts

• What: Priority area In-company training of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
• When: 1 September 2026 – end of 2028
• Where: Switzerland, cantonal and national
• Who: SERI, cantons, professional organisations
• Amount: CHF 3 million
• Background: Part of the roadmap Attractiveness of vocational and professional education and training (decided November 2025)

Bern, 1 September 2026 — The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) has officially announced the launch of a new priority area for in-company training. The initiative will start on 1 September 2026 and will run until the end of 2028, with a budget of CHF 3 million.

The decision to launch this programme dates back to November 2025, when the partners agreed to include the initiative in the Attractiveness of Vocational and Professional Education and Training roadmap at the national meeting on vocational and professional education and training. SERI is now taking action to consolidate and improve two decisive factors: the willingness of companies to train apprentices and the quality of the training provided.

In-company training: the focus of dual training

In-company training is at the heart of the Swiss dual vocational education and training system. It enables apprentices to acquire essential practical skills and helps to reduce the need for qualified personnel on the labour market. Quality training encourages young people to choose apprenticeship paths and strengthens the role of companies as excellent training providers.

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Operational details

How federal funds will be distributed

SERI intends to implement the priority area through close cooperation with the cantons and professional organisations. The federal approach includes four complementary lines of action.

Firstly, SERI will share knowledge and examples of good practice collected at national level, facilitating the exchange of experience between VET actors. Secondly, it will make specific financial resources available to support concrete projects aimed at modernising and improving in-company training.

Federal contributions will be able to finance four types of projects:

• Preliminary projects: feasibility studies and needs analysis
• Innovative projects: experimentation of new training models
• Multiplication projects: dissemination of already established quality practices
• Networking projects: initiatives aimed at strengthening connections between actors

The funds will primarily be allocated to the cantons and professional organisations (employers' associations, trade unions, industry bodies), which are SERI's preferred operating partners.

The impact on Swiss dual education

Strengthening in-company training responds to a growing challenge: to ensure that companies maintain and amplify their willingness to invest in training, despite economic pressures and administrative costs. The quality of practical training is closely related to the completion rate of apprenticeships and the transformation of apprentices into stable employees in the labour market.

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Key points

How to access federal contributions and submit projects

Cantons and professional organisations interested in receiving federal funding must follow an application process. SERI will accept proposals for preliminary, innovative, multiplication and networking projects by the end of 2028, when the priority area ends.

Step 1: Identify the type of project Each applicant must first define which category of project he or she intends to implement. If it is exploratory research on training gaps, choose preliminary project. If the goal is to test a new practical teaching method, opt for an innovative project. If you want to extend an already established good practice to other cantons, choose multiplication project. If you want to create a stable network of education actors, propose a networking project.

Step 2: Formulate the proposal The proposal must clearly describe how the project contributes to the three objectives of the priority area: awareness-raising, knowledge exchange and quality optimisation. The budget required, the expected duration and the partners involved in implementation must also be specified.

Step 3: Apply to SERI Proposals must be submitted directly to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. Although the source does not specify an intermediate application deadline, projects must be completed by the end of 2028.

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