Handbook for Investors. Business location in Switzerland.

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12.1.1 Basic and further education Education begins at the kindergarten level at age five or six. Primary school starts at age seven and runs through to grades four to six, followed by the lower secondary level, the name and curriculum of which vary from canton to canton. Students attend a secondary school which corresponds to their personal level. With the completion of the lower secondary level, students have finished the nine compulsory school years. Students can then either begin vocational training, attend high school to prepare them for university studies or earn a specialized diploma. 95 % of students finish their mandatory education at the public school where they reside; only 5 % attend private schools. Public schools enjoy a good reputation. In the OECD Program for International Student Assessments (PISA), Swiss students scored higher than the average in OECD states, with the public schools achieving higher scores than the private schools. The public schools not only provide an education, they also fulfill an important integration function: children with different social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds all attend the same schools. For Switzerland, a country with four national languages, multilingual skills are extremely important. Fig. 56: Quality of the educational system (2009) 1 = Does not meet the economy’s needs, 10 = Meets the economy’s needs 1 Finland 8.53 2 Singapore 8.20 3 Switzerland 8.07 4 Denmark 7.45 5 Canada 7.38 7 Netherlands 6.87 8 Ireland 6.85 11 Belgium 6.60 13 Germany 6.13 14 India 6.07 17 France 5.87 18 Hong Kong SAR 5.83 21 Japan 5.45 22 Luxembourg 5.38 25 UK 5.14 28 US 4.81 35 Italy 4.23 40 Russia 4.00 43 People’s Republic of China 3.80 53 Brazil 2.82 Source: 2009 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook In addition to their mother tongue, children are taught a second national language and English beginning in primary school. Fig. 57: Public spending on education per capita in USD (2007) 1 Luxembourg 5,153 2 Norway 4,494 3 Denmark 4,224 4 Switzerland 3,066 5 USA 2,839 6 Ireland 2,650 8 France 2,473 9 UK* 2,453 10 Netherlands 2,394 11 Belgium** 2,151 15 Germany 1,606 16 Italy* 1,435 18 Japan* 1,325 21 Singapore 1,090 22 Hong Kong SAR 996 32 Russia 369 34 Brazil 319 43 People’s Republic of China 71 45 India 29 *2006 **2005 Source: 2009 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 112 Handbook for Investors 2010
PISA study Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology www.pisa.oecd.org Languages: German, English, French www.bbt.admin.ch Languages: German, English, French, Italian 12.1.2 Vocational training Basic vocational training begins after the completion of compulsory education. Great importance is placed on practical on-thejob training. Three-quarters of all young people complete an apprenticeship, which lasts three to four years and consists of practical work in a company and theoretical studies at a vocational school. In addition, students are eligible to obtain professional certification, which entitles them to enter a university of applied sciences where they can earn a Bachelor’s or, in some cases, a Master’s degree. Universities of applied sciences provide a tertiary level of education. 90 % of Swiss students continue their education once they have completed compulsory schooling, placing Switzerland at the top of all OECD countries with regard to further education. Federal Department of Economic Affairs www.evd.admin.ch Link: Themen/Bildung, Forschung, Innovation Languages: German, French, Italian Swiss education system www.swissworld.org Languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese This dual system ensures that businesses have a choice of wellqualified and practically trained employees in a given industry. The rate of unemployment among young people is approximately half as high as in Germany, Sweden and the United States. It is important to note that vocational training as a foundation of the Swiss school system does not reduce the importance of scientific subjects in education. By international standards, Switzerland ranks third in Europe. Professional education and training play an important role in Switzerland. Higher specialist and professional training courses are conducted with the approval of the federal authorities and professional associations. Successful completion of these courses leads to a Swiss federal vocational certificate or diploma. In Switzerland there are over 100 federally recognized schools offering professional college degree programs, the majority of which are engineering colleges. These schools teach qualifications that often are learned only at universities in other countries. Vocational degrees are mutually recognized through bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the European Union. Portal for scholastic and professional advice www.berufsberatung.ch Languages: German, French, Italian 12.2 Further education. Continuing education plays an important role in Switzerland. Public institutions such as universities or universities of applied sciences offer post-graduate programs and courses on various specialized topics which are open to everyone, not just graduates. Non-students can also sign up to sit in on regular courses. Adult education courses are publicly subsidized and open to everyone. There is also a wide variety of courses offered by private schools – from language courses to yoga to management courses. Handbook for Investors 2010 113
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Handbook for Investors. Business lo
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Welcome. Dear Reader, By choosing t
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Table of contents. Advantages offer
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10.3.4 Cross-border commuters .....
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9. Excellent educational institutio
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1.2 Climate. Switzerland’s climat
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Despite the close proximity of diff
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1.7.2 Direct investments and Swiss
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1.8 Switzerland in figures. Fig. 7:
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Fig. 9: Industry structure, percent
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2.2.2 Direct investments In additio
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The medical technology industry is
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Dachorganisation Informatik- und Te
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3. Economic framework. Free competi
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Customs information www.zoll.admin.
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Swiss Federal Institute of Intellec
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In the main, Swiss product liabilit
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3.5.2 Environment Swiss environment
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4.2 Political and economic cooperat
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4.3 The euro. Even though the offic
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The following criteria are crucial
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Liability Minimum capital Consultin
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Sole proprietorship and general par
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5.4.2 Entry in the commercial regis
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Fig. 19: Do I need a visa? I would
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6.1.3 Application procedure 1. Pers
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6.3.3 Special case: students The pr
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EU/EFTA nationals EU-17 (original E
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Social insurance for foreign nation
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7.1.2 Temporary accommodation and f
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