One in four apprenticeship contracts is terminated prematurely; 62% takes place in the first year

In Switzerland, approximately one in four apprenticeship contracts is terminated prematurely. Almost two-thirds of them are already in their first year of training. The longer the internship lasts, the less likely there is a separation between interns and teachers.

According to the research, approximately a quarter of the total number of apprenticeship terminations occur in the second year of training. For students who are already in the third or fourth year, the percentage drops to 12 percent, according to a study by the Federal Bureau of Statistics.

However, ending an apprenticeship contract does not necessarily mean that basic vocational training is completely stopped. This can be continued with a new training contract. According to the research, the vast majority of affected students are starting a new course. In most cases, the resumption was accompanied by a change of profession or training company.

Most contract terminations took place in the training subject “Hairdressing and Beauty Care”, followed by “Hospitality and Catering”. Very few contracts were canceled in the forestry sector.

As part of the analysis, terminations of apprenticeship contracts were examined for students who first started basic vocational training in the summer of 2018, until December 31, 2022. (sda)