The same disgraceful scenario of forfeited education and wasted years of life is repeated here, in the U.S. However, what caught my attention was the account about Switzerland, and its 2.8% youth unemployment, the lowest in the developed world.
The narrative about the Swiss educational/vocational system starts at minute 31:35. In Switzerland, the decision about the professional future is taken at age of 15. The choices are University or apprenticeship; however, the students are not “locked” in their first choice.
Interestingly, only 20% of the Swiss high school students proceed to attend Universities, thus leading many creative and smart people to the highly-skilled workforce sector (think about the Swiss army knife, Swiss chocolates, Swiss watches, etc.). One of the interviewees proudly stated that the young people are Switzerland’s national priority.
After watching the Canadian documentary, I looked for more information, and found the article Apprenticeships ensure that young people in Switzerland are employable, in which the author states,
“Seventy percent of teenagers in Switzerland spend their week moving between a workplace, a sector organization, and school. They’re paid a monthly starting wage of around $800, rising to around $1,000 by the time they are in their third year.”
Well, can we learn from the wiser? Is our young U.S. generation our national priority?
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