From Aspiration to Apprenticeship: Insights from a Refugee Pre-vocational Programme

Context: Refugees in Switzerland face significant challenges when entering the vocational education and training system. The pre-apprenticeship for integration (PAI), a one-year pre-vocational programme which targets unqualified refugees aged 16 to 35, aims to support this transition by helping participants clarify their aspirations and prepare for an apprenticeship.  

Methods: The study draws on survey and administrative data of 2479 refugees who completed the PAI programme between 2019 and 2023. We examined refugees' long-term career aspirations, group-specific characteristics, and post-PAI transitions into VET. 

Findings: PAI participants expressed a wide range of long-term career aspirations, with the majority aiming to stay in their current occupational field; others aspired to change fields, pursue further or higher education, become self-employed, or were uncertain. Aspirations were shaped by age, family status, and satisfaction with the PAI and were linked to participants' likelihood of continuing into IVET. 

Conclusions: The findings highlight the PAI's potential to foster motivating career aspirations and successful transitions to IVET, though support is still needed for refugees facing uncertainty or requiring additional time to prepare for an apprenticeship. Continued research on PAI-participants' pathways will be essential to explore whether refugees can translate their aspirations into sustainable vocational pathways.