Edupool.ch finds gap in the market

A Zug-based institute which provides vocational courses such as in commerce and accounting, amongst many others, has become leader in its field after filling a gap in the training market.
 
What currently happens very often is that young people who opt to do a commercial training course then go on to spend a few years acquiring professional experience. They then return to embark on a higher vocational training course with the aim of gaining a state-recognised qualification such as a Swiss Federal Certificate or similar diploma.
 
As an alternative to this, the Edupool.ch company, which is based in Baarerstrasse in the city, offers a number of courses virtually tailor-made for those who would like to return to work or increase their level of competence in their field.
 
The increase in the number of students attending courses there is clear proof of the success it is achieving. In 2006, just 65 enrolled for Edupool.ch examinations but this year the number has risen to 4,700. Students can take a number of courses leading to various qualifications in commerce including a Commercial Diploma and an Advanced Certificate in Business Administration.
 
The Edupool.ch actually runs some 50 commercial further training centres across Switzerland, including at the KV Lucerne Professional Academy (KVL) and the Commercial Training Centre (KBZ) here in Zug.
 
"We noticed that the demand for courses for certain target groups was not sufficiently covered," said Rosemarie Rossi, the managing directress of Edupool.ch. "This is why we wanted to create this new level in the Swiss education system by filling this gap between basic training and higher vocational training." She added that as many as a quarter of all participants planned to start to train for a different job, with another quarter taking courses to make it easier to return to a job after taking time out. Some 45% of those at the college wanted to obtain a higher professional qualification than the one they already had.
 
Take Martina Truttmann (29) of Hagendorn, for example. She currently works in the back-office of an insurance broker in Rotkreuz and, since completing a vocational school-leaving certificate, she has been working in the area of insurance and private insurance in particular. Hence in the course of her work she is confronted with  lots of questions about pecuniary loss insurance, non-personal and personal insurance. "It is especially in this latter area where I have to deal with lots of questions about social insurance. This is why I embarked on this 9-month course leading to a diploma in this field. I needed to have a more general overview of all what social insurance involves while carrying on working at the same time," she explained. The course involved attending one evening a week prior to taking a 3-hour final examination. "This all helped me to do perform my duties better and work in a more competent way," she added.
 
Another student at the institute is Adrian Barmettler (26) from Kerns in the canton of Obwalden who completed a commercial apprenticeship in public administration some years ago. He then went on to take further qualifications in accounting at the KVL. "This enabled me to improve my background knowledge especially in the areas of costing and private company accounts, which in turn meant I was able to do my job in a more competent way," he said. It also gave him a better overview of what career prospects he had and actually changed employer afterwards, too. Now he is working back in his home town.
 
The story of Edupool.ch actually began in 2001 when the organisation took on Rosemarie Rossi who, as mentioned, has gone on to become managing directress. A former head of the Zug SP party and cantonal parliamentarian, she was instrumental in building up the institute which currently employs 12 staff. Indeed it has become the market-leader in Switzerland in providing some of its courses. Huge halls have to be hired to accommodate all the students across the country who come to take their centrally-set examinations here in Zug.
 
The photograph shows Peter Binkert teaching at the Landenburg site of the KVL in Lucerne.