Corona thwarts dream jobs for young people

The Corona pandemic has caused problems for almost one in three high school students in Zug when it comes to choosing a career. Many companies have not offered trial apprentices during this important time. Nevertheless, almost all the students know what will happen to them after the summer holidays.

Illness, bankruptcy, quarantine: the Corona pandemic has spared virtually no-one. Including, and especially young people. This has been shown by a survey carried out by the Canton of Zug regarding the end of the 2021 school year.

The survey shows that, due to the Corona virus, 30% of high school students who left school a few weeks ago had difficulty finding an apprenticeship. "Most of them felt restricted when trying jobs out," can be read in a media release from the Cantonal Education Directorate, which conducts this survey annually at the municipal schools.

When approached by reporters, Urs Brütsch, the head of the Office for Vocational Guidance, is more specific: "Many young people stated that they had difficulties in finding companies where they could complete a trial apprenticeship."

A re-orientation, even before the start of the professional life
Some young people have therefore been less able to deal with the various possibilities and professions. And, in some cases, school leavers even had to bury the hope of their desired profession. Brütsch gives the example of a student who wanted to become care specialist:

"Because she wasn’t able to find a trial job anywhere, she switched to the retail specialist profession."

An apprentice at work                        Matthias Jurt

These difficulties were not unexpected by the cantonal authorities. The Office for Career Guidance, together with the Zug Trade Association and the Chamber of Commerce, thereby published a list of companies offering trial apprenticeships, and re-organised the Zebi Education Fair in a digital form in the spring, after it had to be cancelled in the autumn. In addition, a series of tests at the schools were helpful to the managers. Urs Brütsch: "This made the situation in the secondary schools more relaxed, as this gave the companies a little more security."

779 students, 761 solutions
Maybe that's why almost all students in Zug have found a follow-up solution for after the summer holidays. Of the 779 school leavers who had completed the secondary, comprehensive (Realschule) or vocational school in the summer, 761 now know what they will be doing. 522 (67%) will start an apprenticeship, 84 (11%) will attend a middle school and 155 (20 %) will start a gap year. According to the press release, slightly more students have opted for an apprenticeship and fewer for a gap year, compared to the previous year.

And despite two difficult years and difficult conditions, both this year and last year, very few students fell by the wayside. According to Urs Brütsch, the number of those who have found a connection solution has remained "quite constant, with slight fluctuations" in recent years. Or to quote from the canton's communication: "In summary, it can be said that, this year, almost all young people have already found their follow-up solutions before the summer holidays. Under the current circumstances. this is not something that can be simply taken for granted."