“This book wants to show the citizens and the teachers in a comprehensive way why we belong to the club of the richest countries and in spite of the fact that our export oriented economy, having high wages and prices is well positioned in the world market. All the leading factors of our wealth -the high productivity, the high population labour participation and the international competitiveness with its strong export power – are linked namely to our vocational training system. Our system aligned to practical professional education is the decisive historic success factor which defines the “Swissness”, the Swiss quality work and the high value creation.” from the foreword by Author Rudolf Strahm

The english publication by Worlddidac is available in print and PDF now.

> >  Download version < <  (3.9MB)

This 72 page publication is an excerpt of the book: Rudolf Strahm; Warum wir so reich sind, second edition 2010 by HEP Verlag. Miss Neelam Nagar translated, Joshi-Foundation supported and bj institute produced this edition.

To get printed copies please contact:
Worlddidac Switzerland

To get printed copies in India please contact:
bj institute Hyderabad.

On 6th October 2010 the Swiss Newspaper “Tages Anzeiger” published an article about the demand on IT professionals in Gemany and the need of high educated professionals in India. Foreign companies may come to India and invest to get benefit from the source of high educated IT professionals. On a visit in German industry minister Sharma expressed interest in support from Germany, implementing the dual VET system in India.

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Source: Tages Anzeiger

The handout of R. Strahm’s Lecture tour in march 2010 in India is available for download.

Download Brochure / 1.2 MB PDF

This publication is an excerpt of the book:
Warum wir so reich sind – Wirtschaftsbuch Schweiz
Second Edition 2010 / www.hep-verlag.ch

An english version of the book will be published soon by bj institute in collaboration with a publishing house.

Excerpt from the foreword:

This Book wants to show to the citizens and teacher why Switzerland members of the club of the richest countries in the world and why their economy is so strong on the world market in spite of the high salaries and prices. All main factors of our wealth- the high productivity, the high income ratio of the population and the international competitiveness with high export power – are strongly linked to the education system. Switzerland’s system of the practice oriented professional education is the decisive historic success factor, which defines the “swissness”, the Swiss quality work and the high added value.

I tend to ask my colleague economists following question: how do you explain this economic paradox, that Switzerland from the nineties until our current century had the lowest growth rate of all industrialised countries, but still had the lowest unemployment rate and the highest income quota in the population and still has? Based on the common school book economy a low growth rate should result in high unemployment – a paradox between theory and economic reality.

None of the academic models of the economy is able to explain that paradox. It is linked to the Swiss professional education system, which supports the integration into the labour market better than it happens in other countries. The specific element of the Swiss professional education, its dual education in company and school, is unfamiliar to most academic experts, despite almost 70% of all teenagers start their entry into the professional world through an apprentice ship.

Report online

Report download PDF

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Interview with Rudolf Strahm about the successful Swiss VET System
Times of India, 24th March 2010

The Times of Ideas, all India coverage

Interview online

Interview download PDF

The well designed and illustrated 54 pages brochure decribes the Swiss dual system in vocational trainig and is now available as PDF. This publication contains a series of portraits of Swiss trades and points out the needed steps to adapt the Swiss dual System to Indian conditions. The implementation of the dual system is documented by a project in Rajasthan, initiated by the Rajendra & Ursula Joshi Charitable Foundation (JCF).  Economists, education specialists and progressive businesspeople are lending their expertise for an adaptation of the Swiss apprenticeship education project to India’s economic and demographic realities.

The brochure is published by:
Rajendra & Ursula Joshi Charitable Foundation

Contact:

Rajendra & Ursula Joshi Charitable Foundation
Albisriederstrasse 315, 8047 Zurich,
Switzerland.
email2jes@joshi-foundation.ch
www. joshi-foundation.ch

Download the Brochure PDF (1.3MB)

Kavuru Foundation

GITAM University

GOETHE Institut

TiE Hyderabad

CII Hyderabad

Others

Images by Bruno Jehle and team of bj institute
IndiaCommons cc-by-nc
This Images may be used for noncommercial needs if the photographer is named.
To get the images in high resolution, please contact: info@bjinstitute.org

Images by Doris Kuert and Bruno Jehle
IndiaCommons cc-by-nc
This Images may be used for noncommercial needs if the photographer is named.
To get the images in high resolution, please contact: info@bjinstitute.org

Images by Bruno Jehle

IndiaCommons cc-by-nc

This Images may be used for noncommercial needs if the photographer is named.

To get the images in high resolution, please contact: info@bjinstitute.org

All main factors of our wealth- the high productivity, the high income ratio of the population and the international competitiveness with high export power – are strongly linked to Switzerland’s education system.

This practice-oriented professional education is the decisive historic success factor, which defines the “swissness”, the Swiss quality work and the high value added.

Furthermore Mr. Strahm tends to ask his colleague economists the following question: How do you explain this economic paradox that Switzerland from the nineties until our current century had the lowest growth rate of all industrialised countries, but still had the lowest unemployment rate and the highest employment quota in the population and still has? Based on the common school book economy a low growth rate should result in high unemployment – a paradox between theory and economic reality.
None of the academic models of the economy is able to explain this paradox. It is linked to the Swiss professional education system, which supports the integration into the labour market significantly better than it occurs in other countries. The specific element of the Swiss professional education, its dual education in company and school, is unfamiliar to most academic experts; despite almost 70% of all teenagers start their entry into the professional world through an apprenticeship what university economists ignore as it does not exist in their models.
Mr. Strahm outlines the value of the education system for its high income ratio in international comparison, for the low unemployment rate and the high productivity and competitiveness of the Swiss work place. He illustrates and emphasises the value of work and the significance of quality work for the production segment of the economy and impacting the wealth of Switzerland.

Country comparisons: Switzerland in the league of the richest

Switzerland is among the economically richest in the world. This fact opposes the statements of some economists in the nineties, predicting a downfall into the second or third league of economic powers.
Based on both, the GDP per capita Switzerland is amongst the best countries and the exports per capita it is among the export world champions. It is consistently producing high and even growing balance excesses in its commercial trade with foreign countries. This is a proof of the international competitive position of the Swiss economy which can compete on the world market despite the high level of salaries and prices.
The welfare cannot be measured only by economic indicators. In this introductory chapter Mr. Strahm shows that Switzerland is also on the summit of the international index in the perception of happiness.
Last but not least, it is also outlined, that SMEs collectively offer two thirds of all the jobs hence, createing the backbone of the Swiss economy.

The professional education system of Switzerland: efficient

The Swiss education system brings more people into the professional education and into the labour market, because it is closer to practice, more oriented towards the labour market and better in quality than the classic school system.

Two education systems are kept next to each other in the Swiss education system and officially qualified as “equal but diverse”: on one hand the professional practical education path with the levels professional apprenticeship (professional basic education), professional Baccalaureate, higher university of applied sciences; and on the other hand the purely academic education path through high school Baccalaureate and University (incl. ETH). Both education paths are considered as “equal but diverse”. Both systems have become within and among themselves diaphanous. But the former path with the professional education is neither compatible nor comparable with the education systems in most European and OECD countries. Switzerland has a very low Baccalaureate quota in international comparison, whereas a majority of teenagers start their educational career with a professional apprenticeship.