Financing Adult Education
Adult education in Switzerland is largely financed by private means. Apart from the participants themselves, companies also make a significant contribution to co-financing trainings for their employees. In Switzerland, 5.3 billion francs were spent for continuing education per year.
It is not known how high the financial contributions from the federal government and cantons in the field of adult education are. What we do know is that it is difficult for a large part of the adult population to self-finance their own training. Very time-consuming and costly further education programs are hardly possible without financial support. Apart from the co-financing by the employer virtually no other support possibilities exist. Employers, however, tend to promote especially their well qualified full-time employees in senior positions.
Therefore, the equal access to further education is not guaranteed. There is a clear need for action and a demand for funding models which are geared to the needs of adults. This means that the financial support must directly benefit the people who want to continue their education. This is not the case with subsidising the providers of adult education - as it has been done traditionally.
Change of Perspective: from the supply- to the demand-orientation
Under the heading "demand-oriented financing" models emerge, seeking specifically a more adult-learner oriented support in the field of adult education. The focus is hereby not directed toward the offers by institutions but rather towards the demands by the adult learners. This means that financial support does not flow as subsidies to the providers, but rather to the people who want to continue their education.
Known models of this kind are, for example, scholarships, vouchers or paid educational leave.
This happened so far:
- In 2001, the Swiss Bundesrat (Federal Council) was prompted by the postulate "demand-based funding" to increasingly finance the demand in adult education rather than the offers by the providers.
- In 2004, a further postulate demanded that costs for vocational further training should be deductable from taxes.
- 2007, the BBT (Bundesamt für Berufsbildung und Technologie / Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology OPET), commissioned a pilot project to examine the use of education vouchers. The results were presented in late February of 2009.
- In Sept. 2008 the Swiss Senate agreed to the motion for new rules on tax deductions for job-oriented trainings.
Outlook
- The situation analysis for further education, (see Weiterbildungsgesetz (continuing education law) will also contain information on financial flows.
- The motion on tax deductibility of training costs is currently pending.
