What exactly is the 10th school year and what is it good for?

The 10th school year (also known as the "school bridge year", "vocational preparation year", "motivation semester", etc.) bridges the time between the end of compulsory schooling and the start of an apprenticeship or secondary school in a meaningful way.

By "meaningful" we mean that you are not simply killing time here, but can use the year as a springboard to a better professional future for yourself.

The 10th school year has 3 main objectives:

• Closing educational gaps. The focus is on German, mathematics and French, as weaknesses in these subjects are often the reason for problems when looking for an apprenticeship or transferring to a secondary school.
• Career decision support. You will get to know various professions in class and experience everyday life in these professions during work assignments in companies.
• Personal development. Together with your trainers, you determine what you want to learn even better. This gives you the chance to take responsibility for your professional future.

The 10th school year is a bridging program and as such is an important part of the Swiss education system. The public courses are organized and partially financed by the cantons and require full commitment from the participants.

In addition to public schools, there are also numerous non-public schools. The range of school types is broad. Some providers combine the 10th school year with work placements or a language study trip.

To the providers for the 10th school year and career choice year