Further training can be the basis for the next career step and help to increase wages. But it has to fit the professional situation. What to consider when choosing and financing the right program.
Switzerland is a «continuing education country». According to the Federal Statistical Office (BfS), 45 percent of the population received further training last year. A high value, one would think – but compared to 2016 there was even a decrease of 17 percentage points. The BfS explains this primarily with the corona pandemic – after all, on-site teaching was not possible for long periods.
The training courses attended include university programs and on-the-job courses and training. What is striking about the statistics is that the proportion of people who take part in further training rises as the level of education increases. Of those with a tertiary degree, 62 percent attended a continuing education event, compared to just 16 percent of those without post-compulsory education.
A huge offer
The range of corresponding further education programs in Switzerland is huge. For example, many professionals complete MAS or DAS courses. The abbreviations stand for “Master of Advanced Studies” and “Diploma of Advanced Studies”, with the former being more extensive. One level below is the CAS, a further training course leading to the «Certificate of Advanced Studies». Other examples of further training are a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or, in the field of finance, a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) title.
Such programs are often very strenuous, especially since they are mostly part-time. They also generally cost quite a bit of money. This raises the question of whether they are really worthwhile and what to look out for when choosing a suitable training program.
When is further training useful?
If the learning curve on the job is steep and rewarding, it is not necessary to do external training every two to five years, say Klaus Biermann and Jonas Neff from BiermannNeff Headhunters. They work in the areas of asset and wealth management, among other things. “But if this is not the case, further training can create a good basis for becoming interesting for other tasks – internally and externally.” As an example, they cite an analyst or product manager in the financial industry in their mid-thirties. If they do not have a CFA or CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst), they should definitely consider such further training.
“Especially in the first years of your career, professional and professional development should also be accompanied by training and further education measures,” say Biermann and Neff. The importance may have diminished somewhat over the years. In the age of digitization, new assets, ESG and extended management spans, however, further training is important. “Candidates who don’t participate in this development, i.e. who don’t continue their education, are certainly in a worse position than people who currently appear ‘perfect’,” say the headhunters.
Erik Wirz from Wirz & Partners Executive Search takes a similar view. “In the case of leaders, we analyze on the one hand whether and, if so, what further training has taken place and whether this is in the context of the respective role and task,” he says. It is about the combination of suitable further training, based on a well-founded basic training, combined with a corresponding career path. “Depending on the role, permanent further training is a must in order to be able to continue to assume responsibility competently,” says Wirz.
There is no magic formula
It is not possible to say in general whether further training is worthwhile. Further training can be sought for a variety of reasons, out of pure curiosity, to supplement basic training, to plan the next career step, to assert oneself in a new role or to establish oneself in a new industry, says Wirz. Whether further training is worthwhile always depends on the respective context, the role, the career path and the development potential in the company.
“There is no magic formula,” agrees Nicole Meier, Head of Education and Vocational Training and Further Education at the Swiss Employers’ Association. However, if you are looking for further training, you should keep the following points in mind.
The further training should fit in with career planning: Further training often forms the basis for the next career step. According to Wirz, further training should be appropriately integrated into career planning and not just serve to “collect” another degree or title. “An advanced training program has to fit the professional situation you are in,” agrees Theres Kuratli, deputy head of the advanced training and project funding department State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Set clear goals and make precise choices: Kuratli advises setting clear goals for the training program. When it comes to professional advancement and/or more wages, you should clearly analyze whether this can be achieved with further training. Brigitte Christe, Head of Continuing Education at the Swiss Leaders Association, advises asking yourself the classic interview question: “Where do I want to be in five years?” – and to analyze the corresponding further training offers on the basis of these goals.
Degree with diploma or certificate: According to Christe, a further training program should also end with a recognized diploma or certificate. It is about completing high-quality further training courses that have value in the curriculum. Many companies appreciate federal examinations and the programs of the universities of applied sciences because of the practical orientation.
High own motivation and signals from the employer: Further training programs are often very complex, so the person in question needs a high level of motivation and stamina to go through with them. Biermann and Neff consider further training to be particularly useful if you want it yourself and see it as a good investment. One reason can also be that the employer or potential prospects are sending clear signals about this. “We keep seeing clients who, for example, see a CFA as a basic requirement for the candidates,” say the headhunters.
The network aspect is important: In addition to the content of the training, networking is also an important factor in many training courses. With appropriate further training programs, you end up in a group of people who are pursuing similar career goals, says Kuratli. This could be attractive for your own advancement. The network aspect is important, since a renowned university attracts top-class talent when it comes to further training on a management topic, Wirz agrees. Such networks are valuable for career development.
The employer should play along: It is also important to discuss a planned training program with the employer and to assess in advance how they feel about it – especially if you hope that they will (co-)finance the training program. “Ideally, the employee goes on the path of further training together with the employer and shows them what the goal of further training is,” says Meier from the employers’ association. The employer is usually interested in further training if it serves the current job or if the further training develops the person for a foreseeable company career step. It can become difficult if the topic of further training is “too far removed from what the employee does professionally”. The same is the case if the employer cannot understand exactly what the content of the training is, says Meier.
Should the employer pay?
Many continuing education programs are expensive – especially the particularly good and renowned ones – and so the question of financing quickly arises. According to Kuratli, employers in Switzerland contribute to a large extent to the costs of further training. As a result, 73 percent of people who take part in further vocational training in Switzerland do not incur any costs as a result.
“Employers primarily support employees who already have a good education,” says Kuratli. Training programs are often a “goodie” to people who are important to the company or institution. The financing of extensive further training is often regulated by the employer with a further training agreement, which provides for repayment if the employee leaves the company before the end of the agreed period.
According to Biermann and Neff, too, it is common practice for employers to (partially) pay for further training programs. “However, it is also common that you have to contribute to the costs if you leave the employer again. These costs are then usually borne by the new employer.” Wirz sees the financing of further training programs as normal if they are coordinated with the company’s ideas about the career path. In some cases, such programs are also actively promoted by companies, he says. For example, large companies often work closely with the top universities in the respective areas on executive programs.
According to Christe, further training programs often help employers to retain employees and keep their own image high. Those who continue their education are often very agile and ambitious. “You want people like that in the company,” she says.