SwissCommunity Holiday camps for children – open for bookings With bookings having already opened a few weeks ago for this year’s FYSA summer holiday camps, now is the time to act. Every holiday camp will be held in a typically Swiss setting offering plenty of opportunity for games and sports. Participants will be able to go on numerous excursions, paying visits to nearby cities, hiking through the countryside, taking a dip in the local swimming pool – and much more besides. There will be a varied and interesting range of age-appropriate daily activities. “Swiss trip” participants will be on the move from place to place almost every day – on foot, by boat or on public transport. The “Swiss trip” camps have always been booked out very quickly in recent years, which is why an additional “Swiss trip” is being planned to accommodate the considerable demand. The FYSA winter camp season is over, but it won’t be long before the excitement begins again. Participants recently returned home from our Valbella, Melchtal and Lenk camps, where they had a great time in the snow. If any children are already missing their snow buddies and want to continue honing their skills on the slopes, then 15 March 2025 is a red letter day. This is the date on which we start accepting bookings for the 2025/2026 winter season. Visit our website at www.sjas.ch/en/camps for enrolment options and everything else you need to know about our holiday camps. ISABELLE STEBLER, FYSA Young Swiss Abroad are also asking: Apprenticeship, university of applied sciences or university? Swiss vocational education and training and Swiss universities enjoy a very good reputation abroad. Education or training in Switzerland is also open to young Swiss Abroad. Now is the time to apply to start an apprenticeship in the summer or a university course in the autumn. > Apprenticeship After compulsory schooling, or sometimes after high school, two thirds of all young people in Switzerland choose an apprenticeship. A three- or four-year apprenticeship can be completed in around 250 professions. Apprentices normally work three to four days a week in a private or public company and attend a vocational school one to two days a week. Apprentices receive a small wage during their training, but this does not cover their living costs. It is possible for Swiss citizens abroad to apply > University or university of applied sciences If you want to start studying in Switzerland in September, you usually have to register before the end of April or the end of March. The application deadline for medical studies is mid-February. Universities of applied sciences may have different application deadlines. Universities and universities of applied sciences offer three-year Bachelor’s degree programmes and the subsequent Master’s degree programmes. The admission requirements for a Bachelor’s degree programme vary depending on the country of origin of the secondary school leaving certificate. The admission requirements can be found at www.revue.link/universities. Very good language skills in the language of instruction are also a prerequisite. A course of study at a university is more academic and research-oriented, whereas a course of study at a university of applied sciences is very practice- and application-oriented. The Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and Lausanne (EPFL) focus on engineering, mathematics and natural sciences. Cantonal scholarships are available if students’ parents are unable to cover the full cost of their studies. RUTH VON GUNTEN Educationsuisse offers counselling to all young Swiss Abroad on all matters related to education in Switzerland. educationsuisse, education in Switzerland, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne, Switzerland Tel. +41 31 356 61 04; info@educationsuisse.ch; www.educationsuisse.ch Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad (FYSA) Tel. +41 31 356 61 16 info@sjas.ch www.sjas.ch for a scholarship, depending on their parents’ income and assets. After completing an apprenticeship with a vocational baccalaureate, the path is open to studying at a university of applied sciences. It takes a lot of personal initiative to find an apprenticeship place. Young people must actively apply. An application dossier must be compiled, similar to when looking for a job. Many apprenticeship contracts are now being finalised. So anyone interested should not delay. A wealth of information and vacancies can be found on the official website www. berufsberatung.ch. Practical apprenticeships are popular in Switzerland. The picture shows a young employee of the Esec Group in Cham (ZG). Photo provided Offer Date Age Group Adelboden (BE) 21 June – 4 July 2025 10 – 14 Swisstrip 1 25 June – 4 July 2025 12 – 14 Dieni (GR) 5–18 July 2025 12 – 14 Bellevue (VD) 9–18 July 2025 8 – 12 Swisstrip 2 9–18 July 2025 12 – 14 Uster (ZH) 19 July – 2 August 2025 12 – 14 Bellevue (VD) 19 July – 2 August 2025 8 – 12 Swisstrip 3 23 July – 2 August 2025 12 – 14 Fieschertal (VS) 2 July – 15 August 2025 10 – 14 Swisstrip 4 6 July – 15 August 2025 12 – 14 Winter holiday camps 27 December 2025 – 4 January 2026 10 – 14 Juskila – Lenk (BE) 2–8 January 2026 13 – 14 34 Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1
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