With catch-up training (adult apprenticeship) for professionals, school attendance is free and you earn more than young people in an apprenticeship. The apprenticeship only lasts two years. You only need one training place. Information is available from the Savoirsocial association. The apprenticeship wage depends on the chosen profession and the company. The professional associations provide wage recommendations.

Vocational education and training (Vocational Education and Training (VET)) as a care specialist with a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET) can be completed in the fields of children, people with disabilities, people in old age or as generalist training in all these areas.

Depending on the chosen specialization, care specialists work with children, the elderly or disabled and accompany and support them in their everyday lives. They organize everyday life with creative activities, recurring structure (rituals, celebrations) and participation in social life, plan and prepare the activities independently and evaluate them. Specialist caregivers take care of the personal hygiene of those in their care or provide assistance if required. Maintaining and promoting the physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as the autonomy and development of the person being cared for is just as much a part of the job of a Federal VET Diploma care specialist as supporting and organizing nutrition, housework and furnishings.

There are many opportunities for further training after completing an apprenticeship with a federal certificate of competence as a care specialist and these can take the form of additional courses and certificates or federal examinations and continuing education, further training. Federal Professional Examinations (FPE) are federal continuing education courses that lead to a Federal Diploma of Higher Education, such as Team Leader in social and socio-medical institutions; Migration Specialist; or Social Support Worker. Building on this, Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) is possible, for example to become a certified occupational therapist or certified institution manager in the social and socio-medical field. Alternatively, after an apprenticeship and a few years of professional experience, care professionals can also consider attending a College of Higher Education (CHE) or, with a Matura, a University of Applied Sciences. Possible courses would be, for example, to become a certified activation specialist CHE, certified child educator CHE, certified social pedagogue CHE, Bachelor of Science (UAS) in social work, Bachelor of Science (UAS) in occupational therapy or many other training and continuing education, further training courses in the field of care.

For those interested in training who are already over 22 years old and have at least two years of practical experience in an employment relationship of at least 60 percent in care, a shortened vocational education and training (VET) for adults to become a care specialist with a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET) may be an option. This shortens the training from three years to two years.

The generalist care specialist Federal VET Diploma training course can only be completed in French-speaking Switzerland.