Continuing education in VET

If you would like to attend courses, seminars, conferences or congresses in the field of vocational education and training abroad, we will support you financially. It is also possible to invite experts from abroad to take part in continuing education at your institution.

Next steps

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

Overview

For whom

  • Teachers, vocational trainers and school headmasters in basic vocational training

Duration of continuing education

  •  2 to 60 days

Where

  • Worldwide for persons from Switzerland (outgoing)
  • In Switzerland for experts from abroad (invited experts)

What we fund

  • Financial support for organisation, travel and accommodation

What to do

  • Participants contact their institution
  • Institutions plan the stay and submit the funding application

Deadlines

  • Application deadline: 5 March and 1 October
  • Project start: 1 June or 1 December

Next steps

For institutions:

Next application deadline: 5 march 2025

Application form available at the end of 2024

In detail

As a teacher, vocational trainer or school headmaster, you can take part in seminars, courses, congresses and conferences abroad that are related to your work in basic vocational education. We will support you financially. Continuing education abroad not only improves your professional and language skills, but also your soft skills. After your return, you can pass on your knowledge to your pupils in Switzerland. In addition, you can invite foreign experts («Invited experts» programme) to your institution to offer continuing education. 

This activity is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This programme allows Swiss institutions to organise activities similar to the ones funded by the European education programme Erasmus+.

Vocational education and training from a new perspective

International continuing education offers valuable knowledge, practical tools and a European or global perspective on the latest developments in vocational education and training. Discover innovative methods and broaden your understanding of the different needs of VET students/apprentices. For example, undertake:

  • A two-day trip to Stockholm for an international vocational training conference.
  • Take part in a two-week summer school on digital education in Boston. 
  • Attend a multi-day workshop on «teaching strategies for heterogeneous learning groups» in Berlin.

Invite experts: Invited Experts programme

We also offer financial support for specialists from abroad who organise courses for VET students/apprentices or continuing education for education staff in Switzerland. These professionals may have expertise in a particular area and can provide your institution with valuable insights. However, they could also be vocational colleges from abroad that deal with the same topics as your institution. In this way, you bring international knowledge to your institution, encourage reflection and inspire your colleagues to come up with innovative ideas. This also benefits those who are unable to travel themselves.

Strengthening the international network

Conferences and courses offer a great opportunity to deepen your expertise and develop new ideas. They are also ideal for building an international network. New contacts can be used for job shadowing, mobility and cooperation projects, for example, or to get to know potential guest lecturers for your own seminars.

In addition, a stay abroad improves your skills in dealing with people from different cultures. This not only benefits you and your VET students/apprentices, but also strengthens your own educational institution.

Planning your stay

To get the most out of your continuing education, you should think in advance about the areas in which you - and possibly your colleagues - would like to develop. Choose a continuing education programme that suits your professional requirements. Pay attention to the dates and enrolment conditions. 

Requirements

For participants:

  • You work in vocational education and training as a teacher, vocational trainer or school headmaster.

For institutions:

  • Your institution is active in basic vocational training. 
  • The applicant institution is domiciled in Switzerland.

To the continuing education you are planning:

  • Continuing education lasts between 2 and 60 consecutive days and has to be clearly related to the training of VET students/apprentices in your home institution.
  • It meets the needs of your professional environment.
  • It takes place abroad (outgoing) or in Switzerland (invited experts). 
  • Webinars or online events are not supported.

Funding amounts

  • Organisation fee for the institution: 450 CHF (per person, only for outgoing students)
  • For the journey: 400 CHF to 1'000 CHF (per person, depending on the destination country)
  • For the stay: 120 CHF to 180 CHF (per day, per person, depending on destination country)
  • For the specific needs of individuals with disabilities or those suffering from physical, mental, or chronic illnesses: Max. 12,000 CHF (actual costs based on the note of requirements)Insurance and any visa fees are at your expense.

You can find all the funding contributions and the calculation in detail in our grant table:

Procedure

For participants

Contact the Swiss institution. They will submit the funding application to us, regardless of whether you are going abroad or coming to Switzerland.

For institutions

In principle, all collaborators can initiate a project. The funding application is submitted in the name of the Swiss institution.

Continuing education abroad is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. In addition to Continuing education, this programme also includes Teaching activities, Networking activities and Job Shadowing in VET abroad for VET staff as well as Project work in VET and project work abroad for VET students/apprentices. We recommend that you bundle several activities in one funding application. 

Follow these steps to carry out your project:

  1. 1

    1. Finding continuing education

    • Specify the area in which you would like to receive continuing education, e.g. conflict management or digitalisation.
    • Search your professional network for a suitable offer.
    • Continuing education in VET is generally possible worldwide, with a few exceptions. Make sure that the desired continuing education takes place in an eligible programme country.
    • If you have any questions, we will be happy to advise you and help you with tips and our experience.
  2. 2

    2. optional Form consortium

    If several Swiss institutions are pursuing the same goal, they can apply for funding for mobilities as a consortium. Find out whether a consortium project brings additional benefit to your project.

  3. 3

    3. Plan project

    • Plan your participation in the continuing education programme and your stay.
    • In the project application, you describe the planned activities and provide information on points such as
      • Details of all partner institutions
      • Brief project description with objectives and measures
      • Overview of planned mobility activities
      • Information on the preparation, on-site support and follow-up of the mobility activities
      • Plan for internal and external communication of the project results. 
    • It is important to us to also enable persons with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for persons with special needs, for which you can apply in the funding application. You may also submit a request for funding for special needs at a later stage during the project duration. You can find more information under Inclusion and equal opportunities.
    • Use the award criteria as a guide:
    • Consider environmentally friendly means of transport in your planning. Find out more about  Green Mobility
    • We are happy to provide you with individual counselling to clarify questions about planning, submission and implementation. The consultation can take place over the phone, online or on site.
  4. 4

    4. Submit funding application

    • Submit the funding application online. Keep to the deadlines in March and October.
    • Open the application as early as possible to familiarise yourself with the requirements. We open the application forms together with the call for projects, usually in December and June. You can save the application temporarily and continue working on it later. If you are submitting an application for the first time, you will need to register once. 
    • Only one application is required for all persons involved in the continuing education programme. In the same funding application, you can also apply for funding for Job Shadowing, Networking activities and Teaching activities in VET abroad for staff in vocational education and training as well as Job Shadowing in VET and Project work abroad for VET students/apprentices.
  5. 5

    5. Contract and payout

    • We will review your application after the Deadlines have expired.
    • You will receive notification at the end of May or the end of November.
    • After a positive decision, we will send you a contract.
    • The project starts on 1 June or 1 December. You can choose between a project duration of 12 or 24 months.  
    • Within 30 days of receiving the signed contract, we will pay out 40 % of the total amount approved (1st instalment). As soon as you have used 70 % of this amount, you can claim the next 40 % (2nd instalment). We will calculate the remaining amount after the final report has been submitted. 
    • Payments are made exclusively to vocational education and training institutions based in Switzerland.
  6. 6

    6. Implement project

    • After the start of the project, we organise an information event. You will receive all the information you need to successfully carry out and complete your project. It also gives you the opportunity to get to know your contacts at our company and other project managers.
    • You can use the notification of need for people with special needs to apply for additional funding for participants with physical or mental disabilities if you have not already done so in the funding application. 
    • Please notify us of any changes to your project (e.g. duration, project partners) with a special application (in the login area).
  7. 7

    7. Submit final report

    • At the end of the project period, you submit a short final report within 60 days. Depending on the number of mobilities realised, we will pay out any remaining amounts or issue a reclaim. 
  8. 8

    8. Report about the project

    • Implement the planned communication measures. Be sure to mention the funding from Movetia. We provide the logo and text modules. 
    • Share the content widely via your institution's channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. In this way, you can present your institution as innovative, open-minded and an attractive employer. You will also stimulate professional exchange in the education sector. 
    • Contact us to increase your reach, e.g. by placing a magazine article on our website. 

     

Q & A

Continuing education abroad must always be clearly related to your teaching assignment or work with VET students/apprentices in Switzerland. For example, if you teach in English as a bilingual teacher, a work-related English language course abroad is relevant for you. 

Further options

Similar funding opportunities

  • International cooperation for collaboration and innovation

  • International cooperation for excellence