Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship with a length of 3 or 4 years are the most common ones. The certificate awarded after successfully completing a 3 or 4-year apprenticeship is called "Certificat Fédérale de Capacité" (), "Eidgenössisches Fähigkeitszeugnis" (EFZ) or "Attestato federale di capacità" (AFC).
Apprenticeship
The first training centres for apprentices ("centres de formation d'apprentis", CFAs) appeared in 1961, and in 1971 apprenticeships were legally made part of professional training. In 1986 the age limit for beginning an apprenticeship was raised from 20 to 25. From 1987 the range of qualifications achieveable through an apprenticeship was widened to include the "brevet professionnel" (certificate of vocational aptitude), the "bac professionnel" (vocational baccalaureate diploma), the "brevet de technicien supérieur" (advanced technician's certificate), engineering diplomas, master's degree and more.