Taster courses at ETH: No applications, no tests – and open to all
ETH Zurich offers vocational training in 15 different professions. Whether apprentices complete their programmes successfully is already determined to some extent when they choose a profession. ETH offers low-threshold taster courses to encourage young people to cultivate professional prospects suited to their interests and abilities.
In brief:
Candidates should choose vocational training programmes based on sound information, first-hand experience and their personal interests, as these factors increase the likelihood of successfully completing their programmes.
ETH Zurich has established wide-ranging, low-threshold taster courses open to all interested candidates.
This offering is designed to enable young people to consider their professional future in a reflective manner, free of any worries or anxiety.
Vocational training is held in high regard in Switzerland – including at ETH Zurich. In addition to its 20,000 students, ETH currently has around 200 apprentices across 15 different professions. However, this typically involves choosing a profession at a very young age. “Many young people are heavily influenced by word of mouth, social media and role models in their orbit,” says Sandra Rosenfelder, vocational training manager at ETH Zurich. “Decisions taken with such limited context can lead to apprentices discontinuing their programmes.” According to figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS), one in four vocational training contracts have been terminated prematurely since 2019.
Decided by luck, not an application
Young people are reliant on access to the widest possible range of career options in order to make an informed decision. With this in mind, ETH Zurich has developed a variety of formats to support career choices. In addition to classic vocational taster courses for different professions, these formats include information events on vocational training, the Vocational Training Fair at ETH’s H?nggerberg campus (see info box) and the annual Zurich Careers Fair. These events all have one thing in common: they are open to everyone. And even where places are limited, you don’t need an application – all you need is a little luck. That’s because places are advertised online and awarded to registered applicants at random.
Vocational Training Fair
Saturday, 7 March 2026, from 9?a.m.
external page HPH building on the H?nggerberg campus
The Vocational Training Fair offers in-depth insights into the extensive range of vocational training on offer at ETH Zurich. It provides an opportunity to speak directly with current apprentices and their trainers, ask questions and gain practical insights into their work.
View the programme (in German only)
Valuable guidance: Vocational taster courses
Each year, ETH Zurich offers around 360 places on taster courses in different vocational fields, with current apprentices providing support. “We don’t use taster courses for recruitment purposes. Instead, they’re exclusively designed to guide young people in their career choices,” explains Sandra Rosenfelder. The aim is to allow young people to explore different professions free from any pressure to perform. “We don’t issue grades for the taster courses because we don’t feel it’s possible to make a sound, reliable assessment in such a short time and given the variety of trainers involved.”
In addition to taster courses, ETH hosts special events such as Schnuppern2 (Schnuppern = Tasting courses), which enable young people to explore two professions in one day. These pre-set tandem sessions are designed so that, in addition to the profession participants feel is their dream choice, they also engage with careers that might not be at the top of their list. Directly comparing different roles allows young people to identify which careers are best suited to their abilities. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of them making the right choice and getting their career off to a successful start.