![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Jobs-Now-Report-2017-Cover.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe new report, \u201cJobs Now,\u201d aims to help U.S. organizations tap new sources of talent<\/em> for in-demand skills that will help drive growth and innovation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJobs Now\u201d presents key elements of Switzerland\u2019s successful apprenticeship model, along with case studies of successful programs and profiles of CEOs who started their careers as apprentices. Nearly 70 percent of Swiss citizens participate in an apprentice program, which has helped the country achieve the top global ranking in innovation (INSEAD Global Innovation Index, 2016) and competitiveness (WEF, 2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the United States, Accenture recently initiated technology-based apprenticeship programs in San Antonio and Chicago, which are providing new job opportunities while bringing needed skills to Accenture\u2019s business in these markets. These programs \u2013 along with others from leading companies including The Adecco Group, Nestl\u00e9 and Zurich \u2013 are featured in \u201cJobs Now.\u201d \u201cThe vocational education and training system in Switzerland prepares a broad cross-section of young professionals \u2013 including high achievers \u2013 for their careers in almost all occupational fields,\u201d said Dr. Ursula Renold, head of Division Comparative Education Systems at KOF\/ETH Zurich. \u201cA major strength is the intensive cooperation between employers and educators. Some U.S. states, such as Colorado, have shown a pioneering initiative in adapting elements of the Swiss approach. We are eager to continue to share our best practices through this important report.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Accenture, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, the Global Apprenticeship Network and ETH Zurich\/KOF Swiss Economic Institute publish \u201cJobs Now\u201d report to help U.S. organizations bridge the skills gap GENEVA; Oct. 12, 2017 \u2013 Accenture, the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and ETH Zurich\/KOF Swiss Economic Institute today released a new report that examines best practices for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64,82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlights","category-publications"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gan-global.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cThe U.S. faces a skills shortage that threatens our competitiveness,\u201d said Julie Sweet, Accenture\u2019s CEO for North America. \u201cPeople are our country\u2019s greatest strength, and apprenticeship programs, particularly at the local level, can play a critical role in developing new sources of talent while creating additional opportunities for our citizens to participate in some of the most dynamic parts of our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith this report, we are accelerating a movement that has already shown great promise,\u201d said Martin Naville, CEO of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce. \u201cThe vocational education and training system in Switzerland is considered the global gold standard due to its positive impact on the nation\u2019s economic success, rich employer engagement, and low youth unemployment. We are thrilled to share our learnings with the United States.\u201d
Among the best practices identified in the report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Shea Gopaul, founder and executive director of the Global Apprenticeship Network, said, \u201cThere are many lessons to be learned from the Swiss model, and we are optimistic that it can be adapted to the United States. The three keys are ensuring that apprenticeship is employer-driven, that it is accessible by all, and that the model promotes lifelong learning.\u201d
About Accenture<\/strong>
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions \u2013 underpinned by the world\u2019s largest delivery network \u2013 Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 425,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at\u00a0www.accenture.com<\/a>.
About Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce<\/strong>
The Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce promotes and facilitates better business relations between the US and Switzerland; provides essential information about doing business in these markets; brings business leaders together to facilitate contacts and provide platforms for networking in both countries; represents the mutual interests of members; promotes both countries as advantageous places to do business; and fosters good corporate citizenship to benefit the communities in which members do business.
As the largest association of multinational companies in Switzerland (Swiss and foreign, large and small), the Swiss AmCham addresses all issues of concern to this sector for the long-term success of the Swiss economy.
The Swiss AmCham, the second largest AmCham in Europe, is a private organization with 2,000 members representing 1,600 internationally active companies. Twenty-five percent of the members are located in the US (with organizations in Boston, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles) and 75 percent are distributed throughout Switzerland. The Swiss AmCham covers all areas of the private sector and does not accept any subsidies from any government entity. A very prominent group of Directors \u2014CEOs of the largest Swiss companies and European headquarters of the largest US companies\u2014oversees the direction of the Swiss AmCham.
About Global Apprenticeship Network<\/strong>
The GAN is a business-driven alliance created in 2013 with the overarching goal of encouraging and linking business initiatives on skills and employment opportunities for youth – notably through apprenticeships and work-readiness programs. Following our mission \u2018skills for business, jobs for youth\u2019, we work with companies, governments, international organizations and employers\u2019 federations to promote the apprenticeship model and work-readiness programs as a tool to increase employability and combat skills mismatch.
While the GAN provides a global strategic platform, we have also launched GAN National Networks (GNN) in 9 countries (France, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Malawi and Tanzania), with over 180 company members and have committed to over 9 million opportunities for youth.
About ETH Zurich\/KOF Swiss Economic Institute<\/strong>
ETH Zurich regards itself as an institution with regional and national roots that is fully integrated in the international academic community. The ETH has more than 19,000 students from 120 countries. It measures itself in all respects against the world\u2019s leading universities\u2014from its education and research to its management. KOF Swiss Economic Institute, which is part of ETH Zurich, is the leading institute for research in applied economics in Switzerland. KOF has been providing independent and high-quality contributions both to international research and to economic policy for more than 75 years. The institute focuses on research relating to innovation, internationalization, national regulatory frameworks and education systems. Its forward-looking research is sustained by national and international cooperation with scholars, institutions and economic operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n