Over 350,000 people work temporarily in Switzerland every year. Thanks to the temptraining training fund, they benefit from advanced training opportunities and can thus maintain and improve their employability.

In this article, we look at why investing in further education is so important for temporary workers and why temporary workers benefit from a special position.

Why is further education important for temporary workers?

In today’s ever-changing world of work, lifelong learning is essential. Even if the study or training in a profession has long been completed, it is worthwhile to continue investing in your own knowledge. In today’s fast-moving world of work, it is important to stay on track, keep learning and always be open to changes that occur in working life. This is especially true for temporary workers, who often face the challenge of having to adapt quickly to new work environments. Continuous further education can not only improve career opportunities, but also increase professional flexibility and satisfaction.

Advantages of further education for temporary workers

Continuing education plays an important role in personal development, as new tasks and challenges also increase motivation and thus the joy of working. In addition, self-esteem is boosted and one approaches tasks with more self-confidence.

Temporary workers are employed in a variety of industries, from catering and retail to office work and healthcare. Targeted training enables them to acquire or deepen industry-specific expertise, which increases the quality of their work. Another aspect is the diversity of occupational fields in which temporary employees can work. The offer of further education in Switzerland, combined with the possibility of gaining specific professional experience in flexible deployments, also paves the way for career changers. In this way, a preferred change of industry may be achieved much more quickly than by changing permanent positions several times.

Temporary employment often requires quick adaptation to new work environments and team structures. Professional development education helps develop the ability to navigate different contexts and become productive quickly.

Employees who invest in their education and make the most of their further education opportunities are more attractive to potential employers. Commitment to personal and professional development demonstrates motivation and self-initiative.

Consequently, through continuous further education, temporary workers broaden their range of skills. This enables them to qualify for more diverse positions and possibly even consider long-term employment. In addition, continuing education often means that the flexible workers, after successful completion, are also classified higher in the salary segment and can thus earn more in future employments than before.

temptraining, the training fund for temporary workers

Temporary employees, who are covered by the Collective Employment Contract on Staff Leasing, benefit from subsidised further education. It is possible to apply for up to CHF 5,000 for further education and up to CHF 2,250 for loss of salary.

On the payslips, which temporary employment agencies issue, 0.4 percent is also deducted for the “GAV contribution” in addition to social deductions. This contribution flows into the temptraining training fund, among other things. At the same time, the personnel service provider contributes 0.4 percent of the salary.

temptraining supports courses that help temporary workers advance in their jobs – i.e. are relevant to their careers – and make them fit for the future: language courses, occupational safety training, computer courses, further professional education or career counselling. Temporary workers can undergo training or further education in their current field of activity, or acquire important skills to reeducate in a new area.

temptraining points out that they consciously do not offer any schools or courses themselves, as the diversity of temporary workers is too great. Therefore, temptraining refers to certified training institutes that offer courses in the diverse professions and sectors of temporary workers. It is important that the course takes place at a school that is approved by temptraining.

What is the eligibility for temptraining funding?

Temporary employees accumulate further education credits for every hour they have worked in the last 12 months. From 88 working hours, the credit can then be used by submitting an application for further training to temptraning. At this point, they are already entitled to CHF 500 for further education and CHF 250 for loss of salaries.

Due to the changes in the regulations as of 1 September 2023, the amount for further education increases by an additional CHF 5.68 for every hour worked flexibly. How much money an employee has available for further education therefore depends on the number of temporary working hours worked in the past 12 months.

An offer that permanent employees can usually only dream of. It is therefore worthwhile to keep checking the eligibility for support and to adopt the mindset of lifelong learning!

The new temptraining web portal

Over the last few months, temptraining has been intensively looking for solutions to optimise its existing processes for submitting applications and to make it even easier for temporary workers to use their accumulated training credits. As of 1 October 2023, this will be possible via a new web portal.

The application process will be partially automated to reduce waiting times. In addition, temporary employees can now search directly in the web portal for approved courses and continuing education opportunities and view their current training credit at any time.

Claudio Trenna, the head of temptraining sums it up as follows:

“We are pleased to now make access to further education for flexible workers even more simple and direct with our redesigned web portal. Acquiring more expert knowledge and improving one’s opportunities for promotion in the job are two of the most frequently stated motivators for temporary workers to consider further education. With the change in regulations, we hope to receive and approve even more applications in the future.”

Click here to access the new web portal

How the application process works at temptraining

The application process is now possible not only in advance, but also up to 12 months after the start of the course.

“Temporary workers are also free to choose the timing of their training. They can receive further education benefits from temptraining up to 12 months after their temporary employment. This gives them the flexibility to optimally coordinate their professional career and further education,” Myra Fischer-Rosinger, Director of swissstaffing, recently emphasised.

It should be taken into account that further education must first be self-financed. The funding from temptraining is only paid out after successful completion of a course. Successful completion is considered to be when at least 80% of a continuing education or retraining course has been completed. In order for temptraining to transfer the approved amount, they need the relevant evidence.

Cooples flexible employees can find their payslip in the Coople Jobs App. They can upload these to temptraining’s new web portal to access their allotment of temporary hours worked. Now they can filter for suitable courses and submit an application for further education support to temptraining. Flexible employees can therefore register on the new temptraining web portal, check how many temporary working hours they have already worked and the amount of further training to which they are entitled as well as search for suitable further education and submit their application.

Further information about temptraining

Detailed information, explanatory videos, support examples and much more can be found on the temptraining website von temptraining. If you have any questions, temptraining can be contacted at 044 388 95 30 (Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 12:00 and 13:30 – 15:30) or at info@temptraining.ch.

How do temporary employees find the right training?

It is not so easy to find the right further education programme. It is certainly helpful to first try to define what skills and knowledge you would like to acquire. This can help you to look specifically for continuing education that corresponds to your professional goals.

If there is still uncertainty about which path is the right one, Coople offers support in cooperation with temptraining and eduwo. On the edwuo website, temporary employees are provided with a digital career coach or further education finder. Users automatically receive course recommendations based on their needs and interests.

If personal counselling is preferred, eduwo also offers help here. Until the end of 2023, temporary employees can book a free continuing education consultation worth CHF 100. Simply choose a suitable date and time and get advice from an education expert. Please note: The offer is limited in time and number.

Click here for the digital career advisor

Here you can book a personal consultation