Providing refugees with a path to official qualifications is a key objective of the Swiss integration agenda launched by the federal government and the cantons. As part of a joint pilot programme, swissuniversities and SEM want to improve opportunities for recognised refugees and temporarily admitted persons to undertake higher education in Switzerland. Over the next four years, the programme will facilitate access to higher education institutions (HEIs) for refugees with academic potential, in line with the Higher Education Council action programme to ensure equal access to higher education for refugees. This aligns with a strategic goal of the Swiss integration agenda adopted by the Confederation and the cantons.
SEM is providing a total of CHF 1.5 million in start-up funding for the programme between 2025 and 2028. The programme is aimed at refugees in all language regions of Switzerland and all types of HEIs: universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education.
Countering the shortage of skilled labour
This joint initiative from SEM and swissuniversities aims to counteract Switzerland's shortage of skilled labour by promoting the country’s domestic workforce potential. The projects that are receiving support will provide participants with targeted preparation for entry into a higher education degree programme – intensive language courses, for example, or information events on the Swiss higher education landscape. HEIs are working with the cantonal integration offices and education authorities to implement the programme.
At the end of February, five HEI projects were selected for the four-year programme:
- Success 4Refugees (University of Basel)
- UNIR – University for Integration and Success (University of Lausanne and EPFL)
- Expansion of the INTEGRAL bridging programme for qualified refugees (University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland)
- Requalification and professional integration for teachers with refugee backgrounds (Lucerne, Zug, St Gallen, Zurich and Northwestern Switzerland Universities of Teacher Education)
- CLuG+ – Campus Luzern für Geflüchtete PLUS (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, University of Lucerne and School of Education of Lucerne)
INVOL as a path to basic vocational education and training
Since 2018, the INVOL integration pre-apprenticeship programme (de, fr, it) has been supporting recognised refugees and temporarily admitted persons who aim to complete a basic vocational training course rather than academic studies. INVOL provides participants with targeted and practical preparation for an apprenticeship. Around 3,900 people have now completed the pilot programme, with around two-thirds of them going on to an apprenticeship.
Further information:
INVOL integration pre-apprenticeship programme (de, fr, it)
Programme Equal Opportunities and Diversity (2025–2028) - swissuniversities
List of funded projects
Address for enquiries:
State Secretariat for Migration (SEM): medien@sem.admin.ch
swissuniversities: communications@swissuniversities.ch
