The Boost Programme has been finalised. Check the Impact Report to know more.
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The programme “Your opportunity to remain competent” supports the acquisition of digital skills and basic competences of Swiss employees with conditional co-financing so that they can seize further learning opportunities in an increasingly digital economy. Send us your application now using the simple online form.
All Swiss SMEs, including self-employed persons, and signatories of the #LifelongLearning pledge can apply for co-financing. And participation is worthwhile: in 2020, the Boost Programme was able to trigger a further training boost with the co-financing, because for every franc paid out by the Boost Programme, five francs were ultimately invested in further digital training. The co-financing was therefore able to support a fivefold investment in the acquisition of digital skills. You too can use the programme for a digital boost.
The programme is led by digitalswitzerland and UBS and will run until end 2022. You will find a comprehensive range of further training courses at www.weiterbildung.swiss or a range of courses for basic digital skills at www.besser-jetzt.ch.
Apply now and secure funding for lifelong learning
Eligible participants
The programme is open to employees of all Swiss SMEs, including the self-employed, as well as to employees of all employers who have signed the #LifelongLearning pledge.
Application process
To participate in the Boost Programme, applicants must submit a short application via the appropriate online form. This will be reviewed and processed by the Boost Programme team. The applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis in order to provide applicants with feedback as quickly as possible. Applicants will receive the feedback by email and should expect an answer no earlier than two weeks after applying.
The Boost Programme can accept applications until the end of 2022 and can support a limited number of applications. If all available funds are used up, the programme may be temporarily suspended. We therefore recommend you not to wait with applications and to submit them promptly.
Conditions for application
In order to receive co-financing for the acquisition of digital skills, both individuals and employers must fulfil certain basic conditions. Please note that different conditions apply to applications from individuals and applications from employers.
For individuals
Individuals receive co-financing to the extent of 50% of the course costs or up to a maximum of CHF 1,000. Individuals can only submit one application.
UP TO
OF THE COSTS
CO-FINANCING
For employers
Employers can register several employees at the same time in one single application. The programme supports employers with co-financing of up to CHF 8,000 for maximum 20 employees (please see below for additional information for employers). Employers can register several employees in one application (e.g. request co-financing for 15 persons at once) or submit several applications until the above limit is reached.
UP TO
ARE SUPPORTED
Ko-Finanzierung
The following basic conditions apply to all applicants in order to receive co-financing from the Boost Programme:
- The further education or training must not last longer than 6 months. Courses that take longer than that cannot be supported.
- Lifelong learning involves acquiring digital skills or basic digital competences. You can find a comprehensive range of further training courses at www.weiterbildung.swiss or for basic digital skills at www.besser-jetzt.ch.
- The applicant is gainfully employed.
- The employer contributes substantially to the success of the lifelong learning (e.g. cost sharing, lifelong learning on working time, etc.).
- Once the application has been approved, the applicant registers for the planned lifelong learning course as soon as possible (no later than three months after confirmation of co-financing) and provides proof of registration to the Boost Programme Team (e.g. by means of confirmation of registration from the course provider).
- The applicant should prove that the training has been completed successfully (e.g. with a certificate from the course provider).
- The applicant provides a receipt for the training costs.
- The applicant is available for interviews, surveys, etc. as needed to further develop the Boost programme.
- The co-financing is paid out in two distinct stages: The first disbursement is made at the time of course registration and the second after completion of the course. Both payments correspond to 50% of the guaranteed co-financing.
- To qualify for co-financing, your application must be received before the official start date of the course you are interested in.
- The committed amounts can only be transferred to a Swiss bank account.
Important additional information for employers’ applications only:
- Employers must register a minimum of 5 people and can register a maximum of 20 people. If an employer cannot reach this entry limit of 5 people minimum, employees can of course also register as individuals.
- The programme supports in particular employers in upskilling low-skilled workers.
- The programme supports employees in the acquisition of basic digital skills.
- The programme supports both internal and external continuing education and training courses that involve financial expenses to external parties (“cash-out”). For example, an external course with a participation fee or an internal course with an external course instructor can be supported, but not an internal course that is charged internally (without “cash-out”).
- Co-funding works on a tiered incentive system: the more employees are enrolled in the programme by the employer, the more benefits employers receive. In order not to discriminate against smaller employers, this incentive system works based on percentages of the workforce and a maximum cap. Applicants do not need to be proficient in this system in order to submit an application. In case of doubt, this incentive system is interpreted to the advantage of the applicant, with the only exception that the upper limit is fixed at a maximum of 20 employees per application and cannot be exceeded. With this system, both small and large organisations can apply for up to CHF 8,000 in co-financing. Some examples of this system can be found in this document.
- The following information on the tiered incentive system is therefore provided for information and transparency purposes only: the first 10 employees (or 20% of the workforce for SMEs) are supported with CHF 200 per person. If up to 19 employees (or 29% of the workforce in the case of SMEs) are registered, co-financing worth CHF 300 per person is paid out. And if a maximum of 20 employees (or 30% of the workforce in the case of SMEs) are registered, CHF 400 per person will be paid out as co-financing.
- Because the Boost programme’s primary aim is to promote the strengthening of basic digital skills among less qualified employees, the co-financing amounts per person are in the range of CHF 200 to 400. Taking into account the average cost of basic digital skills courses, these amounts co-finance a significant portion of the course costs.
Initiators and Partners
The Boost programme “Your opportunity to remain competent” was founded by digitalswitzerland in 2020 and made possible at the time of its launch by the Gebert Rüf Foundation and the Hirschmann Foundation. Since 2021, the programme has been supported by digitalswitzerland and UBS. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners.
digitalswitzerland is a nationwide initiative with the aim of strengthening Switzerland’s position as a leading digital innovation hub. By involving the government, business, science and the public, digitalswitzerland creates a platform to promote Switzerland.
At UBS, charitable commitment has a long tradition. The bank and its employees are both committed to charitable projects in Switzerland and abroad. The focus is on education and entrepreneurship as well as the environment, social issues and culture. The idea behind this is simple: the bank wants to live up to its responsibility towards society – with personal commitment on the ground, grants and donations. For example, UBS encourages all employees to participate in voluntary work. Individually or as part of a team. For their participation, the bank provides them with two paid working days per year.
The Hirschmann Foundation is a non-profit Swiss foundation. It was founded in 1985 by entrepreneur and aviation pioneer Carl W. Hirschmann. The foundation promotes professional training and further education, research and science, development cooperation and social goals.
The Gebert Rüf Foundation was founded by the entrepreneur Heinrich Gebert as a science and innovation foundation. Its aim is to “strengthen Switzerland as an economic and living space”. In the thematic area of “Education & Entrepreneurship” it supports new forms of education and teaching in the digital age. The school and working world of the future will require new skills and forms of teaching. Model pilot projects can point the way to this future
Contact
You can contact the project team using the form below. This contact form is for general
enquiries only. Please submit your application for co-financing via the online forms provided.