So Similar and yet So Different

The authors compare a firm’s costs and benefits of providing apprenticeship training inAustria and Switzerland, using two original micro data sets. While both countries sharea number of similarities, including an extensive vocational education and training (VET)system, and a common border, there are some important institutional differences. Onaverage, a Swiss firm generates a net profit of 3400 Euro per apprentice and per year oftraining, while an Austrian firm incurs net costs of 4200 Euro. Applying matching models,we find that this difference is largely driven by a higher relative apprentice pay in Austria,which in turn is associated with collective bargaining agreements and competition withalternative school-based VET pathways. However, Austrian firms can still generate a returnon their training investment, partly due to wage subsidies, but mostly by retaining a highshare of apprentices as skilled workers, and thereby save on future hiring costs.

JEL Classification: J24, J31, J44

Keywords: apprenticeship training, cost-benefit analysis, initial VET,hiring costs