Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Participation in Roundtable on Apprenticeship in Switzerland

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman participated in a roundtable on apprenticeships hosted by Chargé d’Affaires Eva Weigold Schultz today in Bern.  The Deputy Secretary, Swiss State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation Martina Hirayama, and corporate executives discussed U.S.-Swiss cooperation on vocational education and training, including Swiss apprenticeship programs in the United States that currently provide training opportunities for more than 40,000 American workers.  Participants included Christa Markwalder of Zurich Insurance, who is also a member of Swiss parliament; Matthew Lauer of Mercuria Energy Trading; Volker Stephan of ABB; Kathryn Rowan of Nestlé; and Alain Gendre of Kudelski Group.  All participants expressed interest in expanding collaboration on apprenticeships and vocational education and training between the United States and Switzerland to support workforce development for the economy of the future, including by updating the Memorandum of Understanding on apprenticeships between the United States and Switzerland, which was first signed in 2015.