Certificate supplements

A certificate supplement is an explanatory document issued alongside an upper-secondary level vocational qualification. It contains information that potential employers in Switzerland and abroad may use to assess the technical competences of qualification holders.

Certificate supplements indicate the reference level assigned to the given vocational qualification within the Swiss National Qualifications Framework for Vocational and Professional Qualifications (NQF VPQ) and, by extension, the EU’s European Qualifications Framework (EQF). A certificate supplement describes what the qualification holder is able to do.

Certificate supplements have no influence over whether a qualification and title will be recognised in another country or whether the qualification holder will be admitted to more advanced levels of training.

Certificate supplements are based on the EU’s Europass documents and are therefore a trusted and clear frame of reference for employers all over Europe. Swiss certificate supplements are available in German, French, Italian and English.

For vocational qualifications that have already been referenced to the NQF VPQ, a certificate supplement template may be downloaded directly from the Official List of Vocational and Professional Qualifications.

There are also similarly structured certificate supplements in English for the federal vocational baccalaureate (FVB). However, since FVBs are not referenced to the NQF VPQ, no reference level is given in the corresponding certificate supplement.

Contact

SERI, Sandra Müller

Project manager
T +41 58 465 48 91

https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/content/sbfi/en/home/education/mobility/nqf-vpet/zeugniserlaeuterungen.html