Politics Future Day: Insights into diverse professional worlds for young people

National Future Day offers schoolchildren the opportunity to overcome gender stereotypes and combat the shortage of skilled workers by exploring different professions.

National Future Day has established itself as an important event to open up new perspectives for young people when choosing a career. The aim is to break through gender stereotypes and counteract the shortage of skilled workers. More than 2500 companies and educational institutions opened their doors to give pupils an insight into the world of work.

A particular focus is on promoting professions that are traditionally associated with a particular gender. For example, girls were able to explore the profession of computer scientist in special projects, while boys were able to find out about healthcare professions. These initiatives are intended to motivate young people to make independent life choices.

Political support and prominent participation

Politicians are also involved: Members of the Federal Council, including the President of the Swiss Confederation, took time to interact with the children. Viola Amherd posed with children in her Department of Defense and expressed her delight at the curious visitors on Platform X. In the Finance Department, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter welcomed 37 children, while Economics Minister Guy Parmelin shared his enthusiasm for the youngsters' visit to the Federal Palace.

Justice Minister Beat Jans and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis were also available for personal meetings. These encounters offer the young participants not only insights into political processes, but also inspiration for their future careers.

Diverse insights into the world of work

SBB used the Future Day to introduce around 1500 children to the world of rail professions. The Keystone-SDA news agency also opened its doors to twelve children, who were able to explore the Federal Parliament Media Center and share their experiences in a live blog and on Instagram.

At the Federal Statistical Office, 54 schoolchildren learned about the professions there, while the Federal Office of Public Health informed 40 children about career opportunities in the public health sector.

Support from numerous institutions

The Future Day is organized by the gender equality offices of several cantons as well as the cities of Bern, Lucerne and Zurich. The Principality of Liechtenstein is also involved. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation supports the project financially in order to ensure the long-term promotion of career choice and combat the shortage of skilled workers.

SDA