[Reasons for apprentice dropout in a large industrial enterprise]

Area of Science:

• Industrial training and vocational education
• Occupational health and safety
• Chemical and mechanical engineering apprenticeships

Context:

• A study examined 641 apprentices in northwestern Switzerland's chemical and mechanical industries.
• 14.5% of apprentices discontinued their training.
• Identified reasons for discontinuation include formal training difficulties, performance issues, and career changes.

Purpose:

• To analyze apprenticeship discontinuation rates and reasons.
• To evaluate the impact of curriculum changes on training retention.
• To assess the role of medical aptitude in preventing drop-outs.

Summary:

• Formal training difficulties were the primary reason for discontinuation (6.2%) before curriculum reform.
• Following curriculum changes for chemical professions, training difficulties dropped from 13% to 2%.
• Health-related drop-outs were infrequent (0.5%), with a similar percentage rejected during medical aptitude screening.

Impact:

• Curriculum reform effectively reduced apprenticeship drop-outs due to training difficulties.
• Medical aptitude assessments appear to have a minimal impact on overall health-related attrition.
• Findings inform strategies for improving vocational training retention in industrial sectors.