Participation in the WorldSkills Conference highlights the international relevance of the VTESS approach. By transferring master training capabilities from Switzerland’s Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) to local Lao trainers and provincial coordinators, the project offers a tested model for sustainable capacity building and youth employment across the region
Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), VTESS is implemented by a consortium comprising Swisscontact and HSLU, working in close partnership with the Department of TVET under the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES). The initiative highlights how international expertise combined with Swiss support generates sustainable income and employment for vulnerable Lao youth.
The project targets young people aged 15 to 35, including early school leavers, living in income poverty across six provinces: Oudomxay, Xayaboury, Xiengkhuang, Khammuane, Salavan, and Vientiane Capital. At the heart of its success is the Coaching Cycle for Employment and Entrepreneurship (C4EE), an innovative methodology adapted from European and international models by HSLU experts and local partners. Localised into a streamlined 9-month Lao-language programme, C4EE integrates practical TVET skills with soft skills, job placement support, and startup seed grants.
Swiss government assistance through the SDC ensures that development investments produce tangible economic benefits. Results from the project’s 5th Tracer Study in 2025 reveal that about 246 (80%) of 307 ESS graduates are employed (98 have an employer, 139 are self-employed, and 9 are paid in a family business). Also, among 187 surveyed Employment Support Services (ESS) graduates who provided comparable baseline and current financial data, average monthly earnings rose by more than 160%. The programme served as a crucial entry point into the formal workforce, especially for participants who previously had zero income.
Across Batches 1 to 4 of the C4EE, gender inclusion remains a core focus of the intervention. Women represent 66% of all ESS graduates (962 women out of 1,461 participants) and account for 80% of trainees completing Basic Entrepreneurship Training (535 women) as well as 80% of Seed Money grant recipients (323 women) launching small businesses. Currently, Batch 5 is underway, providing training to an additional 632 ESS participants, 60% (377) of whom are female.
The Vocational Training and Employment Support Services (VTESS) project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by a consortium of Swisscontact and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), in partnership with the Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DTVET) under the Ministry of Education and Sports. VTESS works with young people aged 15 to 35 in Oudomxay, Xayaboury, Xiengkhuang, Khammuane, Salavan and Vientiane Capital.
Swisscontact is an independent foundation for international development cooperation. Founded in 1959 by leading Swiss companies, it promotes skills development and entrepreneurship for sustainable economic growth in developing and emerging countries. The organisation is currently active in over 138 projects in 39 countries with over 1200 employees.
Swisscontact is an independent foundation for international development cooperation. Founded in 1959 by leading Swiss companies, it promotes skills development and entrepreneurship for sustainable economic growth in developing and emerging countries. The organisation is currently active in over 138 projects in 39 countries with over 1200 employees.
"I worked as an assistant at my cousin's beauty salon, earning an income that was insufficient to support my family. Graduating from the coaching cycle and receiving the project's seed money completely transformed my life. Today, I am proud to run my own small salon and earn around 18 million LAK (~665 CHF) a month, which has greatly improved our living conditions and allowed me to provide a stable future for my family,"
"Before joining the VTESS’s coaching cycle, I only relied on basic daily wage labor. Opening my own barber shop completely changed that. Today, I am proud to earn around 5 million LAK (~185 CHF) a month, which has given me financial independence and a stable future,"