Personalised support and structure
Lidl Switzerland employs more than 140 apprentices – every year, around 60 young people begin their apprenticeships in the retail, commercial, IT or logistics sectors. The focus is on high-quality training and personal development. On-site vocational trainers and central coordinators ensure close support. This pays off: 98 per cent of apprentices successfully complete their training and over 70 per cent are subsequently offered permanent positions. This underlines Lidl Switzerland's strategy of developing its own managers directly from among its apprentices.
Arrive, network, help shape the future
The programme begins with a week-long induction across Switzerland. Social responsibility is also encouraged: in three-day activity camps, which take place in three different locations across Switzerland for each national language, the trainees get involved in social and environmental projects – such as the 2026 initiative with WWF Switzerland in Davos focusing on the environment and food waste. Here, the management team interacts with the young people on an equal footing, for example during the team-building event «Beat the Management».
Trust through genuine accountability
Genuine self-confidence comes from personal experience. At the end of their apprenticeship, retail apprentices take full responsibility for running a branch as part of a project week – the branch manager acts solely as a coach in the background. Apprentices from other specialist areas take part in this project week by organising their own activities and donating the proceeds. This helps to build their independence for their future careers.
Fair terms and flexibility
Fair conditions create a healthy balance: the young people benefit from six weeks’ holiday, a free GA travelcard and their own laptop, which they are allowed to keep after their apprenticeship. Lidl Switzerland covers the full cost of all training materials – this significantly eases the financial burden on parents when it comes to training costs. The company also counts travel time to training events in full as working time. Furthermore, Lidl Switzerland actively supports vocational baccalaureate qualifications, language study trips and competitive sport.
Practical insights on site
During the school holidays, the taster afternoons offer a real-world insight: depending on your interests, you'll head straight to a Lidl store (retail), the distribution centre (logistics) or the head office (commercial and IT). What makes these sessions special is that current apprentices organise them themselves and share their experiences on an equal footing. You can register easily with just one click:
https://team.lidl.ch/de/big-lehre/berufserkundung-schnupperlehre