EHB

Name

EHB

Legal name

Eidgenössische Hochschule für Berufsbildung EHB

Website

https://ehb.swiss

Company type

Public

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Competency-Based Universities (CBE) (EDAHALAI)

Keywords

• Vocational education training
• Teacher education programs
• Vocational pedagogy research
• Continuing professional development
• Higher education institution

Headquarters

HQ city

Zollikofen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Federal Funding: As a Swiss federal institute, EHB operates primarily through government funding from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI). Revenue is derived from federal mandates and public funding rather than commercial revenue streams.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EHB is a Swiss federal higher education institution that delivers degree programs (BSc and MSc in vocational pedagogy), diploma and certificate programs for vocational school teachers, and continuing professional development (CAS/DAS/MAS, PEX examination expert training). It also conducts applied research through the OBS EHB observatory and Kosten-Nutzen-Erhebung program, provides international consulting on vocational education systems, and supports validation of prior experiential learning (VAE) for adult qualification pathways.

Product overview

EHB operates as a higher education institution offering a unified portfolio of degree programs, continuing education modules, and research services for Swiss vocational education. The core offerings include BSc and MSc degrees in vocational pedagogy, alongside diploma programs (BKU, ABU, BM, HF) for vocational school teachers. The institution provides CAS/DAS/MAS certificate programs and PEX examination expert training as modular add-ons. Research is delivered through the OBS EHB observatory conducting trend monitoring, the Kosten-Nutzen-Erhebung cost-benefit studies, and the Fachstelle Evaluation. Supporting services include the «skilled» magazine, VAE validation procedures, international consulting, and professional development in areas like AI fundamentals and digital education technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OBS EHB: Schweizerisches Observatorium für die Berufsbildung (Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training) - identifies, monitors and analyzes societal, economic and technological developments in their significance for vocational education.
• KOM EHB

Products and services

• BSc in Berufsbildung (Bachelor of Science) Undergraduate degree program providing comprehensive knowledge about the Swiss vocational education and training system, qualifying graduates to teach and work in vocational schools.
• MSc in Berufsbildung (Master of Science) Multidisciplinary graduate program enabling students to shape vocational education through advanced research and pedagogical expertise.
• Diplomstudiengang BKU (Berufskundeunterricht) Diploma program for vocational subject teaching, available in both main occupation and side occupation formats for teachers at vocational schools.
• Diplomstudiengang ABU (Allgemeinbildender Unterricht) Diploma program for teachers of general education subjects at vocational schools.
• Diplomstudiengang Sportunterricht Diploma program for physical education teachers in initial vocational training, offered at certificate and diploma levels.
• Diplomstudiengang BM (Berufsmaturität) Diploma program for teachers at vocational baccalaureate schools, available for those with university degrees.
• Diplomstudiengang HF (Höhere Fachschulen) Diploma program for teachers at higher vocational schools, offered in both main and side occupation formats.
• bili – Bilingualer Unterricht (Competence Center and Programs) Bilingual teaching competency center and programs supporting language integration in vocational education across German, French, and Italian.
• CAS/DAS/MAS Programme (Vocational Pedagogy Specializations) Certificate, Diploma, and Master of Advanced Studies programs in vocational pedagogy, including specializations in didactics, coaching, and educational technologies.
• Prüfungsexpert:in PEX Weiterbildung Continuing education for examination experts in vocational education, including base courses for company and school-based examiners and sector-specific courses.
• OBS EHB – Schweizerisches Observatorium für die Berufsbildung Swiss Observatory for Vocational Education and Training that identifies, monitors, and analyzes societal, economic, and technological developments affecting vocational education through trend monitoring and commissioned research.
• Kosten-Nutzen-Erhebung (Cost-Benefit Survey Research) Ongoing research on costs and benefits of vocational training from company perspectives, including longitudinal studies on training behavior and training quality.
• Fachstelle Evaluation Evaluation services for educational institutions and training programs, supporting quality assurance in vocational education.
• Internationale Beratungsdienste (International Consulting Services) International consulting services including training of vocational education practitioners, research and development support, curriculum development, and technical advisory services.
• Verfahren zur Anrechnung von Erfahrungslernen (VAE) Validation procedure for recognizing skills and competencies acquired outside formal education pathways, enabling adults to obtain official vocational qualifications.
• Berufsentwicklung & Curriculumgestaltung (Curriculum and Occupational Profile Design) Professional development services for occupations including market needs assessment, qualification profiles, training regulations, and sustainable digital curriculum design.
• Magazin «skilled» (Bi-annual publication) EHB's bi-annual magazine covering vocational education topics including quality, learning cultures, career paths, lifelong learning, and digitalization in vocational training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70% of apprenticeship relationships show net benefit for companies (2025 Cost-Benefit Survey)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SwissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHB is a member of Swissuniversities, the association of Swiss higher education institutions. This membership provides accreditation and institutional recognition within the Swiss higher education landscape.
• SAR-Label (Swiss Accreditation Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHB holds SAR-Label accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council, demonstrating compliance with higher education quality standards.
• OBS EHB Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder advisory board comprising representatives from employer organizations (SGV, SAV, Swissmem), trade unions (SGB), cantonal education authorities (EDK), federal government (SBFI, BFS), academia (University of Zurich, Leibniz University Hannover, Maastricht University), and industry organizations (OdASanté). Provides practice and future orientation to OBS EHB.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BIBB (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung): Germany's federal institute for vocational education and training research, policy advice, and program development. BIBB is the most direct functional analogue to EHB: national-level VET research, teacher training coordination, and international consulting on dual education systems.
• Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training): EU agency providing VET policy research, trend monitoring, and comparative analysis across member states. Directly comparable to EHB's observatory, trend-monitoring, and international advisory mission, though at supranational scale.
• ibw (Institut für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft): Austrian research institute for VET economics, employer perspectives, and apprenticeship research. Comparable to EHB's OBS EHB observatory and Kosten-Nutzen-Erhebung cost-benefit research function within the DACH VET ecosystem.

Others

• SSRE (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Bildungsforschung): Swiss society for educational research that convenes researchers across Swiss higher-education institutions. Adjacent peer that overlaps EHB's research community and contributes to the same policy-advisory ecosystem for Swiss VET.
• INRS (Institut national de recherche et de sécurité): French national institute for occupational health and safety research and training. Adjacent peer: a public institute that combines research with applied training for workplace-related professional competencies, sharing EHB's public-mandate model.
• SBFI (Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation): EHB's primary federal funding authority and policy principal within the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs. Acts as a client and oversight body rather than competitor, but is the central node in EHB's operating environment.

Regional players

• BFI (Berufsförderungsinstitut) Österreich: Largest private continuing-education and vocational training provider in Austria. Comparable in delivering vocational continuing education, though operates as a non-profit training company rather than a federal research/credentialing institute.
• PHBern (Pädagogische Hochschule Bern): Swiss teacher-training university based in Bern. Overlaps with EHB on teacher professionalization but focuses on primary/secondary general education rather than vocational pedagogy, making it a partial rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften): Major Swiss University of Applied Sciences with extensive continuing-education and teacher-training offerings. Competes with EHB on CAS/DAS/MAS programs for vocational professionals and is part of the same Swissuniversities framework.
• CNAM (Conservatoire national des arts et métiers): French public higher-education institution providing lifelong vocational and technical education to working adults. Comparable in offering degree and continuing-education programs in vocational/professional fields, though much larger and broader in scope than EHB.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@eidgenossischehochschulefu9178
• Facebookfacebook.com/ehb.hefp.suffp.sfuvet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ehb-hefp-suffp-sfuvet
• Xx.com/EHB_HEFP_SUFFP

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EHB