What Berufsinformationszentrum Biz does

Berufsinformationszentrum Biz (BIZ Schaffhausen) is a government-operated public career information center run by the Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The institution provides free career counseling, study guidance, and vocational information services to residents of the canton across four primary user segments: youth making initial career choices, prospective university students, adults seeking career development or transitions, and individuals aged 40+ participating in the specialized viamia career assessment program.

The service portfolio is organized around three pillars — Berufswahl (career choice), Studium (academic study), and Laufbahn (career development) — delivered through a multi-channel model combining walk-in short consultations, scheduled personal appointments, telephone support, and digital self-service. The underlying technology consists of a web-based information platform (biz-sh.ch) and a mobile application (BIZ-App) available on iOS and Android, which provide searchable apprenticeship listings (101+ active positions), interactive career interest assessments, video content for diploma recognition, and downloadable resources covering 22 occupational fields.

BIZ Schaffhausen is funded entirely by cantonal government budgets as a non-commercial public institution; no fees are charged to users. The entity is led by Claudio Pecorino in the role of Stellenleitung (head of office) and Datenschutzbeauftragter (data protection officer), and maintains formal collaboration agreements with regional educational institutions including Kantonsschule Schaffhausen, Höhere Fachschule Schaffhausen, and multiple industry and vocational training associations. The institution holds no patents, has no subsidiaries, has not raised external funding, and is not subject to ownership changes — its mandate and operating scope are defined by cantonal policy rather than market competition.

Name

Berufsinformationszentrum Biz

Legal name

Berufsinformationszentrum des Kantons Schaffhausen

Website

https://biz-sh.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berufsinformationszentrum Biz (BIZ Schaffhausen) is a Canton of Schaffhausen public institution providing free career counseling, study guidance, and vocational information services to youth, prospective students, and adults across the canton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Career Counseling Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Career counseling
• Vocational guidance
• Study counseling
• Apprenticeship placement
• Career information center

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaffhausen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: As a government-funded public institution under the Canton of Schaffhausen, BIZ operates with public funding. All counseling and information services are provided free of charge to users, funded by cantonal government budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Berufsinformationszentrum (BIZ) Schaffhausen is a government-run cantonal career information center that provides free career, study, and vocational counseling services to youth and adults. Its offerings span three core pillars — Berufswahl (career choice for youth), Studium (academic study guidance), and Laufbahn (career development for adults) — delivered through in-person appointments, walk-in sessions, phone support, and online self-service tools including an apprenticeship search portal and mobile app.

Product overview

Berufsinformationszentrum Biz (BIZ Schaffhausen) is a public career information center operated by the Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The organization offers a portfolio of counseling services organized around three core pillars: career choice (Berufswahl) for youth, academic study guidance (Studium), and career development (Laufbahn) for adults. The service model combines in-person counseling (appointments and walk-in) with online self-service tools including an apprenticeship search portal, career interest assessments, and a mobile application. Key service modules include diploma recognition counseling for foreign qualifications, adult professional certification pathways, advanced vocational education guidance, and specialized viamia career assessments for individuals aged 40 and above. The center also provides a lending library of career information materials and regularly hosts information events on various professions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berufsberatung (Career Counseling) Personal career counseling services helping individuals explore career options, make informed decisions about vocational training, and navigate career transitions, available through scheduled appointments for residents of Canton Schaffhausen.
• Studienberatung (Study Counseling) Academic counseling service for individuals considering higher education, providing guidance on university programs, bachelor's and master's degrees, and continuing education certificates (CAS, DAS, MAS).
• Laufbahnberatung (Career Development Counseling) Career development counseling for adults that provides reorientation support, continuing education guidance, and professional advancement planning for residents of Canton Schaffhausen.
• Lehrstellensuche (Apprenticeship Search Portal) Online portal for searching currently open apprenticeship positions (Lehrstellen) in the Schaffhausen region, allowing search by profession, company, or location.
• Berufsinteressen-Check (Career Interest Assessment) Interactive online assessment tool helping individuals identify their career interests and find matching profession suggestions.
• Berufsfelder-Übersicht (Occupational Fields Overview) Online directory of 22 occupational fields providing structured orientation about professional possibilities and helping users explore career interests.
• Berufsabschluss für Erwachsene (Adult Professional Certification Advisory) Advisory service helping adults obtain official Swiss professional qualifications (EFZ or EBA) based on their existing work experience.
• Höhere Berufsbildung (Advanced Vocational Education Advisory) Counseling service providing information on advanced vocational education pathways including professional examinations (BP), higher professional examinations (HFP), and higher technical schools (HF).
• Diplomanerkennung (Diploma Recognition Advisory) Guidance service for individuals with foreign professional qualifications seeking recognition in Switzerland, including information on regulated versus non-regulated professions.
• BIZ-App (Mobile Application) Mobile application available on iOS and Android providing access to apprenticeship listings, location maps, contact details, and push notifications for new openings.
• Kurzberatung ohne Termin (Walk-in Counseling) Drop-in counseling service available without appointment during specified office hours, offering free initial consultations to visitors during school terms (Tue/Wed/Thu 13:30-17:00) and school holidays (Tue/Thu 13:30-17:00).
• viamia-Beratung (Career Assessment for 40+) Specialized career assessment and positioning service for individuals aged 40 and above, helping them evaluate employability and explore new professional perspectives.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Höhere Fachschule Schaffhausen (HFS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner institution providing information about higher vocational education programs available in the Schaffhausen region.
• Berufsbildung SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational platform for vocational education and training information, providing authoritative information on apprenticeship opportunities across Switzerland.
• Ungarbühl SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional educational institution partner.
• Handels- und Kaufmännische Vereinigung Schaffhausen (HKV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial and business association in Schaffhausen supporting business education and training.
• Swissmechanic SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industry association for mechanical trades providing apprenticeship opportunities and industry information.
• LEA SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization.
• AVIL SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional vocational training partner.
• ALPED SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for professional education.
• SWS Weiterbildung SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuing education institution in Schaffhausen.
• Wibilea SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional training and education partner.
• Lindenforum SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional educational institution partner.
• Kantonsschule SchaffhausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCantonal secondary school with dedicated collaboration program for study guidance and higher education preparation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Laufbahnzentrum Zürich: Private/NGO career counseling provider in the Zürich area offering adult career development and outplacement services. Provides overlapping Laufbahnberatung services but charges fees and serves a different geographic area than BIZ Schaffhausen.

Direct peers

• BIZ Aargau: Cantonal career information center for the Canton of Aargau. Direct institutional peer providing free career counseling, study guidance, and adult career development services under the same Swiss national policy framework.
• BIZ Zürich: Cantonal career information center for the Canton of Zürich — the largest Swiss canton. Operates an identical mandate of career choice, study, and career development counseling under the same national framework, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• BIZ Bern: Cantonal career information center for the Canton of Bern. Provides the same free career counseling, apprenticeship search, and adult career transition services as BIZ Schaffhausen under the same Swiss vocational education framework.
• BIZ St. Gallen: Cantonal career information center for the Canton of St. Gallen. Operates as a sibling institution with the same Berufswahl/Studium/Laufbahn structure and apprenticeship search functions.
• BIZ Luzern: Cantonal career information center for the Canton of Lucerne. Delivers a nearly identical service portfolio including walk-in counseling, study guidance, and Laufbahnberatung for adults.

Broad incumbents

• SBFI (Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation): Swiss federal authority for education, research, and innovation. Sets the national vocational education and training framework that BIZ and other cantonal BIZs operate within, and provides overarching policy and coordination.
• RAV (Regionales Arbeitsvermittlungszentrum): Swiss regional employment service centers operated under SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs). Provides employment and career placement services at a broader scope, overlapping with BIZ's mandate but focusing on job placement rather than career choice counseling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dsbb_sh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berufsinformationszentrum-biz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Berufsinformationszentrum Biz