What Jobtrek does

Jobtrek (legal entity: Fondation Jobtrek) is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Yverdon-les-Bains that delivers professional insertion services to disadvantaged youth aged 15–25 in the Canton of Vaud. Founded in October 2015 by Daniel Cazes — who left an engineering career to lead the initiative — the foundation addresses a documented cantonal problem: roughly 2,000 young people per year (about a quarter of school-leavers) exit compulsory schooling without a direct professional pathway. Jobtrek's portfolio spans seven named programs: Jobtrek Summit (the flagship transition program combining training, coaching, and company internships); LowHigh (socio-educational support with secure housing and life mentoring); Prémices (individualized support for disengaged youth); Discovery (supplementary support for refugees and migrants); JPS (intensive insertion for S-permit holders registered with ORP); Ecotrek (sustainability-themed insertion); and JobtrekSchool (network-based certified apprenticeships in commerce and IT). The model reports an 82% success rate for the 2023–2024 Summit cohort and has placed more than 363 young people in apprenticeships since 2016.

Jobtrek builds no proprietary technology platform; it is a service-delivery foundation. Its operational backbone is a human-intensive ecosystem of coaches, trainers, psychologists, career counselors, and business network managers (roughly 26 staff visible in disclosures) coordinated from five sites in Yverdon-les-Bains (HQ inside the Explorit/Y-Parc center since March 2021), Lausanne, Morges, Aigle, and a dedicated LowHigh housing location. Differentiation rests on its network-learning apprenticeship model, which splits apprenticeship responsibility across multiple complementary enterprises — reducing risk for SMEs that cannot host a full apprentice alone — and on the formal 'ADN Jobtrek' structure (Aplika Sàrl and Zélo), under which the foundation incubates its own companies specifically to generate internship and apprenticeship positions.

Commercially, Jobtrek is funded through three streams. The primary is direct service contracts with the Canton de Vaud's Direction Générale de la Cohésion Sociale (DGCS), financing the accompaniment of 40 trekkis per year for formal insertion follow-up. The second is philanthropy: one-off and recurring donations plus corporate sponsorships (Bobst Mex SA finances a permanent place; CHF 24,000/year is cited as the cost of transforming two young people's trajectories). The third is operational revenue from the apprenticeship network — enterprises pay Jobtrek approximately CHF 2,000/month per apprentice (around CHF 24,000 per semester), covering administrative management, training follow-up, coaching, and the apprentice's salary invoiced through the foundation. Programs are free of charge to beneficiaries. Distribution is community-led and referral-driven: social workers, ORP advisors, school guidance counselors, EVAM, and word-of-mouth from alumni generate the pipeline; the foundation runs no paid advertising. Its sole geographic market is the Canton of Vaud, where it maintains official recognition as a public-utility foundation and is a delivery partner for the cantonal FORJAD transition program.

Name

Jobtrek

Legal name

Fondation Jobtrek

Website

https://jobtrek.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jobtrek is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers professional insertion services — coaching, internships, and certified apprenticeships — to youth aged 15–25 in the Canton of Vaud, funded primarily by cantonal government contracts and run through a network of 350+ partner enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth professional insertion and apprenticeship services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA), Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB)

Keywords

• Vocational insertion programs
• Youth employment coaching
• Apprenticeship placement services
• Professional integration training
• Social insertion foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Yverdon-les-bains

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government service contracts (DGCS): Jobtrek finances the majority of its operations through the sale of recognized insertion follow-up services to the DGCS (Direction Générale de la Cohésion Sociale) of the Canton of Vaud. The canton funds the accompaniment of 40 trekkis per year. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Donations and sponsorships: As a non-profit foundation recognized as being of public utility and tax-exempt, Jobtrek receives regular and one-time donations from private donors and corporate sponsors. Some companies (e.g., Bobst Mex SA) sponsor places for young people in difficult situations.
3. Apprenticeship network administration fees: Jobtrek charges enterprises for managing the apprenticeship contract, administrative follow-up, and training guarantee through its network learning model. The apprentice's salary is paid by Jobtrek and invoiced to the enterprise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fondation Jobtrek is a Swiss non-profit foundation (recognized as being of public utility) that delivers free professional insertion programs to youth aged 15-25 in the Canton of Vaud who lack initial vocational training. Its core offering combines individualized coaching, schooling reinforcement, and partner-enterprise internships delivered through named programs (Summit, LowHigh, Prémices, Discovery, JPS, Ecotrek) and certified apprenticeships (CFC/AFP in commerce and IT) via the JobtrekSchool network-learning model. The foundation is funded primarily by cantonal DGCS service contracts and donations, and its services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries.

Product overview

Jobtrek is a Swiss foundation offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional insertion programs for young people aged 15-25. The core offering includes Jobtrek Summit (comprehensive apprenticeship pathway with training, coaching, and company internships), Jobtrek LowHigh (socio-educational support with housing and life mentoring), Prémices (individualized support for disengaged youth), Jobtrek Discovery (refugee and migrant support), JPS Jobtrek (intensive program for S permit holders), and Ecotrek (sustainability-focused insertion). JobtrekSchool extends the portfolio with certified apprenticeships (CFC/AFP) in commercial and IT fields, featuring network-based learning where apprentices rotate through multiple partner companies. Programs are interconnected: Prémices acts as an entry point for the most disengaged youth, LowHigh provides foundational stability, Summit offers the primary pathway to apprenticeships, and JPS targets specific populations like refugees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jobtrek Summit: Complete support program for finding an apprenticeship, combining training, coaching, and internships in partner companies. Features 82% success rate for the 2023-2024 cohort.
• Jobtrek LowHigh
• Prémices
• Jobtrek Discovery
• JPS Jobtrek
• JobtrekSchool
• Ecotrek

Products and services

• Jobtrek Summit Comprehensive transition program for youth aged 15-25 toward an apprenticeship through three pillars: training, coaching, and company internships in the Jobtrek enterprise network. Includes preparatory camps, professional immersion, and complementary modules. Reported 82% success rate for the 2023-2024 cohort.
• Jobtrek LowHigh Socio-educational support program helping youth achieve better balance and greater autonomy before beginning professional insertion. Includes secure housing, life mentoring, and coaching, delivered at the Yverdon-les-Bains Rue d'Orbe site.
• Prémices Individualized support measure for 15-25 year-olds who are without activities, focused on building trust, developing skills, and providing psychosocial support, supervised internships, and small-group workshops to guide them toward autonomy and professional insertion.
• Jobtrek Discovery Complementary support program for refugees and migrants preparing to join a Jobtrek insertion program, providing language, cultural, and professional-integration preparation for the Swiss labor market.
• JPS Jobtrek Intensive 6-month professional insertion program specifically for employable S-permit holders registered with ORP, combining reinforced coaching, company immersions, and direct connection with employer partners. Operates at four sites (Lausanne, Morges, Yverdon, Aigle), with 12 participants per site.
• Ecotrek Insertion measure combining sustainability with employment entry, offering practical workshops, nature activities, and professional immersion with an environmental-awareness focus (led by Daniel Cazes).
• JobtrekSchool (network-learning apprenticeships) Network-learning apprenticeship initiative offering certified apprenticeships (CFC/AFP) in commerce and IT. First year is spent at the JobtrekSchool training center, followed by rotation through multiple partner companies with coaching and support. Enterprises pay Jobtrek for the apprenticeship contract management, training follow-up, and coaching; the apprentice's salary is included in the fee billed to the enterprise.
• Informaticien-ne en développement d'applications CFC Certified IT apprenticeship (CFC) in application development, preparing apprentices to create websites, develop mobile applications, and manage agile projects, delivered through the JobtrekSchool network-learning model.
• Employé-e de commerce CFC/AFP Certified commercial apprenticeship (CFC/AFP) preparing students for work across majority economic sectors with numerous continuing-education opportunities, delivered through the JobtrekSchool network-learning model.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of trekkis (2023–2024 cohort) completed the program and found an apprenticeship or employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aplika SàrlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe first company created with 'ADN Jobtrek' — social responsibility DNA — to generate internship and apprenticeship places. Serves as a model for subsequent companies in the ecosystem.
• ZélocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA sustainable delivery service operating by bicycle, offering fresh local products without waste. Created with 'ADN Jobtrek' to generate internships for trekkis and pre-apprentice commerce employees, while supporting sustainable development.
• Companies in the Jobtrek Network (350+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 350 enterprises across the Canton of Vaud provide internship places and network apprenticeship opportunities. They span diverse sectors: hospitality, landscaping, mechanics, agriculture, leisure, construction, administration, and more.
• Altitude ZerominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor adventure company that partners with Jobtrek for summer camps. Jimmy Weber, responsible for Altitude Zéro, works with trekkis on personal development through challenging outdoor experiences.
• EVAM (Établissement d'Accueil des Migrants)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEVAM placement counselors refer migrants and refugees to Jobtrek programs, including the Discovery program for preparation to join insertion programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fondation ORIF: Swiss foundation providing vocational training and professional integration for people facing barriers to employment, including youth. Operates accredited programs in French-speaking Switzerland with a comparable coaching-and-internship model.
• Caritas Vaud: Regional Caritas affiliate in the Canton of Vaud running social-services and professional-insertion programs for disadvantaged populations, including youth, refugees, and migrants — direct overlap with Jobtrek's JPS and Discovery programs.
• Fondation L'Abri: Swiss foundation providing supervised housing and socio-educational support for young people in difficulty, directly comparable to Jobtrek's LowHigh residential mentoring track.
• EVAM (Établissement vaudois d'accueil des migrants): Cantonal migrant accommodation authority that partners with Jobtrek on the Discovery/JPS refugee integration pathway; comparable in serving S-permit holders and in delivering transition-to-work services.
• Centre Social Protestant Vaud (CSP Vaud): CSP Vaud delivers social-insertion services in the same canton, including employment-readiness support for vulnerable populations, mirroring Jobtrek's coaching-plus-placement approach.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Suisse: National umbrella organization aggregating regional Caritas entities that operate insertion and refugee-integration programs across Switzerland, providing federal-scale reach Jobtrek lacks.
• Pro Juventute: Large national Swiss foundation focused on child and youth welfare, including career orientation and labor-market integration programs across Switzerland — broader geographic and thematic scope than Jobtrek but overlapping target population.

Others

• Fondation Compétences Bénévoles: Swiss foundation that channels volunteer skills into nonprofit and youth-integration programs, serving as an enabling ecosystem actor adjacent to Jobtrek's placement network.
• OdA EduQua / Eduqua-certified insertion bodies: Swiss quality-label body for continuing-education and insertion organizations; not a direct competitor but a regulatory/quality infrastructure that gates Jobtrek's accredited peers across cantons.

Regional players

• Fondation de l'Adret: Foundation offering vocational guidance and integration support for youth primarily in the Geneva region — comparable mission with adjacent geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jobtrek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Jobtrek