Training, research and innovation
Lausanne is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Switzerland; as such, its economy is driven by the knowledge economy and linked to training and research institutes, innovative start-ups and the international organizations present in the region, all of which are developing alongside the educational activities.
Vision and Strategy
Lausanne’s vision is to ensure, through learning, inclusive and sustainable social, economic and environmental development. It aims to enhance all notions of learning (formal, non-formal and informal) and forge a transversal concept that acts as a lever and a link to make its partners’ support initiatives more coherent and homogeneous. As a learning city, it will focus on areas such as the development of personnel through continuing education, the support of young people in their transition from school to work, and citizenship education of children.
Policies, Plan and Implementation
Sustainability and health
- Laussane has set up a municipal fund for sustainable development and created a sustainable development unit (through its Sustainable Development Strategy 2016–2020). Among the priority areas of action of this fund is increased social integration of the population through training and access to training. Moreover, the city is a leading university centre for general medicine and public health.
Equity and inclusion
- The city integrates the concepts of equity and inclusion in various ways, from promoting the visibility of women and addressing sexual harassment to a non-discriminatory personnel policy. In addition, the city adopts policies and offers trainings in favour of people with disabilities, promoting universal accessibility.
Decent work and entrepreneurship
- In dialogue with entrepreneurs, the city provides support for the transition from school to work for young people. It is also active in the field of vocational training, teaching basic skills, validating prior acquired knowledge, and setting up measures for professional integration through training, particularly within companies. The University of Lausanne is part of the UNITWIN network ‘Life Designing Interventions (counselling, guidance, education) for decent work and sustainable development’.
Good practices
Vocational training programme transition from school to work - 'junior team' in the kitchen
- A ‘junior team’ is made up of six to eight apprentices training in the same trade. This project has been running since 2021 for the Certified Fundamentals Cook (CFC) certification, which runs the Prélaz production kitchen and offers learning in an environment conducive to training, including peer supervision and emulation.
Volteface, a participatory action research platform
- Volteface is participatory action research platform, involving scientists and members of civil society in the development of new kinds of activities, resulting in usable scientific knowledge on both sides. Initiated by the management of the University of Lausanne, it brings together 12 research-action projects on the social aspects of the energy transition. The subjects put forward in the platform are directly derived from the needs identified by the stakeholders in society.
Participatory budget
In order to achieve urban development, respond to the current climatic challenges, and to provide increased and continuous support to the development of the competences of the people of Lausanne, the municipality intends to promote access for all to learning and culture.
Mr Gregoire Junod
Mayor
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