Two of the the winning ‘All Star’ meet up with Swiss Ambassador Alexis Lautenberg

‘Young ambassadors’ find out what makes Switzerland tick

Thanks to a unique initiative between the BBC and the Swiss Embassy, eight young Britons from disadvantaged backgrounds have been on a whistle stop tour of Switzerland to find out how Swiss employers help enhance the skills of their young apprentices.

The eight, chosen as “All Stars” through BBC Sport’s social inclusion programme, are all between the ages of 16 to 25.

They were selected through a series of community festivals, where they were taking part in a range of sport, music and media activities. And they were hailed as potential community leaders of the future.

The link with Switzerland came about when the organisers heard about the pioneering work done there by businesses providing special long-term apprenticeships.

They were impressed by the way employers play an important role in the development of further educational opportunities by providing sponsored apprenticeships for two thirds of Swiss school leavers.

It is expected this successful model could be incorporated in UK government plans to encourage many firms to enhance their own apprenticeship opportunities in a similar way.

During their Swiss tour the young ambassadors compared notes with many Swiss apprentices, and their get-togethers are being incorporated into a video diary which is to be broadcast by the BBC.

Among the places they visited was a Zurich theatre, the offices of financial giant Swiss Re, and the Swiss Institute of Sport at Magglingen, near Berne.

Some of their comments afterwards:

Aaron Cardozo: “An amazing experience with amazing people.”

Louise Irvine: “It made me see opportunities for my own personal development. It has been a life changing experience and has helped me reflect on my life and my journey so far ”

Liam Willie: “Meeting these wonderful people has changed my outlook on life.”

Darren Viney: “The best bit was visiting Swiss Re because I met a lovely girl called Nina.”