CVCI press release, 12.2025
Addressing the shortage of skilled labor has become a major challenge for the Vaud economy. In response to this issue, the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI) and the State of Vaud, through the Department for Economic Promotion and Innovation (SPEI), are launching Vaud Talent Hub—a joint platform dedicated to welcoming, integrating, and retaining talent. This initiative is part of the cantonal action plan “Labor Shortage, Employability, Integration 2025–2027,” adopted by the Council of State, and is one of 16 measures set out in the plan.
Lausanne, December 5, 2025 – Switzerland is expected to face a shortfall of 431,000 workers by 2040, according to economiesuisse. In the canton of Vaud alone, 50,000 full-time positions could remain vacant within the next decade. In this context, attracting and retaining talent—whether graduates from higher education institutions, qualified professionals, international talent, or Swiss citizens living abroad—has become a key factor for competitiveness. To address this challenge, CVCI and the State of Vaud have jointly developed Vaud Talent Hub, a bilingual platform designed for individuals wishing to settle, work, and build their careers in the canton.
The platform provides clear and essential information for skilled professionals: the Vaud job market, procedures for working or starting a business, obtaining permits, settling in the canton, and integrating socially, culturally, and with their families. Special attention is given to graduates of Vaud’s higher education institutions, qualified international talent, highly skilled individuals already living in Switzerland, and Swiss citizens looking to return.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the talent trained in the canton can stay, grow, and build their future here,” says Isabelle Moret, State Councillor in charge of the Economy, Innovation, and Employment. “Vaud Talent Hub will facilitate their professional and personal integration while giving companies better visibility on available skills. This initiative is fully aligned with the cantonal plan to address the labor shortage.”
The site also includes a section dedicated to Vaud-based companies and SMEs. They will find practical information on recruiting, integrating, and retaining qualified employees, bringing together resources that were previously dispersed online. Vaud Talent Hub also features a chatbot that provides users with instant answers based on official sources referenced on the site, complemented by additional external information.
“Highly qualified individuals are a cornerstone of our innovation ecosystem, which includes SMEs, international groups, and high-value-added industries. Vaud Talent Hub aims to strengthen ties between businesses and alumni networks of higher education institutions and academic organizations in the canton—a transversal approach essential for our economic attractiveness,” adds Raphaël Conz, Director of SPEI.
Philippe Miauton, Director of CVCI, welcomes this public-private partnership. For him, one of the platform’s objectives “is to simplify the journey for foreign graduates who wish to stay after their studies, prospective international talent, and Swiss citizens abroad eager to return home.”
Beyond the website, the project includes an event component to strengthen connections between talent and the local economy, with information sessions for young graduates, “Reloc’coffees” (CVCI events in English for qualified job seekers), and a roundtable bringing together policymakers, academic institutions, and businesses.
Vaud Talent Hub is part of a cantonal action plan to maintain the vitality of Vaud’s labor market, presented by the Council of State in mid-November. Comprising sixteen measures, the 2025–2027 action plan “Labor Shortage, Employability, Integration” focuses on mobilizing available talent and strengthening continuing education to maintain employability, ensure succession in essential professions, and anticipate future needs. The Vaud Talent Hub project is supported by SPEI through the Innovation Support Fund.
