At the age of 16, students who wish to continue their education move into Secondary II, which generally lasts 3-4 years. The vast majority of young people follow some kind of Secondary II course: in the year 2001/02, 90% of young people gained a diploma after completing studies or training at this level.

Secondary II either provides vocational training for direct entry into the labour market, or prepares students for tertiary education.

However, about 25% of school leavers do not proceed directly into Secondary II, but take a break which may take the form of an extra school year, pre-apprenticeship or a stay in one of the other language regions. Research shows that it is mainly young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and foreign migrants who choose this option – irrespective of their grades.