The article reports on English language teaching in vocational schools in Switzerland. Based on a pilot study (section 1), the research project focuses on Swiss vocational education (section 2). It intends to validate a hypothesis raised in the pilot study (section 3) and to establish the competencies that vocational learners achieve. The research data (section 4) encompasses seventeen guided interviews with teachers and quantitative data obtained from a placement test and from leaving certificates. The results (section 5) show that the hypothesis must be modified and that many learners surpass the exigencies of the current vocational curricula. Vocational education has to pay continuous attention to linguistic skills (section 6) and curricula will need to be adapted to develop the learners' competencies. This is significant to facilitate lifelong learning and future career changes (section 7).