As part of the Swiss vocational championship, which took place last week in a workshop at Bühler Uzwil, herisau24.ch was able to speak to Andreas Bischof, Head of Vocational Training at Bühler AG, and Marc Hanselmann, vocational trainer and expert in the field of plant and apparatus engineering .
Due to the corona pandemic, this year’s Swiss Skills Professional Swiss Championships were not held centrally in Bern, but decentrally in various regions of Switzerland. The “Championships” for the profession of system and apparatus engineer EFZ took place from November 9th to 13th in Uzwil. This four-year vocational training course is currently being completed by 650 young women and men across Switzerland.
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Andreas Bischof, Head of Vocational Training, Bühler AG
Mr. Bischof, how many apprentices does Bühler train?
Andreas Bischof: “There are currently 272 apprentices in the Bühler Group, 50 of them as plant and apparatus builders. Two thirds of them work in Uzwil and one third in the Appenzell plant. “
How do you rate the importance of Swiss Skills and WorldSkills?
Andreas Bischof: “The professional championships are very important and are very important to Bühler. Nationally and internationally, we can do the best publicity for our successful dual training system, which many countries envy us for. “
Can the Swiss Champion of Plant & Apparatus Builders take part in the 2022 World Cup in Shanghai?
Andreas Bischof: “Due to its breadth, this job description is a Swiss specialty. The job goes far beyond just welding. The Swiss champion among plant and equipment manufacturers is also de facto world champion in his field. “
Bühler is seen as a frontrunner in the development and support of new training methods. What are your priorities?
Andreas Bischof: “The ‘export’ of the successful dual system to other countries and the internationalization of training with projects such as ‘ClassUnlimited’ or KV 4.0 are examples of our commitment in terms of targeted further development of the professional training path.”
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Marc Hanselmann, vocational trainer and expert
Mr. Hanselmann, what did the plant and equipment manufacturers have to produce this week?
Marc Hanselmann: “The goal for finalists was the production of a ‘smoker’ – in the time available and with the highest possible accuracy and quality.”
Are you satisfied with the Swiss Skills process in Uzwil?
Marc Hanselmann: “I am very proud that three Bühler employees were able to qualify for the final of the professional championships: Patric Senn (Uzwil), Robin Locher (Appenzell plant) and Konrad Fässler (Appenzell plant). The fact that we were even able to celebrate a double victory is the icing on the cake. “
What does the apprenticeship system and apartment builder EFZ look like?
Marc Hanselmann: “The first two years are basic training in the company and in the vocational school. This is followed by two years specializing in one of the five disciplines at Bühler: welding technology, bending technology, assembly technology (for later use at home and abroad), system planning (in the office) and – exclusively at Bühler – process technologist. “
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