101 successful graduates of the Bartholet apprenticeship

The training workshop, which is run as a profit centre, already turns our young people into entrepreneurs and the division operates on its own account completely independently from the rest of the company. "In this way, the apprentices learn to act responsibly and economically right from the start," explains Michael Walser, head of vocational education at the ropeway manufacturer and an important promoter and co-initiator of the concept. In this way they would learn to work autonomously and correct their mistakes they have made on their own. Over the past 15 years, the training workshop has been continuously optimised to become a modern training centre. Old machines can be continuously replaced by the profit generated by the young team. Today the training workshop is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. A five-axis milling center and a robot are just two examples of the existing infrastructure, which is also a great motivator for the students.

Comprehensive apprenticeship with future perspectives

"The successful degrees underline the high quality of our apprenticeship and confirm that we are on the right track", Michael Walser mentions. The level of the training workshop would be at the same level as an external workshop. Every apprentice makes a decisive contribution to this. In addition, the quality requirements in the field of passenger transport are constantly growing. Responsible behaviour is therefore indispensable. The high-end results fulfill the learners all the more with pride. In addition to technical and methodological competence, the social aspects are also promoted in a specific way. Excursions and events take place regularly to strengthen the cohesion among the apprentices. Bartholet is also interested in continued employment, in line with the conviction that apprentices are the experts of tomorrow. After passing the final apprenticeship examination, they are allowed to stay in the company and further consolidate and deepen the learned skills. Around 60% of the graduates are still working in the company since the new concept was established 15 years ago.

"Apprenticeship at Bartholet - everything else is boring" has been the motto at Bartholet Maschinenbau AG since 2005. The apprentices definitely confirm that the credo of the training workshop is being adhered at all times. "During my apprenticeship, I was given a multifaceted insight into the company," says the freshly qualified polymechanic Flurina Flüeler. "My interests were addressed individually and so I was able to acquire additional knowledge in the field of automation and robot programming. In my final thesis I effectively put theoretical knowledge into practice, which I found very exciting. When she was asked what she would take with her on her life's journey, she answered that above all she had become more confident in making decisions and also gained more patience. Joël Zimmermann, on the other hand, also in his final year of apprenticeship, particularly appreciated the teamwork. In addition, he took it to heart not to throw in the towel so quickly. "Sometimes you have to "bite through". I learned to work independently and responsibly and to correct my mistakes myself," he says while standing at a machine. At the end of July his apprenticeship is over. During the four years of his apprenticeship he was allowed to fill his backpack with a lot of knowledge and experience. "From the very first year of apprenticeship I received direct orders. This gave me a completely different motivation. Many of the parts I made were an important component in a project." From the very beginning, the future Bartholet employee felt taken seriously and understood by his young Bartholet teachers. The principles of "We are honest, open to new ideas, maintain an open dialogue, get down to work and productivity generates training quality" are the guiding principles of the training workshop. The many people interested in an apprenticeship also confirm Bartholet's training concept. To this day, the process of recruiting apprentices has run very smoothly.

This summer, eleven apprentices are completing their apprenticeship at Bartholet. At the beginning of July this will be celebrated during a graduation event. Bartholet is able to look back on an exciting development. From a one-man business, Bartholet has developed into a globally active company with over 400 employees, around 10% of whom are apprentices. Today, the Flumser family business develops and produces innovative products in the fields of ropeway systems, amusement park systems, mechanical engineering and lighting systems, which have generated enthusiasm all over the world.

This opens up a wide range of apprenticeships in seven different professional fields. Every year, around ten apprentices are trained in the fields of polymechanics, design engineers, cable car mechatronics, mechanics practitioners, production mechanics, plant and apparatus constructors as well as agricultural machinery mechanics. It is also pleasing that a quota of at least ten percent of women can be kept. Bartholet is proud to already have 101 successful apprenticeship graduates by this year, thus creating the foundation for sustainable corporate development. After all, our apprentices, our professionals of tomorrow, are a crucial piece of the whole puzzle.