Next generation talents to be fostered by Bühler’s vocational fast track training

As part of a major ongoing programme of supporting the development of young industry talent, Bühler used its recent Networking Days event to reveal a Vocational Fast track training scheme, writes Neill Barston.

Confectionery Production was on hand to report at the key global gathering last month (see our next edition for further coverage, and also our report from the show which once again placed sector sustainability at the heart of its agenda. 

With its latest training course designed for its customers, the programme enables companies to send employees to Bühler for several weeks or months to complete a compact apprenticeship based on the Swiss model. Classroom instruction at its in-house training centre in Uzwil, Switzerland.  Furthermore, the company’s Energy Centre, is closely combined with hands-on experience in real production environments.

As the company explained, participants can take part in modules in Mechanics, Mechatronics, and Project Management. Depending on specific needs, additional training in Process Technology is also offered. These programs are specifically designed for service technicians and maintenance personnel and include Health & Safety courses in line with Swiss standards. Each module concludes with a recognised Swiss certificate.

“The Vocational Fast Track offers companies an unprecedented opportunity to build skills in a focused and efficient way,” said Irene Mark-Eisenring, Chief Human Resources Officer at Bühler. “We bring the strengths of the Swiss dual education system – the close integration of theory and practice – into a compact and scalable format for industrial needs.”

This new offering directly addresses some of today’s most pressing labor market challenges: growing skills shortages, increasingly flexible and unstable job markets, and rising education costs. In this context, continuous training and upskilling are becoming increasingly important.

As the company added, it has long considered vocational training of critical importance, with its first apprentices having been taken on in the business as far back as 1915.  The Vocational Fast Track initiative has targeted building on these strong foundations, reflecting its commitment to helping deliver the next generation of engineering and wider industry talent.

This is underlined by the fact that apprenticeship programs are run in 26 locations across Europe, North and South America, Middle East and Africa, and South Asia, with a total of 520 people globally are enrolled on its schemes (from a total of 8,400 over the year), with a broad pathway of development ahead of them across its global operations.

Sonja Studer, Head of Education at the Swiss industry association Swissmem, said: “The economic success of Switzerland – and of Bühler – is closely linked to the dual education system. It ensures a steady pipeline of skilled workers, aligns education with industry needs, and strengthens innovation power.”