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Passion
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Almost 100 young people are currently
serving apprenticeships at Oerlikon
Balzers or Oerlikon Metco in Liechten-
stein, Switzerland, Germany and Aus-
tria. The quality and continuous devel-
opment of apprenticeship training is a
major concern for the company, and
will continue to contribute to the provi-
sion of skilled workers in the future.
The demands of the economy and the markets are con-
stantly changing. The vocational training strategy pur-
sued by Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Metco is corre-
spondingly ambitious. Around 100 young people, most
of them at Oerlikon Balzers’ vocational training centre
in Liechtenstein, are currently enrolled in a broad range
of apprenticeships to become polymechanics, electron-
ics engineers, physics laboratory technicians, automa-
tion engineers, materials testers and surface coaters,
but also media technologists and information scientists.
During summer 2015, the 1,400
th
apprentice success-
fully finished his training at Surface Solutions.
Committed and talented
80 trainees are currently preparing themselves for their
future careers in a total of nine professions, with a three
or four year apprenticeship at Oerlikon Balzers’ training
centre at Balzers’ headquarters. Founded back in 1946,
the centre is one of the region’s most important voca-
tional training establishments. The training it provides is
precisely tailored to the needs of the company. The ap-
prentices are fully deployed in the company during their
3
rd
apprenticeship year at the latest. “Gaining committed
and talented trainees for an apprenticeship is therefore
especially important,” says Albert Hehli, vocational train-
ing manager at Balzers.
Fit for the future
Some of the young specialists remain with Surface So-
lutions after completing their apprenticeships. All are
sought after by the market and fit for the needs of the
economy. “Most of our graduates receive at least one,
and sometimes multiple job offers before they even fin-
ish their training,” Albert Hehli states with pride about
the Surface Solutions vocational training programme. At
Oerlikon Balzers alone around 10 percent of the work-
force is made up of former apprentices – some of whom
are managers today. 10 graduate apprentices were also
hired directly in the summer of 2015.
‘WorldSkills’
The especially high standard of training is another major
reason why it provides a bright future. Trainees don’t just
acquire the skills needed for their later professions, but
are also supported – and challenged – in many diverse
ways. That this strategy pays off is shown by the fact
that during the 70 years of Surface Solutions training 20
apprentices have participated very successfully in the
‘World Skills’ vocational world championship that is held
every second year – the latest being former design engi-
neering apprentice Francesco Macri who participated in
August 2015 in Sao Paulo (Brasil).
Great apprentices: Francesco Macri
successfully participated in
the ‘World Skills’ vocational
championship in Sao Paulo (Brasil).
Training at Oerlikon Surface Solutions
Tomorrow’s specialists