A boost for apprentices

Many students struggle in mathematics, physics and chemistry lessons, and even those who want to learn a technical trade sometimes lack certain skills. The Werner Siemens Foundation financed two projects in the Canton of Valais that offer broad support to students training for technical vocations. With very satisfying results.

The first project, from 2013 to 2017, addressed apprentices in the fields of automation, auto-mechanics and electricity. Workshops, laboratories and remedial courses at the Sion technical upper-secondary vocational school in Valais were offered to the students to help them close any learning gaps and put their theoretical knowledge into practice. In one workshop, for instance, future electricians learned to assemble an electrical circuit and repair faults. The project was a success: ninety-three percent of all apprentices in Valais who had started a training programme during this time successfully completed it. This is particularly encouraging, as workers in these types of jobs are in demand on the labour market.

In a follow-up project financed by the Werner Siemens Foundation from 2018 to 2022, students and apprentices were also trained in building cladding, building technology, energy-efficient building renovations and energy-footprint optimisation; here, they learned the latest standards in insulation, energy conservation, heat technology and solar energy. The projec