Diploma in hand: 44 young Swiss cable car professionals complete their training

37 cable car mechatronics technicians (EFZ) and seven cable car operators (EBA) received their diplomas and celebrated the successful completion of their apprenticeships. Nevin Galmarini, 2018 Olympic champion in parallel giant slalom and former alpine snowboarder, and Berno Stoffel, director of Swiss Cableways, congratulated the young professionals on this important milestone.

For the 37 newly qualified cable car mechatronics technicians (EFZ), their four-year apprenticeship culminates in their diplomas. The seven newly qualified cable car operators (EBA) complete their apprenticeships after two years. Behind them lie countless days spent at their training companies, blocks of instruction in Meiringen or Sion, inter-company courses, and a wealth of practical experience at a cable car company or manufacturer. Together with their families, trainers, and other guests, the graduates reflected on this period in Arosa. Among those offering congratulations were Philipp Holenstein, Director of Arosa Bergbahnen AG, and Marc Ziegler, Head of the Swiss Cable Car Training Center (SBS) in Meiringen.

Young professionals from six regions

The 44 graduates come from six different regions of Switzerland. This year, Valais recorded the most graduates (13), followed by the Bern region (12), Central Switzerland (7), Graubünden and Eastern Switzerland (5 each), and the Vaud region (2).

The best exam results were also recognized. The highest marks were achieved by Simon Ulrich (German-speaking, grade 5.4) and Valentin Crettaz (French-speaking, grade 4.9) in the EFZ apprenticeship, and by Lya-Maj Morger (German-speaking, grade 5.0) and Mathis Bonte (French-speaking, grade 4.9) in the EBA apprenticeship.

For the graduates, completing their apprenticeship means more than just the end of their training. Many take away experiences from their apprenticeship that have shaped them both professionally and personally: their first independent tasks in the company, teamwork, exchange with colleagues during block release courses, and the daily routine in a profession that combines technology, nature, and responsibility.

Romana Oswald completed her apprenticeship as a cable car mechatronics technician at Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG. She particularly remembers the strong team spirit: "The absolute highlight of my apprenticeship was the camaraderie in my vocational school class. We always pushed each other, especially when things got tricky during block release courses." She also experienced this team spirit at work: in the excellent relationship with her instructors as well as in the mutual trust among her colleagues.

Sandro Brenner, who completed his apprenticeship as a cable car mechatronics technician at Aletsch Bahnen AG, also looks back positively on his training. "Even as a child, I loved cable cars. When I was finally able to work on a pylon above the ground for the first time, it was a special experience." He also considers the track maintenance and cable replacements to be exceptional moments during his apprenticeship. After graduating, he remained in the industry, moving from his training company to cable car installation.

A job with responsibility

At the graduation ceremony, Berno Stoffel and Marc Ziegler praised the dedication of the young professionals and congratulated them on their successful completion of their apprenticeships. With their apprenticeships now complete, various career paths are open to the new cable car specialists. Those wishing to further their development can later pursue part-time advanced training to become certified cable car specialists with a federal diploma.