20 years of the Meiringen training center: A success story for the cable car industry

Swiss Cableways celebrated the 20th anniversary of its training center in Meiringen. What began as a pioneering project with ten apprentices has, over two decades, grown into the national center of excellence for the training and professional development of the Swiss cableway industry, now employing nearly 200 apprentices. A new cableway training hall is planned to further strengthen this development in the future.

The Ausbildungszentrum Seilbahn Schweiz (AZ SBS), or the Swiss Cableways Training Center, is the exclusive nationwide facility for basic and advanced vocational training in the Swiss cable car industry. Located at Zeughausstrasse 19, 3860 Meiringen in the Bernese Oberland, the center operates under the Swiss Cable Car Association (Seilbahnen Schweiz). It is the central educational hub for young professionals who operate, build, and maintain Switzerland’s massive network of mountain railways and ski lifts

Swiss Cableways (SBS) is the association of the Swiss cableway industry. The industry association has approximately 350 full members from all regions of the country, including all large and medium-sized companies, as well as many smaller cableways. The association represents the common concerns and interests of its members and promotes their cooperation. This results in a broad range of activities, from representation before authorities and member consulting to public relations. SBS is headquartered in Bern and also operates a training center in Meiringen in the Bernese Oberland.

When the training center opened its doors in 2006, the industry was entering uncharted territory. The new vocational qualification of cable car mechatronics technician (EFZ) established, for the first time, a standardized basic training program for technical specialists in cable car companies across Switzerland. From an initial enrollment of ten apprentices in German-speaking Switzerland, the center has developed over the past two decades into a center of excellence for the training and professional development of all areas within the mountain railway sector, from cable car technology and ski patrol and rescue services to management. With approximately 132,000 participant hours annually, the training center has become the most important educational institution in the Swiss cable car industry. Since its opening in 2006, around 660 cable car mechatronics technicians (EFZ), 100 cable car operators (EBA), 480 cable car specialists, 130 ski patrol and rescue service specialists, and 30 cable car managers have participated in the training and professional development programs offered by the cable car industry.

20 years of in-house training

Around 100 invited guests gathered in Meiringen to celebrate the 20-year development of the Swiss Cableways Training Center. National Councillor Hans Wicki emphasized the crucial importance of vocational training for the Swiss cableway industry and the need to secure qualified specialists. Mayor Daniel Studer described the training center as a success story for Meiringen and a center of excellence with nationwide reach. Personal insights from Tobias Stauffacher, Walter Schläppi, and Marc Ziegler brought the center's development since its inception to life. Tobias Stauffacher, a participant in the first course and now an instructor himself, underscored that the increased demand for apprentices confirms the industry's decision at the time.

“Highly trained specialists form the basis for safe and reliable cable car operations and ensure unique mountain experiences for guests. Investing in training is an investment in quality that pays off,” said Berno Stoffel, Director of Cable Cars Switzerland.

Next stage of development: Modernization of training

With investments in Meiringen, Swiss Cableways, the municipality of Meiringen, and the Canton of Bern aim to create the conditions for a future-proof, modern training center that meets the current needs of young people and the learning methods of tomorrow. This includes state-of-the-art training rooms as well as the planned cable car training hall. This hall will further strengthen practical training, enable realistic training conditions, and thus create precisely the practical experience that the industry needs for the future. These innovations will further solidify the training center's role as a leading center of expertise for the cable car industry in the long term.