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Press Release Switzerland

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Strategic Partnership with International VPET Congress 2016

NZZ

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Swiss apprenticeship in the shop window of the world

For the 40 young professionals from Switzerland, the World Skills are all about the honor. For others, this is another proof of success for the dual Swiss education system.

The bakery confectionery Böhli in Appenzell is lucky. She has one of the best confectioner confectioners in her bakery, maybe even the budding world champion. But that turns out only at the end of the week. Currently, Andrea Hohl is still behind a glass wall in her competition kitchen in one of the seemingly endless halls of Anhembi Park in the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo and handles all sorts of ingredients and devices. It is serious. On Wednesday the competitions of the world championships World Skills started. Hollow has trained countless celebration evenings to make it to the point where the best of their profession compete.

High expectations

Franz Probst dedicated himself to overcoming this problem. He is also in São Paulo these days, but in a different mission. Probst is founder and CEO of SkillSonics. The company “exports” Swiss vocational education abroad, where it offers companies vocational training programs based on proven Swiss methods. In India, the company has already trained 4,000 workers. Its customers include, above all, Swiss companies that lack specialists abroad. They also have this problem in Brazil, where Probst is likely to launch a project soon. He has concrete inquiries from the economy, and he also has positive signals from public institutions and associations. «The Swiss apprenticeship is becoming an export hit», says Probst, who now hopes for the best possible performance of the Swiss delegation to the World Skills. The young participants from Switzerland are the best ambassadors for the Swiss education system. This is getting more and more attention.

On the subject

Success thanks to a dual education system and heart and soul. Much personal commitment and great support from employers and professional associations make the Swiss participants to co-favorites at the World Skills in Brazil.

LE TEMPS

Publications

How Skillsonics exports the Swiss learning model to India

Skillsonics has already trained 5000 Indians according to Swiss learning methods. Franz Probst, its founder and president, presents the necessary adjustments to the Swiss model, as well as its ambitions in Bangladesh, Brazil and South Africa

Emerging countries are not only interested in the dual training model. They implement it. This is the case of India. Skillsonics collaborates with state departments and Swiss companies to “export Swiss apprenticeship to this continent,” according to Franz Probst, founder and chairman of the company responsible for making the Swiss learning model available to companies in India.

“Bobst was our flag bearer, one of the top four companies that played the game,” he tells us in Zurich. ABB, Bühler, Rieter and others, Swiss, German and now Indian have trained 5,000 Indians according to the Swiss apprenticeship model, he says. 500 have completed more than one year of training, while others have shorter courses lasting from one week to six months to meet specific needs.

The need for strong growth

Skillsonics, present in 25 locations in India, plays the role of “facilitator of this transfer of know-how,” according to Franz Probst. It does not create an additional training institute but offers “software”, namely an English curriculum, exam system, engagement criteria and certification.

Specifically, companies pay Skillsonics for its service, which pays a commission to Swissmem and the Confederation. His model needs a strong growth of students. “In 2016, we will reach 6,000 apprentices. We need to increase the number of students by 1,000 per year to achieve balance, “argues Franz Probst.

It all started in 2007 with the Federal Office for Vocational Training and Technology (OFFT) and the need expressed by Swiss companies present in India that belonged to the Swiss machinery industry (Swissmem), explains Franz Probst, at President of the Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce.

“India fascinates me. I’ve been to school since 1965. I was ten, “says Probst. His father had already participated in the installation of Rieter in this country. The president of Skillsonics is also a business lawyer in Winterthur and Zurich, “my real livelihood, a job that rarely offers adventures to participate in innovation,” he observes.

Profitable and sustainable knowledge transfer

The export of Swiss apprenticeship is conditional on a sustainable and profitable transfer of knowledge. The challenge is threefold: “The private sector must take over from the Confederation, which can not finance it permanently. India must collaborate. Finally, Switzerland and India must work hand in hand and form a bilateral team, “he says. Recall that Switzerland and India, despite ongoing discussions, have not yet reached bilateral agreement in the field of vocational training.

One hundred professional trainings are on the program. Skillsonics is preparing for the introduction of two new courses: Sanitary Installer and CFC Trade Employee. The latter is addressed not only to companies of machines but to all branches.

Local adjustments

The Swiss model implemented in India is not quite identical to the original Swiss version. “It has to be adapted to the local context,” says Franz Probst. In Switzerland, the system is based on the needs of the labor market, and therefore of the private economy. A Swiss polymechanic training requires many skills and four years of training. Such a period does not meet any demand in India. The course is present on the list of 100 courses offered, but only takes two years. The reference is lower. “It must be designed to be adapted to young people in rural areas, who have a different philosophy of life,” explains Franz Probst. Training begins with learning English, teamwork, time organization, the importance of punctuality.

In India, courses, usually two years old, are offered to young people a little older than in Switzerland, after two years of training at the ITI (Industrial Training Institute).

In India, training meets more specific needs. For example, a Swiss welder is responsible for machine preparation, material selection and even final control. An Indian welder only manages one step. The system is also more segmented according to the duration of the courses.

Limited grants

The Confederation participated in the project through the State Secretariat for Education and Innovation (SERI), which allows the financing of projects up to 60%. Set up in 2008, the program was subsidized until the end of 2012. The state paid half, “less than five million,” according to Franz Probst. The rest was provided by companies and Skillsonics. The latter was created in 2011, before, in 2013, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) became part of its capital. The latter is an investment vehicle, privately managed, financed by the Ministry of Finance in the amount of $ 200 million. Indian regulations have also been adapted to allow the dual system.

The success rate for exams for new courses exceeds 90%. “They are not easy,” according to Franz Probst. “In 2015, Swissmem offered to lighten them, which we refused to guarantee their quality,” he adds.

Now in Bangladesh

The difficulties encountered by Skillsonics in exporting Swiss apprenticeship resemble those of start-ups. The organization is small. It has only 24 employees. The second challenge is to “convince local businesses that adopting the model is an investment (not a cost) and that it increases competitiveness and productivity,” says Franz Probst. “However, I do not believe that Indian companies will compete with Switzerland soon. Conversely, Swiss companies can not focus on mass products and must invest in low-cost markets, “says the lawyer.

Competitive projects at Skillsonics exist. Germans, English and Australians also bring their own models. Skillsonics is trying to introduce it to South Africa and Brazil. She has just started in Bangladesh with a Swiss company, which does not want to be named yet.

Swiss vocational training – India

Publications

  • Testimonials

    Andreas Bischof
    Head of VET, Bühler Group

    “Every dollar invested in these promising talents is money well spent and a win-win for workers and companies. The Swiss apprenticeship model makes economic sense because it not only gives graduates a chance to start their careers fully prepared, but the company also benefits from a highly skilled workforce.”

    Kamesh Sundaram
    Head - People Development at Texmo Industries

    “When our students graduate from SkillSonics training programs they are ready for the shop floor and are immediately deployable as a productive workforce”

    Kirit Patel
    Assistant Manager, Swiss VET and Welding, GMM Pfaudler

    “Students are able to perform a quality check on their own – they are trained to identify and correct the mistakes when the required quality standard is not met. The Swiss methodology prevents them from making the same errors again.”

Swiss vocational training initiative in India

The demand for highly qualified, professionally trained people is increasing worldwide. VET systems in different countries are not comparable to those of Switzerland. training usually takes place at schools that have little in common with the local economy. Or the training takes place in individual companies and is geared to the specific needs of the company. Thereby hardly any generic competences or general education are taught. In India too, VET is quite different than here. This book summarizes the backgrounds, concepts and outcomes of the Swiss VET initiative in India. The initiative responds to demands from local Swiss companies, which can only exploit their growth potential if better qualified staff is available. Together with the companies involved, with regional vocational schools, Coordinating organizations and authorities have designed, conducted and evaluated a fascinating role concept for the implementation of elements of the dual VET system in India. The results are promising for expansion into other regions and professions. The book also highlights the obstacles that must be overcome in such a project.

The Swiss Teaching for the World

Publications

The Swiss Teaching for the World

The dream of many young people in developing and emerging countries is to rise economically and socially. The way out of poverty is a sound vocational education. A Swiss-Indian company Skillsonics has already enabled over 5,000 young Indians to receive training based on Swiss vocational training. Franz Probst, the founder of the company, is not an altruist but a pragmatist. His company should be profitable, he says. Because: “Only if the economic success is also sustainable”, so Probst. That’s why he negotiates with business partners rather than development organizations and dependent aid recipients. Mary Sagaya is 21, single, and has a dream. She would like to train as a vocational school teacher mechanics and technicians. Their desire is still a long way off, but the chances of realizing it are good. Today Mary is in her second year of training as a poly mechanic (Multi Skilled Production Technician) at the Swiss branch of grain mill manufacturer Buhler in Bangalore, India. The training lasts two years – half of the week Mary spends in the training workshop and the other in the classroom. The apprentice’s salary amounts to 8300 Indian rupees per month, the equivalent of 130 francs. This is significantly more than the average Indian wage of around 90 francs a month. Mary can support her family with it. The fact that the young woman travels this training path is a rarity in India, where today only just two percent of all working people have undergone vocational training. Thanks to Franz Probst, a lawyer from Winterthur. So far, he has taught more than 5,000 young Indians an apprenticeship – by 2022 it is said to be one million. As the Indian government plans to train up to 500 million professionals by 2023, its commitment is on fertile ground. Probst sits in his office with twelve employees and tells in a mixture of Bern and Zurich German from India, where he has spent part of his schooling. The country and its people are close to the heart of the 60-year-old. He is a philanthropist with a vision: “Everyone should be able to earn a decent living in the 21st century.” The beginning of this path is to be made in India. But Franz Probst does not want to be a benefactor. He also wants to earn money.

The idea

behind Switzerland In order to achieve its goal, it has founded the company SkillSonics with Indian partners. The company adapts Swiss teaching to Indian needs. There are a total of 100 different vocational training courses offered by the company – and there are more and more. Not only apprentices, but also vocational teachers are didactically and practically trained and teaching aids are developed. The fact that Probst was able to win over the influential federation of the Swiss machinery industry (Swissmem) as well as India’s most powerful Indian vocational training organization, which is affiliated with more than 4,000 vocational schools, is not only due to its lovable nature – its company has an excellent reputation in India ,
The official Switzerland also has an interest in promoting dual Swiss vocational training worldwide. It wants to increase the reputation of Switzerland as a place to work and to work. The underlying idea: The expansion of vocational training in India should promote economic relations. Last but not least, Swiss companies in India also have an interest in well-trained specialists, because they are not so easy to find in India.

Academic glut instead of craftsmen

When the water pipe drips, you can quickly find someone who stuffs the leak. Whether the line is still tight after a day is another matter. For decades, the emphasis in the Indian education system has been on academic education. Teaching, as we know it in Switzerland, does not exist in India. This is taking its revenge today. The country is flooded by academics, while there are hardly any skilled artisans. The reason: The practical training has a bad image. This is seen as training that “only” leads to a “blue collar” profession of getting one’s hands dirty – a job that offers no career opportunities. Probst therefore knows that there is a lot of persuasion to do. This starts with the companies: “The realization that the training of employees pays off, matures only when companies see that they can produce better quality products with professionals.” Optimistic Probst agrees that the demand for “Swiss Skills” who enjoy a superb image in professional circles in India and whom he offers, is constantly increasing. This is due to a strategic coup that Probst has succeeded in: The National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), which is working to promote vocational training in India, has joined as a partner in SkillSonics.

"Vocational training not just private"

The classic development cooperation between Switzerland and India was stopped in 2010 after more than fifty years. The country that sent a probe to Mars in 2013 is rightfully no longer considered a developing country. It is in the middle of industrialization and has the potential to become an economic world power.
The impact of past development aid in India is controversial: the Swiss Federal Audit Office, which examined the sustainability of Swiss development projects in India in 2013, came up with devastating results.
State intervention in India enjoys little credit in the population. He is considered sluggish, inefficient and corrupt. Greater is the trust in the entrepreneurs, which also benefits Probst’s company. It promises to produce better educated professionals than the Indian state. For probst, however, it is clear that you can not leave the training private. “It needs a supervision, which ensures that the training is not limited to the specific needs of each company and qualitative standards and duties of care are met,” said the entrepreneur. That’s why Skillsonics works closely with VET organizations.

Not yet profitable

The Indian subsidiary of the Swiss engineering group ABB now trains twice as many apprentices with the help of SkillSonics as it did two years ago. Nevertheless, SkillSonics alone does not earn enough with Indian subsidiaries of Swiss companies, which still make up a large proportion of its customers today. He has to get the apprenticeship that Probst needs for blacks in Indian companies. For each apprentice who completes a two-year course, Skillsonics receives 900 francs from the company. With today’s 200 apprentices, the cost of teaching materials and quality control is not covered – it takes 800 apprentices per year. However, there is no lack of potential: Twelve million young people enter the labor market every year.

Worldwide interest

Although as a lawyer he has never learned the lesson personally, Franz Probst is convinced of Swiss vocational training. “Craft still has a golden ground,” he is convinced. Today he is in negotiations with companies and organizations in South Africa and Brazil who are interested in “Swiss Skills”. And where does Franz Probst get the energy from, sometimes difficult negotiations and cross-cultural bridges? His answer is simple: “I want to do something meaningful in life and leave traces.”

About SkillSonics Skillsonics'

work dates back to 2008. At that time, Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard launched the “Swiss Vocational Education and Training Initiative India” (SVETII) as a public-private pilot project in India. The Skillsonics team led the project, which was partly funded by the Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. In 2012 Franz Probst founded SkillSonics. Its partners include the Swiss Engineering, Electrical and Metallurgical Industry Association (Swissmem) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.