AGVS: Fascination with cars important in career choice
A survey of apprenticeship graduates in the Swiss automotive industry shows that, despite many prophecies of doom, the fascination that cars hold for many young people has not changed. Every year, around 2700 young people start a basic technical apprenticeship in the automotive industry. The vast majority are still employed after successfully completing their apprenticeships as automotive mechatronics technicians, automotive specialists or [...]
Every year, around 2700 young people start a basic technical training program in the automotive industry. The vast majority are satisfied with the profession even after successfully completing their apprenticeship as an automotive mechatronics technician, automotive specialist or automotive assistant and would recommend this training to others.
Representative survey among apprentices
The basic technical apprenticeships combine manual skills, technical understanding and customer contact. A good 1,000 young professionals filled out the AGVS online questionnaire after completing their apprenticeship.
More than three quarters of them cited the "fascination of automobiles" as the reason for their choice of career, followed by the versatility of the profession, the broad technical training and the good opportunities for pursuing a career in the automotive industry.
Permeability of the training system
The association is encouraged by the fact that around 25 percent of automotive specialists want to complete the two-year additional training course to become automotive mechatronics technicians after completing their three-year apprenticeship.
Olivier Maeder, who is responsible for education on the AGVS Executive Board, says: "The permeability of our system with automotive assistants, specialists and mechatronics engineers makes a significant contribution to maintaining the number of trained automotive mechatronics engineers at the current level."
Important factor is a trial apprenticeship
In the age of the Internet and digital information, another result of the survey confirms the overriding importance of the trial apprenticeship. For 72 percent of respondents, the trial apprenticeship was the most important factor influencing the vocational apprenticeship, followed by discussions with parents and friends.
During the trial apprenticeship, the working atmosphere and the mood in the team were decisive for the choice of the apprenticeship company - even before the proximity to the place of residence, the brand or the possibility of further employment after the apprenticeship.
