SwissSkills 2022 expects record participation
On September 7, 2022, the third central Swiss vocational championships "SwissSkills 2022" will open on the grounds of Bernexpo. The organizers can count on record participation for this major five-day event, which celebrates the diversity and excellence of Swiss vocational education and training.
Between September 7 and 11, 2022, the grounds of Bernexpo will for the third time after 2014 and 2018 become a huge temporary stage for over 1000 talented professionals from around 140 different Swiss apprenticeship professions. The format of the central SwissSkills enables the public and especially young people in the career orientation process to look over the shoulders of the country's best young professionals at work and thus experience a wide variety of apprenticeships on a 1:1 basis.
Record participation and strong signs from the business community
Daniel Arn, President of the organizing association SwissSkills Bern, is extremely pleased with the huge interest on the part of the professional associations that will present their apprenticeships and hold Swiss championships at SwissSkills. "Neither for the first two events held in 2014 and 2018, nor for SwissSkills 2020, which has unfortunately been postponed by two years for corona reasons, did we have so many registrations from the professional associations," explains the OC President. Equally pleasing is the interest on the part of public and private partners. In addition to the support from the public sector, SwissSkills can once again count on great support from the business community. "Our previous partners have remained loyal to us and already the first new sponsors have joined us," continues Arn. "Our vocational training system has proven itself extremely well in the current crisis and offers young people in the country prospects even in these unfamiliar times. More than ever, SwissSkills 2022 will be a showcase for Swiss vocational education and training, such a central pillar of Switzerland as a place to work and think. Together with all those involved and, above all, the young professionals in action, we will send out an important signal of new beginnings in the fall of 2022."
120,000 visitors expected
The organizers are confident that they will be able to offer visitors an inspiring event experience with unique insights into the variety of professions without any drastic restrictions by one year from now. Some 120,000 visitors are expected over the five days of the event, including 60,000 schoolchildren from all over Switzerland, who will be able to visit SwissSkills in Berne as part of a forward-looking school trip. Thanks to the partnership with SBB, school classes from all over Switzerland will be able to travel to SwissSkills in Bern for a maximum of CHF 20 per person.
Qualification process started - details available on new SwissSkills website
The selection process for apprentices to take part in SwissSkills 2022 has already begun in some professions. As diverse as the SwissSkills professions are, so are the participation criteria for SwissSkills set by the respective professional associations. An overview of the criteria and any preliminary competitions can be found on the SwissSkills website (www.swiss-skills.ch/mitmachen). While the selection process has already started in some professions, in others it will not be determined until after the final apprenticeship examinations in summer 2022 who can take part in SwissSkills in September.
SwissSkills Champions Vera Stocker and Yunus Ruff are the "Faces" of SwissSkills 2022
One year before the opening, the new main advertising motif for SwissSkills 2022 was also published. It shows the two current SwissSkills champions Vera Stocker (baker-confectioner EFZ, Swiss champion in the bakery-confectionery category) and Yunus Ruff (automation technician EFZ; Swiss champion in the Industry 4.0) with their medals from the SwissSkills Championships 2020. The new motif reflects the emotionality and passion of the young professionals that make SwissSkills so unique.
Vera Stocker and Yunus Ruff are also members of the SwissSkills National Team due to their successes. In the coming year, they will be preparing intensively for the WorldSkills in Shanghai, which will take place in October 2022. Together with Silvan Wiedmer, Yunus Ruff will represent Switzerland at the EuroSkills in Graz (22 to 26 September) in just over two weeks.
