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Teachers should spend more time with their pupils despite full order books. Encouragement is approval.
There are upset young heating installers at the Zurich Canton Building School. You will need to sit your final exam soon.
“I feel well prepared. But the voice inside me says something else, ”says the aspiring professional. Another student is afraid of the driving test: several people reported that they did not finish on time because of stupid mistakes. In fact, last year, every fourth apprentice failed to cope with the job.
Supporters at the expense of practical training?
Mirjam Brassel, head of department at a construction school, knows the reasons why the failure rate is so high, especially in the construction related industries: On the one hand, many apprentices are not well trained by their companies. In the booming construction industry, many teachers have too little time to properly teach students the skills.

Legend: The professions related to construction include heating and plumbing fitters, floor and panel installers, but also construction technicians and electricians and installers. key stone
Brassel describes the typical case of a plumber who had to carry the tubs upstairs endlessly and frequently, which meant that the rest of his training was neglected: “In other words: the apprentice was used and abused as cheap labor.” That is why many apprentices have problems with the practical exam at the end of the training.
The apprentice was used and used as a cheap labor force. This is one of the reasons why many people have problems with the driving test.
But according to Brassel, there are also problems with theoretical knowledge. Weaker students in particular suffered from class size and the lack of support classes. As headmistress, she also looks anxiously at overworked teachers: “Teachers regularly report that they just can’t do anything else and that more and more tasks are being added. It makes me helpless. Teachers do what they can.
However, a quarter of them fail the final exam. Anyone who fails the exam after three or four years of apprenticeship faces chaos: last year there were nearly 6,000 young adults in Switzerland.
teacher on the school bench?
A solution that starts with businesses comes from Thomas Rentsch. He established a foundation and offers teacher training courses. They should take training seriously and take better care of students.
Teachers would have to change their mindsets, emphasizes Rentsch: “They should no longer look down on themselves as teachers, but as companions in learning who strive to achieve a common goal on an equal footing.”
The quality seal should set a precedent
If companies make efforts to train their apprentices well, they receive the Foundation’s seal of approval “Top Training Company”. The investment is worth it, says Rentsch: “Good training companies have the right working atmosphere. It wears off. Most of the people are long-term employees who are fully committed to the company and their work. »
Good training companies have the right working atmosphere. It wears off.
To date, 250 companies have tried to get approval. Rising trend. Various industry associations, such as associations of painters, roofers and gardeners, encourage cooperation with the Thomas Rentsch Foundation.
Other industries are moving in a similar direction and want to hire educational trainers. Experts who enter companies and support apprentice tutors there. Efforts are therefore being made to improve apprenticeship training.