Your apprenticeship as plant and equipment engineer (EFZ).
As a plant and equipment engineer, you can create the most diverse products from sheet metal – from toasters all the way through to aircraft fairings.
What does the everyday work of a plant and equipment engineer involve? Based on technical drawings, they manufacture housings for household appliances, metal cabinets, parts for production lines and even aircraft parts. In doing so, they process sheet metal, metal profiles and pipes using saws, bending apparatus and welding equipment, plus high-tech equipment such as computer-controlled bending machines, welding robots and laser cutting systems. Together with other specialists, they assemble the individual parts into systems and units. Depending on the size of the workpiece, this can take place in the factory, directly at the customer, in Switzerland and sometimes even abroad. Maintenance and repair work is also part of the job, as is the planning and operation of systems. Despite the many machines involved, this profession is strongly based on manual work. It is absolutely ideal for those who are proactive and like getting their hands dirty.
In terms of academic requirements for this technical apprenticeship, you need to have passed your intermediate or higher vocational school exam with good grades in mathematics and geometry .
As for your personal qualities, a passion for exploring technical contexts and working with metal is essential. You work precisely and carefully, are good with your hands and have good spatial perception.
Basic vocational training lasts four years – two years of basic training at our in-house metalworking shop ending with the interim examination, followed by two years of specialisation and additional training. Industry courses take place at the IDM Thun vocational training centre. By taking part in assignments in our apprentice workshop and assembly department, you can also gain more experience in addition to your apprenticeship. Those who successfully complete their apprenticeship are awarded the IPA certificate (Individuelle Praktische Arbeit). After this, you can strike out on your chosen career path – for example, as an automation engineer or industrial foreman – and can climb the career ladder to become a group leader or fitter.
