Apprenticeships across the Atlantic

The Bühler Group manufactures machines for food processors and other industries that require specialized training to maintain. To be sure its U.S. workforce is ready, the Swiss company runs an apprenticeship academy in Minneapolis.

“We train them the way we think is right, and we can adapt the training to the skills that we need,” said Patrick Bolt, who himself trained as a Bühler apprentice in Switzerland and now manages the Minnesota academy. The labor market doesn’t typically offer workers with the right skills, he said.

European model in the U.S.

Apprenticeships are a primary pathway to work in European nations, including Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Though less common in the United States, earn-while-you-learn apprenticeships are gaining popularity with companies in America. The United States gained 2 million new apprentices between 2012 and 2021, a 64% increase, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, 14,700 new apprenticeship programs were created during the same period.

During the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week, November 17–23, the U.S. Department of Labor will partner with workers, industry, and state and municipal governments to hold events promoting apprenticeships across the United States.

The U.S. Department of State collaborates with European countries to expand exchange opportunities for apprentices and vocational students. The United States has recently taken steps to expand professional growth in the U.S. and Switzerland through a new exchange program that will send American apprentices and vocational students, ages 18–35, to Switzerland, while Swiss apprentices work in the U.S.

And the U.S. and Austria are working to create new opportunities for technical and vocational students and recent graduates from both countries to experience professional development and cultural exchange.

Bühler’s apprenticeship program is based on a European model. The company recruits American apprentices from nearby high schools, offers a technical track focused on electronics, robotics and automation, as well as a business track that provides training in human resources, marketing and logistics. Apprentices prepare for an industry-accredited exam and degree. In exchange for the company’s bearing the cost of training, apprentices agree to stay on the job for two years after graduation.

Leanne Baer, from Zurich, chose an apprenticeship at age 15 to earn a salary while learning to navigate the working world. She apprenticed at a travel agency in Switzerland, learning about the travel industry while gaining business skills she can apply to a variety of fields.

Now 19, Baer credits the experience with helping her obtain an internship at the New School in New York, where she applies her marketing and customer service skills to create social media content and coordinate student events. Her internship is through a partnership between the Swiss canton, or state, where she is from and U.S. schools.

“You grow so much while working,” she said of her apprenticeship. “You learn how to communicate, you learn how to take responsibility for your own work. … You evolve really quickly.”