Michèle Höhener (age 21), Sheet metal worker apprentice at company headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland
“Any Uzwil native is familiar with Buhler AG. I would even go so far as to say that without Buhler, Uzwil would still be a small village”, states Michèle Höhener. As a child she often wondered what life was like behind the scenes of Buhler. However, her first personal encounter with the company actually happened at a vocational training fair in St. Gallen. “A former Buhler apprentice talked to me and asked me if I’d be interested in operating the welding machine”, the 21 year-old recalls. At first she was hesitant. But then she had to admit that using fire as a “glue” was, in fact, a lot of fun.While she was still exploring her career options, Michèle participated in a trial apprenticeship for sheet metal worker. However, she wasn’t fully convinced that this traditionally male-dominated industry was right for her: “Although it did interest me very much as a career, I ended up deciding to do an apprenticeship in business administration instead”.
However, her interest in welding stayed with her. After completing her training, she started another apprenticeship insheet metal worker. The core focus of the program consisted of cutting, shaping and joining as well as assembling and commissioning. “What I like most about my job is that I can work independently and take full responsibility for my assignments”.
“One highlight of my apprenticeship was definitely my two-month work assignment at our Buhler site in Wuxi, China”, recalls the 21 year-old. Additionally, she and 19 other Buhler apprentices were given the opportunity to meet Wan Gang, the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, and to present him with an automatic pepper mill that the trainees had developed by themselves.
After this experience, the Uzwil native can well imagine herself working at another one of Buhler’s facilities abroad. “With my technical understanding and my background in business, I have a wide range of diverse opportunities”, she says. She certainly is not lacking in self-confidence. For Michèle Höhener has learned a lot more than just building equipment: “An important lesson I’ve learned along the way is to not overreact or take everything personally” says the 21 year-old, who is also a member of the on-site fire brigade. On the other hand, it’s great to have so many fellow trainees: “This way, we can all help each other and exchange the experiences we gain along the way”.
