Training "on the job

The practice-integrated Bachelor's degree (PiBS) is a completely new concept on the Swiss education market. It combines and interlocks university studies with practical teaching in a company. The student spends half of his or her working time in the company, and the rest of the time is spent studying. The PiBS does not replace the dual vocational training, but enables the university student to gain relevant work experience.

Schindler Digital Business, a global company based in Ebikon, has been a practice partner in PiBS since 2016. Melanie Ockenfels started her studies at Schindler and at the FFHS in August. Adrienne Hur-tienne, Senior HR Business Partner, Gabriela Thalmann, Head HR Vocational Training, and An-tonino Schiliro, Head DTF Development, talk in an interview about their reasons for and experiences with the PiBS.

Ms. Hurtienne, why is Schindler a practice partner in the PiBS study training model at FFHS?
A. Hurtienne: The digitalisation of the economy and industry requires a high level of education. Although the educational landscape in Switzerland allows many opportunities for training, there are unfortunately too few skilled workers with higher education. The PiBS offers the opportunity to combine training and studies. As a partner, the company helps to control the level of the student through practical experience and the corresponding support. In addition, with this model we are no longer dependent on recruiting suitable specialists from other countries, but can also train them in Switzerland.

AB: Why a PiBS students instead of more computer science apprenticeships?
G. Thalmann: Schindler Vocational Training is the training center for the next generation of Schindler employees. The coordination (e.g. recruitment or training planning) of both EFZ trainees and PIBS students is handled by Schindler Vocational Training. With the start of the PIBS course, we have expanded our training portfolio in order to be able to address an even broader audience of young people to whom we can offer an entry into the world of the Schindler company. The two training courses are therefore not in competition with each other, but complement each other.

A. Hurtienne: Schindler Digital Business does not intend to reduce the traditional vocational training, because this know-how remains relevant. Higher education promotes analytical skills, conceptual and networked thinking. Graduates are able to acquire new skills and ways of thinking in a short time. The dynamics of digitalization and globalization make these skills increasingly important for Schindler Digital Business.

What do you see as the strengths of the PiBS?
G. Thalmann: The course was conceived, implemented and constantly re-evaluated by the FFHS. The needs of companies, students and lecturers are continuously recorded, evaluated and decisions are made together on what will strengthen the course. As a company, we can get involved. As a result, we experience the exchange with the FFHS as a partnership and productive.
A. Hurtienne: It is the unique combination of practice and university teaching, which is offered in a new course of studies with current topics.

Where do you see the weaknesses of practice-integrated studies?
G. Thalmann: It is not yet anchored in our educational landscape, which makes the search for suitable candidates somewhat more difficult. So far, however, we have received very good quality applications, so that we have still been able to fill our positions. I am sure that this hurdle will fall away as the level of awareness increases.

Mr. Schiliro, you are responsible for supervising PiBS students. Do you find this to be time-consuming?
A. Schiliro: At the beginning, the effort was greater, but this is not only due to the PiBS studies. Familiarization with the company and getting to know the tools and processes involve a certain amount of supervision for all new employees. In the first month, I estimate this at four hours per week. After that it is "normal" work. The effort is reduced to one or two hours per week.

AB: How quickly can a PiBS student be productively deployed and contributing?
A. Schiliro: After the introduction, I tried to assign productive tasks as quickly as possible. These tasks were not extremely time-critical and did not require high management attention. This allowed Melanie Ockenfels to concentrate on the task at hand and examine it from different angles.

With the PiBS, you train your "home-grown" UAS graduates. In which areas are the students to be employed later?
A. Hurtienne: Schindler Digital Business offers positions in a wide variety of areas. Students should choose the topic they enjoy the most. As a global company, we welcome and support assignments in one of our branches abroad.

How does a PiBS student differ from a "normal" employee?
A. Schiliro: Actually, there is no difference to the other employees, except that she is not at work for two days. From her feedback I learned that she appreciated the jump into the "cold" water.

And what do your colleagues at work say about the PiBS student?
A. Schiliro: The employees have welcomed the student well. She is an integral part of the team. In the past, we had already had very good experience with similar forms of training, so that the course is nothing "new" and is therefore also recognised and accepted.

How do you rate the cooperation with the FFHS?
G. Thalmann: It is a very enriching collaboration. Under the leadership of the FFHS, the PiBS is growing into a valuable community for the development of specialists in the area of informatics. Everyone is interested in developing new specialists through a needs-oriented and thus attractive course of training.

What is your interim conclusion after the first year?
G. Thalmann: Our first student has started successfully and is enthusiastic about her studies. Apart from one or two minor childhood illnesses, which have already been recorded and corrected by the FFHS, everything went wonderfully.

Are there points that have not yet been clarified in the cooperation with the university?
G. Thalmann: The evaluation of the study model as a pilot project is still open at the moment. But here too, the FFHS is on the ball and will keep us informed.

What advice do you have for interested companies?

A. Hurtienne: Ask the FFHS practice partners about their experiences with the study model.

What would you improve about the PiBS?
A. Hurtienne: I would like to see additional voluntary offerings at the FFHS, such as Design Thinking or Scrum. Collaboration with the digital switzerland initiative(1) would certainly be positive in order to make the model better known. It would also be great if the PiBS idea could be applied to other degree programmes!