YOUNG TALENTS – we train qualified junior staff and give young talents the chance of getting their career in live communications off to a successful start. Habegger provides training in the fields of event equipment, media production and business administration. The company has been a training company since 2001. A new position as a mediamatician was added in 2023.
Natascha Evers, Producerin & Andreas Zwahlen, Crew Booker / Team Leader Apprenticeship Event Technology
In an interview with the two vocational trainers at Habegger, Natascha Evers and Andreas “Gizmo” Zwahlen, we take a look behind the scenes at what an apprenticeship at Habegger means and what challenges need to be overcome. They have both successfully completed the vocational trainer course and are thus prepared for all the topics that our current 11 apprentices look at.
Both agree that they want to pass on their knowledge, but also pave the way for the younger generation into the professional world on a human level.
Natascha: In our creative unit, we have brought together expertise from a wide range of areas and we see it as our duty to society to make a contribution. We not only teach job-related skills, but also interpersonal values and prepare learners in the best possible way for their careers. I used to want to be a teacher, but now I can combine this with my creative side, which has been a fulfilling part of my career so far.
Gizmo: I can only agree with Natascha. Training as an event technician is not a run-of-the-mill apprenticeship, the working hours are special, the job is special. The training has only been available in Switzerland since 2011, before that it was an occupational field for career changers. We are professionalising the trade. Personally, it gives me immense pleasure to accompany young people on their training path, to support them, to be their contact person and mentor. It’s great to see how the apprentices develop over the four years of training and grow into young adults.
The trained polygraphist and the career changer in the event industry with over 25 years of professional experience believe that there is no better mouthpiece for employer branding.
Gizmo: The apprentices tell their friends and acquaintances not only about the cool projects they are allowed to realise, but also about the team spirit among the apprentices. The fact that they don’t have a nine-to-five job and spend many hours together also leads to great friendships. They grow up together, experience the same joys and challenges, overcome hurdles together and that is an indescribable feeling that connects them and makes the training unique.
For us as a company, there is no better investment in the future, because after four years the young people know the company inside out.
Natascha: We have many employees who have stayed with Habegger after their training or have come back to us. We are always keen to take on apprentices after their training. In my opinion, there is no other company in the live communication industry that offers more apprenticeships than we do.
The better we train young people, the more expertise will remain in the company.
11 young talents at Habegger who are currently completing their training.
Natascha: During their training as mediamaticians, apprentices work on a wide variety of projects and in different departments. No two days are the same. They work quickly and very independently, the work is not repetitive. Habegger is also truly outstanding in the industry as a training company, because we cover all areas in-house – from creation with post-production, photography or virtual production to marketing, IT, finance and the entire event technology including our own warehouse, as well as our multi-skilled project management team.
Gizmo: As prospective event specialists, the trainees work in all trades – audio, lighting, video, staging, rigging, media integration, etc., gain in-depth insights into the subject matter and quickly take on responsibility. This is how they often become fascinated by a trade and specialise. We provide them with a bundle of theoretical and practical knowledge. They have many opportunities to help shape their training and pursue their interests.
Both Natascha and Gizmo are aware of their great responsibility. In addition to a transfer of knowledge, the young people are at the heart of everything.
Natascha: Accompanying young people from the age of 15 or 16 brings with it many a challenge. A lot happens on a physical and psychological level and during hormonal development in the early years and we have to be particularly sensitive to this, be empathetic and handle feelings with care. As vocational trainers, we also act as confidants. Be it conflicts at work or in their private life – we are there when they need us or ask if we notice a change.
Gizmo: We teach young people values that we also live by – such as commitment, appreciation and honesty. As Natascha says, a lot happens on a human level in the younger years and we want them to feel comfortable and secure in the company. Everyone is allowed to be who they are, because that way everyone can get the best out of themselves and perform at their best. And, in the end, we are all united by a passion for live communication.
Every two years, Habegger takes a close look at its own working environment together with “Great Place to Work®”, with the aim of identifying optimisation potential in order to remain an attractive employer in the future, too. In 2022, we have once again received the award for an optimal working environment.
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