Michaela Hediger is 23 years old and is completing an apprenticeship as a polymechanic with us "at the castle", as the locals so affectionately say. Michaela Hediger, a radiant personality reports:
How did it come about? How does Michaela experience training in a rather male-dominated environment? What does she particularly like about this profession and what are her goals?
Michaela grew up in Burg and had the opportunity to get to know our company as a child. She accompanied her father on the National Future Day. Thomas Hediger has been working as a mechanic at Eichenberger for 26 years. As a teenager, she earned her pocket money in the screw drive assembly department during the vacations.
Michaela: "You can change the future with what you do today"
That sounds perfect, but you then successfully completed a 3-year apprenticeship as a chef, why?
I am completely and utterly a family person. I love cooking and spoiling my loved ones with delicious meals. Conjuring up something tasty from seasonal produce still appeals to me today. So the idea of doing an apprenticeship as a chef was an obvious one at the time. Unfortunately, in my first job as a chef, I soon realized that this work would not make me happy in the long term. After seven months, I decided to take a different path.
Oh, that was probably not an easy phase for you, but many roads lead to Rome... what was your plan then?
I needed some time to clarify my professional wishes and goals. I was happy to accept the offer from Eichenberger Gewinde AG so that I could still have an interesting job and earn money. I signed a temporary contract as an assembly assistant.
During this time, Michaela also gained an insight into the technical professions of mechanical technician, production mechanic and polymechanic.
Polymechanics work in the development, manufacture and assembly of tools, device parts or entire production systems. One of the main tasks of polymechanics is production, where orders are carried out from start to finish. Turning, milling, drilling and grinding machines are used for one-off productions or prototypes, on which it is important to learn the trade. In most cases, however, work is carried out on computer-controlled machines. Polymechanics program the production machines on the basis of design drawings and determine the processing steps and the tools required, which they then use to load the production equipment themselves. Once test runs have been carried out and the machine has been set up perfectly, production is run under constant supervision. Finally, the polymechanics use high-precision measuring and testing instruments to check the quality of the individual workpieces.
You have a lot of potential! Eichenberger Gewinde AG has apparently recognized this. You have been training as a polymechanic since August 2018.
How did this come about and how do you feel about it today?
I'm doing brilliantly! I haven't regretted my decision to start a second apprenticeship for a second. Back then, the HR specialist from Eichenberger approached me and wanted to talk to me. She explained to me that I had the best qualifications for an apprenticeship as a polymechanic. She really motivated me! And yes, it's true, I have manual skills, a technical understanding and a keen interest in mechanical interrelationships, which I hadn't been aware of before.
You are now in your 3rd year of apprenticeship, what experiences have stayed with you?
I appreciate the family atmosphere in the company and think the people are great. They are very open, friendly and helpful. Everyone needs affirmation, that motivates you and that also applies to the workplace. I've seen that managers sometimes tend to only seek a conversation when negative incidents occur. That's not the case at Eichenberger; positive feedback is part of everyday working life. This makes the tasks easy for me. Things are also going quite well at school. Math and physics are my favorite subjects. However, I often feel that I have more trouble than the men in the subjects of mechanical engineering, drawing and electrical engineering.
Men, that's a good keyword... female power in a male domain, how does it feel?
Many people think that as a woman you have to listen to some kind of slogan, but that's not the case. I've never heard anything like that before and I don't have to stand up for myself. Maybe as a woman, I also bring a bit of calm to things. Gender makes no difference to me. But my age certainly helps me here. I now feel confident and can be completely authentic. This makes it very easy for me to deal with my colleagues in the team.
The apprenticeship as a polymechanic combines school and practice and lasts 4 years. Those who successfully complete the apprenticeship receive a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) and can enter the job market directly or go on to higher education.
What are your goals?
According to statistics, people with a vocational diploma have three times better chances in the world of work. So next year I just want to do well in my exams, work as a polymechanic for a while and enjoy the world of work. Everything else will follow automatically.
The Swiss economy is strong. To ensure that we remain one of the most competitive countries in the world, we need qualified employees. We train the next generation of screw drive experts ourselves.
Is there anything you would like to pass on to future apprentices?
I recommend this apprenticeship to anyone who finds technical processes fascinating and enjoys working with their hands. I like the fact that orders that you receive in the morning, for example, are processed into finished parts. So at the end of the day you can see what you have achieved.
And - women do this job just as well as men!
Anyone can try us out.
Sign up for a trial apprenticeship as a poly- or production mechanic or as a mechanical technician: At Mrs. Christine Rotendirect dial: 062 762 10 58, hr.eag@festo.com
