Biel/Bienne (Switzerland), July 6, 2018 – 197 apprentices from Swatch Group’s training companies in Switzerland and Germany celebrated this week the successful completion of their apprenticeship together.

This year’s closing ceremony featured the tagline “Create your future”, words that encouraged the learners to retain their creativity at all times and to continue to play an active role in shaping their own professional futures. At the end of the ceremony, the apprentices and the 400 guests were surprised by a private concert performance by Swiss music star Bastian Baker.

Swatch Group trains 620 apprentices in 39 different professions in Switzerland and abroad. A third of them completes their training in mechanical professions while another third qualifies as watchmakers. Around 70% of all apprentices will be employed within the Group upon completion of their apprenticeship. Swatch Group attaches great importance to vocational education and training, which ensures that a new generation of skilled young professionals will be available for Switzerland’s production locations. The high level of manufacturing expertise is, among other things, a key factor in our ability to innovate.