Invest in your apprentices and reap the rewards, states the ECA. But these are not just hollow words, as three participants in the European apprentice exchange programme report from Switzerland.
Celebrations and industry initiatives came thick and fast during the ECA's centenary year. Members who had shown commitment in the past 100 years were rewarded, and discussions were made with current members as to how the industry can grow and improve – a topic that frequently came back to one answer: investment in apprentices.

Attracting young, intelligent people into the industry is only the first step it was said, once they begin they must have the best training and be given opportunities to advance and expand, as people as well as electricians. The ECA took this to heart and, as part of its centenary celebrations, it supported a European apprentice exchange programme with Switzerland.

The exchange placed second and third year electrical apprentices with the Swiss electrical contractor JB Jost AG Brugg, based in Brugg near Zurich. The programme involved selected English apprentices undertaking a six-week working exchange with the Swiss company, and then hosting the Swiss apprentices in England for a similar time period. Andreas Burgi, md of JB Jost AG Brugg, took care of the Swiss placement.

The objective of the exchange programme was to enable electrical apprentices to get a taste of European working practices, the operation of a European company, and experience the cultural differences between the two countries. One of the key features of the programme was that the apprentices had to live with the families of the Swiss apprentices. This gave an opportunity for all to experience the life and culture of each other's countries.

During the Swiss element of the programme all of the apprentices' employers visited JB Jost AG Brugg. This gave them a unique insight into the operation of a European electrical contractor, and allowed benchmarking of UK electrical installation techniques. During the exchange by the Swiss apprentices, Andreas Burgi visited sites in Coventry and Oxford.

The apprentices have all returned to their UK employers more knowledgeable than before they set off and better prepared for the remainder of their training. They have brought back new skills and new ideas. And, who knows: with pan-European working becoming more prevalent, perhaps they have brought their employers added advantages if overseas contracts are to be fought and won.

Following the success of the Swiss exchange, the ECA intends to develop the exchange programme in 2002 to encompass more European countries. It has received the support of the British Council for this work.

Any ECA member company interested in becoming involved within the apprentice exchange programme should contact Neil Cruickshank, education and training manager, on 020 7313 4821.

Differences in working practices

All of the apprentices found differences both in working practices and the materials used in Swiss electrical contracting compared to the methods they were used to in the UK. These included:

  • when metal conduit is used it is light gauge aluminium and is never fixed directly into the accessory;
  • push-on couplers and push-in connectors are used. Most second fixing materials have push-in connections, which saves time;
  • sockets and light switches are combined on the same plate and 10 A sockets are used instead of the UK’s 13 A versions;
  • power tools such as grinders and jigsaws are used rather than hacksaws;
  • lighting circuits and sockets are wired to ceiling junction boxes, with six different colours used for the switch wires. A feed is taken to the junction box from the fuse board;
  • all flush switch and socket boxes are plastics, which saves time as they do not need to be earthed. Also, on these boxes there is a door that stops plaster entering when the walls are being plastered;
  • all houses are wired in singles as a flexible plastics pipe is used for the enclosure, which is stuck in the walls and run across the floors;
  • plastics trunking and conduit are generally used without bends. This means that cables are exposed between the open ends;
  • four different wire strippers are used rather than craft knives or snips;
  • most of the cabling used is of the flexible type, not the flat twin and earth used on site in the UK;
  • joints where conduit meets trunking have no couplings or bushes, they are push-fit only;
  • junction boxes and conduit are fastened to the reinforcements in the ceilings prior to concreting. When the concrete is poured the conduit is buried.

Joe Treadaway

My host company in Switzerland was Jost Wohlen. I was working for one of the smaller of its seven branches, which had about 20 employees. The working hours were 7 am until 5 pm, five days a week. The main areas of work the company covers are industrial and domestic, but it also has a computer technology side. During my six weeks I experienced all three areas, although most of the work I did was industrial. My main job was in a new factory/offices where we were first and second fixing. Cultural differences
The relationship between the employer and employees was very relaxed and friendly, making it a good working environment. Many social activities and events were organised by the company, and I feel that this created good working relationships. The Swiss apprenticeship takes the same time as the UK, four years, however in Switzerland apprentices attend college one day a week compared to block and day release. The apprentice exchange improved for me as it progressed. My main difficulty was communication, as I could not speak German and the electricians I worked with could not speak English. Out of the office
I found Switzerland to be a very clean, beautiful and well-maintained country, which is respected by its citizens. My host family made me very welcome, as did my fellow workers, and the exchange provided me with a true insight of living and working in a different country.

David MacDonald

I met my exchange apprentice Reto Deithelm on my first day at work. The exchange started quite badly after arriving on site at 7 am. I was starting to understand some of the different ways in which electrical systems are installed, with Reto explaining the working practices, when the electrician on the project decided that there was not enough time to teach me that day. The initial setback was short-lived though, and over the next few weeks I started getting used to the Swiss way of working. Cultural differences
I noticed that the relationship between employer and employees in Switzerland is much stronger than in the UK, with the employer often respecting and acting on an employee’s point of view. I spoke to Reto about the differences between the two countries’ apprenticeships and I found that the Swiss method is a lot more theoretically based, whereas in the UK more practical work is involved. Out of the office
On the whole I thought that it was a very interesting experience. I have learnt a range of new skills and ways of doing things, and I would recommend the apprentice exchange programme to anyone that may be interested in doing it.

Ben Rushton

My first day of work started at 6 am. Most of the electricians meet for a coffee at the office every morning before leaving for work at around 7:15 am. This was the pattern for the next six weeks, over which I experienced many types of working practices. Cultural differences
Everyone working within 10-15 minutes from the office came back for break or lunch. The company provided fruit or croissants for mid-morning break, which forged good relationships between management and staff. Swiss apprentices attend college on a day release basis for a period of four years, they then undergo an end test similar to the AM2 in the UK. I attended college on a block release basis for the first two years of my apprenticeship. I feel that the latter is preferable as the theoretical work is easier done in blocks. Out of the office
I visited the mountains on three occasions. Two of the visits were to hydropower plants, the third was for a job that involved us making links for a bank of batteries which supplied power to a telephone system in a hostel. To reach this job we flew by helicopter as the hostel could not be reached by road. The flight took us through valleys with sheer mountainsides; the sights were stunning and it is an experience I will never forget. I think the exchange trip was beneficial, as it has given me an insight into different methods of work, a range of new experiences and the chance to enjoy another culture.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor