Battenberg Foundation, Biel - At The Service Of Watchmaking Companies

For 50 years the Battenberg Foundation has opened its doors to individuals with physical or mental disabilities in order to train and reintegrate them in the world of work. Many find employment in watchmaking professions.

Established in 1962 and based in Biel, the Battenberg Foundation celebrates its fiftieth anniversary at the end of this year. In the early 1960s, a burgeoning watch industry was seriously short of manpower. At the initiative of industry and the Confederation, the Foundation was set up with a view to training physically handicapped people in the skills of watchmaking. The institution quickly became a success and three years later added a residential wing enabling it to accept trainees from all over Switzerland.

Over the years and as the needs of the economy evolved, the Foundation had to diversify and broaden the scope of its training. Teaching in other skills was proposed in fields such as electronics, mechanical engineering, gastronomy, stewardship, administration, and information technology. Today, a wide range of around thirty different skills is available to individuals with health problems in search of training or reorientation. Currently, as part of its training programme, the institution also carries out work on a commission basis for a number of firms in the fields of watchmaking (repair and servicing of pocket watches, wristwatches and clocks, preparation and assembly operations, fitting and casing-up), engineering (drilling, turning and milling on conventional and CNC machines, manufacture of simple printed circuits, assembly and wiring of distribution equipment), administration (invoicing, mail-shots, accounting, general office work) and food preparation (catering service for corporate events or family celebrations). Every weekend, bakery and patisserie products are also prepared and sold to the institution’s employees, neighbours and friends.

Referred mainly under the Disability Insurance scheme (AI), future trainees undergo a period of observation upon their arrival at the Foundation during which trainers, teachers and psychologists prepare an assessment of the individual’s professional, scholastic and personal skills. Placements in different training workshops are provided to help with the setting of personal goals. The Foundation adapts to assessments of each individual’s abilities and offers courses ranging from several months to four years in duration. Distance from home, the degree of disability, and age – a number of those enrolled are minors – mean that trainees sometimes have to live in. Rooms with full board are provided, while for those who are independent the institution offers apartments in Biel or in the region. To maximise their chances of integration and their independence, each person is monitored by a specialist, and depending on requirements may receive assistance from in-house social services.

Training related to the watch industry includes courses for watch repairers, watchmakers and watchmaking operators, as well as purely practical courses. Depending on their content, all lead to a Federal Certificate of Capacity (CFC), a Federal Certificate of Vocational Training (AFP) or a Battenberg certificate. The majority are sandwich courses (theory at a vocational college, practical training in one of the Foundation’s workshops). As part of their course, students complete a number of placements with firms, each lasting several weeks. They may also leave the Foundation after one or more years to complete their training in the economy, in which case they are accompanied by a coach from the Foundation.

Following the sixth revision of the AI, which stipulates faster reintegration of disabled people in the world of work, the Battenberg Foundation radically changed its modus operandi. Between now and 2015, major adaptations will gradually be introduced which will transform it into a veritable economic and social enterprise responsible for vocational training and integration. The bilingual Foundation, active at a national level, intends in this way to strengthen its collaboration with the economy, regularly bring innovations to market, and increase its competitiveness. These measures will allow it to strengthen its collaboration with firms not only in the Biel region but also over a wider area, in the fields of workplace integration and commission work. The Foundation hopes to intensify its watch industry training, requiring a larger number of apprenticeship places and work placement opportunities. It is therefore very keen to learn more about the requirements and plans of its partners in the economy and particularly those in the watch industry.

On 1st November this year, watchmaker and company director Andreas Löffler took up his appointment with the Battenberg Foundation. In his role as head of department, he directs the development and growth of the Foundation’s watchmaking sector. After training as a watchmaker at the Feinwerktechnikerschule in Schwenningen, he worked for the Glashütte Original manufactory in market-related posts. He has also worked for watchmaking firms such as La Boutique Suisse and Armin Strom.

The Battenberg Foundation has been run for three years by Markus Gerber, an economist who worked previously as head of financial administration for the canton of Bern, as well as in management roles for two international groups in the Swiss machine industry. The Board of the Foundation is chaired by Jean-Daniel Pasche, who is also President of the FH.

Having gained ISO and OFAS certification in 2003, the Foundation was recertified in 2009 and in August 2012 in accordance with new ISO 9000:2008 and OFAS-AI 2000 standards. These authentications are a good reflection of the continual pursuit of quality and competence to which the institution is committed in the world of training, professional and social integration.

For more information: www.battenberg.ch, info@battenberg.ch.

November 27, 2012