At BOBST, one of our secrets to maintaining our leadership in the packaging industry for over 130 years is ensuring that our skills and values are passed down to every generation.

Apprenticeships are a central element of this and, as you would expect from BOBST, we do it in the most comprehensive and innovative way possible. In our specially designed vocational training center, young people have the opportunity to acquire technical, methodological, social and individual skills, which lead them to autonomy and versatility. They develop their personality and build the future of the company.

“We don’t just want to train people to follow a set of instructions, we want our employees to have the skills and autonomy to really innovate,” says Milovan Ilic, Head of Professional Training at BOBST. “We give them the foundation of skills they need in a safe and encouraging environment, and help them to thrive. It’s very rewarding to see what our young apprentices go on to achieve at BOBST, and ultimately the benefits that brings to our customers.”

Apprenticeships offered at BOBST include Mechanical Designers, Mechatronics, Commercial employees, Mechanics and others. In total, more than 3,500 apprentices have successfully been trained since 1929, and there are currently almost 180 apprentices undergoing training. They are trained in a QSC-certified training center under the supervision of 12 BOBST trainers.

“With our industry evolving so rapidly, the challenge is ensuring that we are identifying and training the professions that will be the most essential in the future,” says Milovan Ilic. “It’s why we are also targeting novel trades such as Mediamatician, Media Technologist and Packaging Technologist. We feel with the apprenticeship program we have in place, the future of BOBST and our customers is in good hands.”