At the career fair, young people can find their future job

Already on the train to Zurich Oerlikon, school classes are crowded in the corridors and then walk past the Hallenstadion to the Zurich trade fair. It’s not a rap star that attracts people today, but rather the Zurich career fair – a gateway to young people’s professional future.

110 exhibitors present 240 apprenticeships at their stands; There are also numerous further training opportunities, as Encarnación Maria Dellai, director of the Zurich career fair, said at the opening event on Tuesday afternoon. In total, she expects around 55,000 visitors to the trade fair, which runs until November 23rd. The catchment area covers practically all of German-speaking Switzerland. Entry is free.

«It’s about the first steps into adult life. Here, young people also learn how to move and communicate in the professional world,” said Dellai in her opening speech. So get into the hustle and bustle of the trade fair.

Commercial apprenticeships are still the most popular

You pass stands that show the variety of professional opportunities: sometimes you can try out driving an army vehicle, sometimes you can get dummies’ hair done at a hairdresser’s stand. This is where the university hospital is positioned with career offerings ranging from nursing to the hotel industry and computer science. A stand there advertises virtual reality glasses for electrical professions.

Commercial apprenticeships are still most in demand, according to trade fair manager Dellai. And there are still clear gender differences: girls are more often interested in nursing professions, boys more often in computer science. Retail is also one of the most in-demand professional fields.

From apprentice to CEO

At the opening of the careers fair, Coop CEO Philipp Wyss vouched for the fact that this can take you far. He began his career with a commercial and butcher apprenticeship. He then climbed every step of the career ladder at Coop – until he reached the top of the Coop Group.

There are ten percent of all apprenticeships in the retail trade across Switzerland, says Wyss. Coop, for example, offers eleven different apprenticeships in the canton of Zurich – now also for aspiring bakers. “In addition to digital, there is a countermovement, namely craftsmanship,” says Wyss with conviction.

And adds what matters to many boys when choosing an apprenticeship: “It’s not just the salary that’s important, but also the perspective. The boys want to take responsibility.” The company is addressing this: “We continue to employ 70 percent of Coop’s apprentices. And we fill 75 percent of management positions internally, which is extremely important to me.”

The tingling in the fingers must be there

Anyone who asks around about apprenticeship providers at the career fair will quickly notice that the shortage of skilled workers is the big issue here too. Accordingly, different companies and industries are vying for attention.

Jeremy Levy, founder of Baker Street GmbH, helped design a stand for the electrical industry that is equipped with a kind of rotating game chair and virtual reality glasses. «KV and IT receive a lot of attention. But the electrical industry also offers many perspectives,” says the young entrepreneur. His strategy: “First we have to appeal to the heart, then the head.” The tingling sensation in the fingers must be there in order to decide on a career.

Zurich education director Silvia Steiner (center) also spoke at the opening of the career fair – and dispelled a myth: young people lack the motivation to perform. Steiner counters: “Our youth are very capable.”

“The boys can do what they need to be able to do.”

A recent study by the Zurich University of Education showed that 15-year-olds are linguistically creative and have a large vocabulary. Many people just have a problem with spelling. «But let’s be honest: we all use spelling programs these days. “So the young people can do exactly what they need to be able to do,” continued Government Councilor Steiner.

Thomas Hess, managing director of the SME and trade association of the Canton of Zurich, also took up the trend towards artificial intelligence (AI) and the resulting changing working world in his opening speech at the career fair. “AI will no longer disappear from the professional world,” says Hess. Many people are concerned about their jobs. “But electricians and mechanics remain indispensable,” says Hess. And: “Carpenters will increasingly work with AI that makes suggestions to them. But in the end they will decide for themselves what they want to implement.”