For 37 years now, we have been encouraging young people to get involved in technology and IT, awakening their interest in careers in engineering and MINT subjects (mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology) and putting them in direct contact with apprentices, students, professionals and experts. Networking events, public relations work and events for disseminators such as career counsellors are also part of our daily routine.
In late 2023, we completed the merger of NaTech Education and IngCH, through which we gained valuable supporters and board members from teacher training colleges, universities of applied sciences and other educational institutions. IngCH is greatly enriched by this complementary perspective on promoting young MINT talent, as well as projects at the primary school level and for prospective teachers.
numerous consultations and MINT days through our
MINT service centre
key partnerships with a host of different organisations
Promoting young talent is something we are passionate about. Opening doors to unknown worlds for young people, giving them new insights, and showing them unconsidered career and study pathways: we firmly believe that being in direct contact with young people as part of our numerous projects is truly worthwhile.
But promoting young talent is not a solo endeavour – it is only possible through collaboration with our member companies and other enterprises, universities (including universities of applied sciences), other educational institutions and numerous advisors and workshop leaders. We want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved who work alongside us to promote young talent.
The Girls’ Technology Days give female students in the process of choosing their career the opportunity to learn more about careers in technical fields. Last financial year, 12 taster days were held at 10 different companies. We also had the chance to spend a day in French-speaking Switzerland for the first time. During the one- and two-day programmes, a total of 220 girls got a taste of what technology is all about.
Schools that need support in MINT-related matters can turn to us for straightforward assistance. Through the MINT service centre, we find the right solution for these schools, whether it is a MINT day at the school itself or a visit to a university or company. In each case, we consider the specific and individual needs of the institution seeking support.
Achtung Technik Los! (ATL) supports new talent in technical and ICT professions. The target audience is students at the lower secondary level who are in the process of choosing their careers. Through interactive workshops and career information posts on the various careers available, young people can see how exciting and varied the vocational training in these sectors can be.
IngCH’s largest project is its Technology and IT Weeks, which take part all over the country. During our project weeks, secondary school students have the opportunity to learn more about companies, universities and research institutes, and to look more carefully at their options for study. We supplement the weekly programme with practical workshops in which the young people can develop their own ideas for a start-up or build a solar car model, for example.
Through the merger with NaTech Education, we have taken on an established and successful robotics project in the canton of Lucerne: Roberta Days for primary school students. Through the Roberta course, students learn how to program robots themselves.
ETH – Industry Dialogue on the Future is organised annually by IngCH in close cooperation with EPFL and ETH Zurich. The Advisory Board, which is chaired by the ETH Zurich President Joël Mesot, decides which topic the dialogue is dedicated to. The event sees industry decision-makers discussing the topics of the day with professors from ETH Zurich and EPFL.
The 21st ETH – Industry Dialogue on the Future on the topic of ‘Take – Make – Waste – Take: From Linear to Circular’ was held on 24 November 2023 in Rüschlikon at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue. The roughly 100 participants can look back on a successful and in-depth collaboration. We would like to thank Swiss Re for hosting the event in 2023!
The next dialogue will take place on 28 November 2024 at the premises of our member Bühler Group AG in Uzwil. The opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and its potential applications in research and industry will be discussed and presented.
Twice a year, IngCH members meet to hear from the Executive Board and agency about the association’s activities and to exchange ideas. The general meeting in August 2023 was held at IBM Research in Rüschlikon, Zurich, where we were able to learn more about AI and quantum computers. In March 2024, Sulzer in Winterthur invited us to learn more about its numerous sophisticated pumps. The events offered plenty of opportunities for questions and conversations with our members.
The second ‘IngCH round table’ took place in March 2024. The idea behind these round tables is to provide an opportunity for leading representatives of our member companies to discuss a current HR topic in an informal manner. The second occasion of the event focused on interns and retention at UBS. The participants appreciated being able to discuss the topic face-to-face and in an open manner.
Forty job, study and career advisors learned more about MINT careers at insurance companies at Swiss RE in Zurich in October 2023. The focus was on the topics of data science, risk management, the international environment and enthusiasm for science and technology. The joy in their work was palpable. The tour of a large construction site was also impressive and added some great variety to the programme.
NaTech Education was strongly committed to establishing technology weeks at universities of teacher education. After the merger, we support universities of teacher education with the programme items as necessary and contribute financially to the implementation of the weeks. We believe that prospective teachers’ MINT enthusiasm is central to good MINT teaching.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, we worked hard on our new joint identity as IngCH and NaTech Education. We said goodbye to the old association name IngCH Engineers Shape our Future and have been operating as IngCH MINT for our Future since November 2023.
On our website (www.ingch.ch), you can find a host of information about us, our activities, our projects and our members. In our integrated interactive studies dashboard, you can also find figures on the latest developments and trends at universities, including universities of applied sciences. You can also keep up to date on our activities through LinkedIn and our newsletter – follow us and subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
IngFLASH is our online magazine where we regularly publish fascinating articles from the world of technology and science, including opinion pieces and interviews with employees from our member companies and specialists from the MINT sector.
Fünf Fragen an Fabienne Hartmann-Fritsch,
Referentin an den Technik- und Informatikwochen
We collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders who pursue common objectives. These include:
In the past financial year, we also supported the IT Days in Zurich and Engineers’ Day. As part of Engineers’ Day this year, an excellent collaboration took place with suisse.ing and SVIN: at Engineers@School, engineers visited primary schools to talk about their profession.
Finances 2022/2023 – Annual budget: 881 000 francs
65%
18%
7%
11%
Representatives from different sectors strategically manage the association with the President – many of them having done so for many years. The dialogue with and input from the Board members are extremely valued by the agency.
BOARD
IngCH is supported by 26 companies from a wide range of industries, thus demonstrating that engineering expertise plays a key role in competitiveness in all parts of the economy.
IngCH receives both financial and other support from important Swiss institutions.
ETH Zurich relies on talented and committed students. With its projects, IngCH makes a valuable contribution to bringing young people closer to the diverse opportunities offered by MINT professions. This helps us to attract new talent in Switzerland to study engineering.
Since the merger with NaTech Education in late 2023, our association has included important supporters who cover the education sector in particular.
Collaboration with universities of education, universities of applied sciences and other institutions is extremely helpful for promoting young talent in the STEM field and provides us with important expertise for our projects.
We would like to thank the following partners for their support:
Publisher
IngCH
Editing
Lea Hasler, Nathalie Künzli
Collaboration
Zoé Jeanneret, Maggie Winter
Proofreading
Martin Schellenberg
Design
Picnic Terminal Visual Communication
Photos
Zoé Jeanneret, Nathalie Künzli, Franziska Martin, Samuel Wernli, Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Maggie Winter
Source
www.ingch.ch
Klosbachstrasse 107
8032 Zürich
lea.hasler@ingch.ch
+41 43 305 05 90
