With dedication and curiosity on his way to the Swiss Vocational Championship 2025

“Now, it gets serious and challenging”

When Lias received the news in June that he had qualified, the joy was great - but so was the respect for what was to come. "I was happy that I made it. But at the same time, I knew: Now, the intensive preparation period begins.“

From the Idea to Qualification

His interest in the SwissSkills was sparked when a former participant shared his experience at the WorldSkills while at the vocational training center in Bümpliz. In 2023, Lias attended the SwissSkills as a spectator - an experience that motivated him to participate himself: "I'll just give it a try."

The path to qualification was demanding: after registration, the regional selection took place in February 2025 at Gäupark Egerkingen - a two-hour programming competition.

In June, he directly went on to Winterthur to participate in the national selection in the Mechatronics School Winterthur. There he faced complex tasks in two parts: a project work with an expert interview and 20 technical sub-tasks, divided into four categories:

• Manufacturing engineering
• Measurement technology
• Microcontroller technology
• Vocation school

Additionally, Lias completed a personality test and gave a presentation about himself. Except for the personality test, the national selection was conducted in English, as the international WorldSkills will also take place in English.

Support through Selectron - Learning in everyday work

For the preparation, Lias invested around half a day per week - during working hours. His practical trainer at Selectron made this possible by not only giving him time off but also assisting him with the evaluation of the practice exercises. This allowed him to focus specifically on the areas where there was still potential for improvement. "This support was crucial," says Lias. "I could concentrate on what really mattered and learn targeted skills."

Strengths and challenges

Tasks related to measuring, mathematics, and basic school subjects came particularly easy to him. The biggest challenge? "Balancing everything - and developing circuits.” But it's exactly these challenges that make the competition exciting.

How does it continue?

Until the big performance in September, Lias will continue to train with example tasks - also under time pressure. He will still receive support from Selectron and the Swissmem Association, (German only) who are providing additional learning resources. But first, he is allowed to enjoy the summer a little.

"Just try it" – Lias’ tip for other learners

His advice to everyone considering participating in this competition is: "Just give it a try! It's an exciting experience where you learn a lot of new things - including things that don't come up in everyday life or basic training.” For Lias, this includes complex circuits and targeted online research.

We are proud of Lias and wish him lots of energy, joy, and success for SwissSkills 2025!