Finally: smartive has bosses again since August!

Don't worry, not like you might think. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in 2022. That means we've been around for 13 years now. At this age, young people start thinking about apprenticeships, training and the future. That's exactly how we felt - and that's why we decided: We want to take on an apprentice!

Since August 1, 2025, the time has come: for the first time in our history, we have a learner on board. Yes, smartive is growing up. 😉

Why learners?

We have hired a lot of great people in recent years - from career starters to very experienced people. But training apprentices is something new for us. For us, that means

• Take responsibility: Not just applying knowledge, but passing it on.
• Endure questions: Learners ask the best "Why?" questions. They force us to question things and explain them better.
• Bring in a breath of fresh air: New perspectives, different ways of thinking, young energy.

In short: learners change the dynamic - and that's exactly what we're looking forward to.

Our model: the basic apprenticeship year

We have opted for a model in which the first of four years of apprenticeship in the Basic training year at the Vocational Training Center St. Gallen (BBC) is completed. In the first year, the practical part takes place directly at the BBC - in an environment that is specifically geared towards training and gradually introduces the apprentice to the world of work. This has the following advantages:

• Learners are prepared for everyday working life and guided towards personal responsibility
• The foundations are broad and solid before things really get going.
• We can build up our business in a more targeted way over the three years.

We were really impressed by the BBC's professionalism and the atmosphere on site. Our positive impression of the BBC was also confirmed on the introductory day: Together with the parents, the trainers from the BBC and us as a company, there was a personal exchange. It was a really cool event that showed us that everyone here is pulling in the same direction and that the training is in the best hands.

What does this mean for our culture?

For us, having apprentices doesn't just mean "someone new in the team". It also means:

• We have to think about it, who coaches and accompanies.
• We learn, explain our processes and our knowledge in this waythat it is understandable for someone without years of experience.
• The learners' questions give rise to questions for us Learning effectsWe have to formulate our work in such a way that it is comprehensible - and thus create more clarity and sustainability throughout the team

We are convinced that this not only makes the apprentices better, but also us as a team.

And now?

To be honest, we don't yet know exactly where it will take us. Maybe it will be challenging, maybe it will bring exactly the energy that we need so well at 13.

But that suits us perfectly: we try out new approaches, learn as a team how best to support learners - and improve our approach step by step. Iteratively, in other words.

Just as we approach projects, we are now embarking on our training adventure. And we are really looking forward to it.