Tour suggestion by Karin Vallone

Diverse, exciting and full of opportunities – that’s what the training pathways and career opportunities in the Basel region are all about. My suggested tour for the whole family invites young and old alike to discover different careers together, be amazed and gain new insights.

The tour begins in the Department of Physics. Here, we discover how our world works at the smallest scale – from tiny particles to large-scale quantum effects. Anyone expecting futuristic laboratories is in for a surprise. At first glance, basic research may seem unassuming. But what lies behind it is all the more astonishing: important technologies of the future, such as the quantum computer. Anyone who takes a look here will get a glimpse of the future and see just how exciting and important academic research is.

Next up are Novartis and Roche, two life sciences companies that have had a lasting impact on Basel. They feature on my tour because people with a wide variety of educational backgrounds work together here – from apprentices in technical trades to researchers in medicine or the natural sciences. This is a perfect example of how innovation arises where practical training and academic knowledge come together.

Logistics is also shaping the future. A visit to the Port of Switzerland makes this clear: where else can you see large ships and huge cranes that fascinate young and old alike and offer exciting career prospects? Did you know that, in the whole of Switzerland, the only place where you can train to become a sailor or nautical specialist is here in Basel?

My tour then takes me to ETAVIS, an electrical engineering firm offering a wide range of apprenticeship programmes. Here, apprentices give us an insight into their day-to-day work and demonstrate just how important technical knowledge, precision and teamwork are. And it soon becomes clear that an apprenticeship is anything but a ‘Plan B’. It is a modern, challenging start to a career – with countless opportunities for development.

To round off the tour, we head to JETZ – a place where minds are buzzing and ideas take shape. Here, children and young people can learn about electronics, technology and computer science. The approach is simple: as little theory as necessary, as much hands-on experience as possible. Through tinkering, building and programming, they discover their own strengths and interests.

My tour shows that education begins with curiosity – and can take many different paths, all of which are equally valid.