It doesn't get more talented than this
The biggest professional event in Switzerland offered four days of competition, passion and a lot of talent. 130,000 visitors witnessed the competitions between 1,100 participants in 150 apprenticeships competing for the Swiss championship. In the middle of the action: six up-and-coming Emmi employees.
Who are the best young professionals in Switzerland? This question was answered by SwissSkills in Bern, with six committed and motivated talents from Emmi right in the middle. For three days, they demonstrated what they learnt during their three-year apprenticeship at the Swiss Skills Championships in September 2025. Lukas, Serena, Lisa Marie, Nicola and Karol from the dairy technology discipline and Noah, a computer scientist, qualified for the major event. This in itself is an accolade, as only the very best in their field make it to Bern.
You make Emmi proud
The dairy technologists mastered a challenging programme: make cream cheese, conjure up your own yoghurt creation, recognise different types of milk and cheese using the sensor system, assemble a system according to the schematic or – in a particularly modern way – make a product from your own facility appealing to a food influencer. IT apprentice Noah, on the other hand, efficiently implemented a scalable interface (API) for newsletter subscriptions and rolled out an existing web application in the AWS cloud, including scaling. All tasks had one thing in common: they were demanding and had to be solved perfectly under time pressure. In front of an audience and a jury of experts, our talented Emmi demonstrated what they’re made of. Even if it wasn’t quite enough to win, Emmi is proud of them. All six demonstrated not only their skills, but also what our apprenticeship stands for – quality, commitment and a forward-looking approach. Thank you for representing Emmi so strongly!
At SwissSkills, Serena and Lukas demonstrated how exciting dairy technology is. They mastered the competition with dedication and composure – and offer tips for anyone who wants to compete themselves.
Serena Hägeli-Merz
Place of work: Production at the Emmen cheese dairy
Age: 18 years old
At Emmi for 3 years
Lukas Dällenbach
Place of work: Machine Operator, Ice Cream at the Ostermundigen site
Age: 18 years old
At Emmi since May 2025
Serena and Lukas, what motivated you to take part in SwissSkills?
Lukas: I wanted to show young people how exciting and varied our profession is. Many people don’t even know what a dairy technologist does. At SwissSkills, I have the opportunity to present this and perhaps get others excited about this profession.
Serena: At my first semester review, my vocational trainers told me about SwissSkills, saying, “If you continue like this, you can definitely take part there.” This sentence has accompanied me through my three years of apprenticeship. So I was all the more enthusiastic when I was able to qualify for SwissSkills via the regional championships.
How did you prepare for the competition – and how did Emmi support you?
Lukas: I took a closer look at some of the worksheets and reviewed the most important topics. I also had the chance to take part in a preparation day, where we went through typical tasks. My environment provided me with great support in that Emmi gave me the time to do so and motivated me.
Serena: Together with Emmi, the vocational school organised three preparation days during which we practised all kinds of competition tasks together. In addition, I prepared myself personally by making different products on a small scale several times.
What was the biggest challenge for you during the competition? What went well, what didn’t go well, what was the most difficult task, and why?
Serena: I didn’t make any serious mistakes, but the start to the competition was a bit bumpy: we had to change the gasket on a folding valve. However, because the valve had a slightly different structure than I was familiar with, I could not finish the task within the allotted time. The other tasks went smoothly.
Lukas: The biggest challenge was definitely dealing with the pressure. It wasn’t easy to do several jobs at once while so many people were watching.
What helped you to stay focused even under pressure?
Serena: It’s important to focus on yourself and not look right or left. Since you’re constantly under time pressure, I was automatically focused and therefore didn’t even notice everything around me.
Lukas: I tried to ignore the people around me and focus only on my work. It helped me to stay calm and not get nervous.
Lukas, was there a special moment that you remembered?
Lukas: Actually, I remember the whole competition. The atmosphere was simply unique – so many motivated young people in one place is something you don’t experience every day.
Which skill or quality has helped you the most to hold your own in the competition?
Serena: My ability to work accurately and deliberately. If I hadn’t practised certain activities dozens of times, I wouldn’t have had this inner peace.
Lukas: I was able to block out the noise and the people around me. This helped me to focus fully on my tasks.
Serena, what did you learn by taking part in SwissSkills – professionally and personally?
Serena: That you can never go to such a competition 100% prepared, there are always surprises. That is why we need a certain serenity and, above all, faith in ourselves. Mutual support among all participants is also important, where allowed. You’re so much more efficient and it lessens the tension.
Lukas, what tips would you give to other apprentices who are considering applying for SwissSkills?
Lukas: Definitely take part! Just being part of it is a success. You gain so many experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s really special.