Pestalozzi Apprentice Award 2025 for the 84 Best
12.11.2025 | from Pestalozzi AG
Reading time: 4 minutes
12.11.2025, Radiant faces, great emotions, and much applause: On Friday, 7th November, the Pestalozzi Group and its subsidiary Gabs AG awarded the Pestalozzi Apprentice Award for the 43rd time. In the impressive event hall JED in Schlieren ZH, 84 young professionals from the fields of building technology and envelope, as well as metal construction and processing, were in the spotlight.
The Pestalozzi Apprentice Award has established itself as a fixture over more than four decades. Year after year, the best apprentices are given a stage - and so in 2025. Graduates with grade averages from 5.1, who impressed with skill, diligence, and perseverance, were honoured.
With an impressive grade of 5.8, this year's top graduates in their fields include metalworker Erik Billing from Wildensbuch ZH, automatic technician Fabian Blesi from Schwanden GL, production mechanic André Heiniger from Winterthur, polymechanic Noe Peter from Zufikon AG, and designer François Schwizer from Pfaffnau LU. In addition to the award, a high-quality Bluetooth speaker was given as a recognition.
More than just an award
"The apprentices are the future of our industry," said Matthias Pestalozzi, owner and delegate of the Board of Directors of the Pestalozzi Group, at the award ceremony. "Their commitment, their skills, and their tenacity are impressive. The Apprentice Award rewards this potential - and we are proud to give these young professionals the recognition they deserve." For over 40 years, the Pestalozzi Apprentice Award has stood for appreciation and the promotion of young talent. It is one of the few awards that specifically puts apprentices in technical professions in the spotlight - and it demonstrates that top performances are achieved not only in academia but also in vocational training. For many winners, the award is a strong signal: their work counts, and it is being recognized.
Voices from vocational education
The Pestalozzi Apprentice Award is not only a recognition but also an incentive - for learners as well as for trainers. For example, Manuela Alder, vocational trainer at Schneeberger AG Lineartechnik in Roggwil BE, says, "We find the Pestalozzi Apprentice Award a fantastic initiative and are very proud that our learner has received this award. The award can enormously motivate learners - an additional incentive to grow beyond themselves and fully unleash their potential."
Likewise, Michael Heer, vocational trainer at Netstal Maschinen AG in Näfels GL, emphasizes the importance of the award: "I find the Pestalozzi Apprentice Award to be a great initiative. Besides the SwissSkills and other events, it is an incentive for many learners to perform an additional service during their apprenticeship - and a valuable opportunity to duly appreciate their work."
A festive evening full of encounters
The award ceremony itself provided the ideal framework to make this appreciation visible. The modern JED event hall in Schlieren transformed into a stage filled with emotions. The focus was not only on the winners but also on the celebration together. The comedy duo Lapsus provided laughter and a relaxed atmosphere with their pointed performances. During dinner, the winners and their companions took the opportunity to converse, maintain contacts, and celebrate achievements. Thus, the Apprentice Award 2025 became not just an award ceremony but an evening to remember.
Commitment to young talents
Promoting young talent is a tradition at Pestalozzi: every year, around a dozen apprentices start their training in various fields - from commercial apprenticeship to road transport and logistics. And next Friday, 21st November, the next highlight follows: the presentation of the Prix Apprentissage in Lausanne, where the best apprenticeship graduates in Western Switzerland will be honored.
Further information on the Pestalozzi Apprentice Award, the Pestalozzi Group, and Gabs AG can be found at: www.stiftepriis.pestalozzi.com
About Gabs AG
Gabs AG is the Swiss leader as a supplier for sheet metal workers and roofers. Increasingly also for façade and metal builders. Additionally, Gabs also acts as a supplier for display material for the advertising and print industry. The building envelope specialist can cater to all individual customer wishes thanks to its wide range of over 16,000 products. In the area of fall protection, Gabs offers all services from planning and installation to project acceptance and maintenance. Gabs AG is a subsidiary of the Pestalozzi Group and has its headquarters in Tägerwilen TG.
Press contact:
Pestalozzi Group Dominga Rohrer Communications Manager
Riedstrasse 1, P.O. Box CH-8953 Dietikon Tel. +41 44 743 23 45 dominga.rohrer@pestalozzi.com www.pestalozzi.com
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Pestalozzi AG
The Pestalozzi Group is a nationally active trading company in the fields of steel, building services, sheet metal work, and roofing.
We see ourselves as a leading solutions provider and trading partner with a comprehensive quality range, consultancy, and service offerings in all our industries. Accordingly, customers and business partners can expect a high level of reliability, innovation, and top quality at fair prices.
The group is led by Matthias Pestalozzi in the ninth generation as a family business.
The company's values have remained the same to this day and so in 2017 we continue to rely on long-term relationships with customers, partners, and employees. With commitment and responsibility, Matthias Pestalozzi stands by his five-member management team.
The managers of the individual areas of the group are all recognized experts in their fields and together form the management level of the Pestalozzi Group.
Note: The "About Us" text is taken from public sources or from the company profile on HELP.ch.
Source: Pestalozzi AG, Press release
Original article published on: Pestalozzi Stiftepriis 2025 für die 84 Besten