UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — The Bühler Group announced on Dec. 30 that it received the Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award.

The company received the award in the “Company Transformation” category for its ClassUnlimited training concept, which Bühler runs in cooperation with the regional vocational school center. The concept is based on a virtual classroom. This is intended for trainees who benefit from a period abroad in the last year of their apprenticeship with Bühler. The vocational teaching in the classroom “at home” is transmitted to the other side of the world on two large screens via video. Thus, the “absent” vocational students can participate in the local vocational school instruction, for example, at a Bühler location in the U.S. or China.

The Leonardo European Corporate Learning Award comes under the auspices of the European Parliament as well as the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Chief Executive Officer Calvin Grieder represented the company to accept the prize.

“As a globally positioned high-tech company, we require highly qualified employees whom we prepare for international assignments. Therefore, we use the most up-to-date video technology for our training instruction,” Grieder said at the award ceremony.

For almost 100 years, Bühler has been providing training and further education. At present, around 600 trainees worldwide are completing their apprenticeship in 12 occupational areas. Bühler is currently training more than 300 apprentices in Switzerland. More than two-thirds of them will be accepted into regular employment following completion.