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Geistlich Pharma: Trading places on National Future Day

On 10 November 2016 Geistlich Pharma welcomed 20 girls and boys on the occasion of Switzerland’s National Future Day. The children aged between 10 and 13 were there to get an idea of the different kinds of work undertaken in this Swiss family business specializing in regenerative medicine.
November 18, 2016

The National Future Day is a project involving the cooperation of schools, the world of work and the home. The objective is to encourage school students to consider professions and careers outside traditional roles for their gender. Under the day’s slogan of “Trading Places”, Geistlich Pharma opened its doors on National Future Day to give children an understanding of careers and types of work that are not typical for their gender. Girls and boys aged between 10 and 13 traded places and were given insight into the types of job found in an international pharma company.

 

Having fun swapping roles

The day got off to a start in Wolhusen where Geistlich Pharma’s production facilities are based. After a brief introduction and some icebreaker games, it was over to the children. In TechOps they performed visual inspections on Geistlich Bio-Oss® and then pretended to be dental surgeons using Geistlich Bio-Oss Pen® and Geistlich Bio-Gide®. The children tried really hard because there was going to be a prize for the best work. They were able to have a bit of a break during a detour to the visiting area of the cleanroom zone, before heading for the laboratory where they investigated the cells of a wasp and a moth under the electron microscope with a scientist on the staff. The highlight in the laboratory was the manufacture of a garishly colored, gooey slime made to a secret Geistlich recipe! A tour of Geistlich Pharma’s production facilities and then lunch together rounded off the event before the children headed off to see where their parents worked.

 

Developing young talent at Geistlich Pharma

Geistlich Pharma attaches considerable importance to encouraging the next generation over and above National Future Day. Young people are given the opportunity of first-class professional training at Geistlich Pharma in Switzerland with around ten trainee positions. The family business also offers secondary school students a number of taster days in the laboratory each year. Ursula Drews, Head of Corporate Human Resources at Geistlich, said: “By offering these opportunities, we would like to open up horizons and awaken children’s interest in jobs in the world of pharma. It enables young people to build self-confidence for their professional lives ahead – irrespective of gender-based role models.”