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C O M PA N Y P RO F I L EHSO Schulen Zurich,Bern, Thun and St. GallenA network closely linked with businessInterview with Dr Beat Nägelin, Director of HSO SchulenSince 1954 HSO Schulen have ranked among the leading business school organisations in Switzerland. The HSO trainingcentres based in Thun-Bern, Zurich and St. Gallen offer a wide range of practical business courses and commercial trainingprogrammes, including in cooperation with the European Business School. Director Beat Nägelin provides a detailedintroduction to the ambitious HSO Schulen and explains why globalisation is nothing new to HSO.46Mr Nägelin, what kinds of courses are available at HSO Schulen?HSO covers all levels of business training with a vocational focus, rangingfrom commercial foundation courses, the so-called KV qualificationor diploma in commerce to the challenging management diploma. AsHSO consistently coordinates its programmes with the European BusinessSchool, students are even able to study for a Master of BusinessAdministration via our higher business school (Höhere Fachschule fürWirtschaft). The programme organised by HSO in association withthe EUROPEAN BUSINESS SCHOOL thus includes over 40 differenttraining courses.What philosophy forms the basis for the courses available at HSO Schulen?All HSO courses focus on the direct transfer of practical knowledge. Thismeans that the teaching staff at HSO are always practical experts withhigh-level professional qualifications or degrees. For the full-time coursesthe work placements organised by HSO form an integral part of theprogramme, while on the job-related part-time courses a significant partof the «homework» assignments is carried out at the student’s place of work.The HSO Schulen institutions are certified according to the quality standardsof EduQua and ISO 9001. What does such certification involveand what are the implications in terms of a routine academic day?The acronym HSO stands for Herzlich, Systematisch and Organisiert- in other words, Heartfelt, Systematic and Organised. Students at HSOappreciate its friendly yet professional atmosphere. A business schoolmust also act like a commercial venture if it is to look authentic. It thereforegoes without saying that HSO holds quality labels such as ISOand EduQua.training. This means that HSO students receive wider training than undera standard KV apprenticeship. Thanks to the transparency of the system,the HSO can cater for the KV B-, E- and M-Profiles (with the so-calledBerufsmatura, a vocational school-leaving examination) or a qualificationin retailing. Should students unexpectedly run into problems duringtraining, the school will allow them to switch courses to graduate with adifferent qualification. HSO is especially proud of its network encompassingover 130 companies from business and administration, which allowstudents to undertake yearly work placements forming an integral part oftheir training. Such work experience is organised and managed by HSOon an exclusive basis.And how does the Handelsschule (school of commerce) differ from the KVCollege?In addition to the daytime school of commerce HSO also offers eveningand day-release courses in commerce for people who would like to improvetheir knowledge of business. In Zurich alone the school is attended oneday or two evenings a week by over 600 students. Students who are awardedthe commercial VSH diploma and integrated IT certificate (ECDL)hold a qualification that is more or less equivalent to that of KV graduates.Attendance at HSO’s school of commerce allows participants to switchto an office-based career.For whom does the KV College offer an alternative to a KV apprenticeship,and are the professional diplomas awarded by HSO Schulen equivalentto the corresponding apprenticeship qualifications?Students opting for HSO’s KV College are able to choose from a numberof different qualifications. On completing the first year at our college theyare awarded the so-called Bürofachdiplom VSH, a certificate in office workwhich is recognised throughout Switzerland, followed by the Handels -diplom VSH (commercial diploma) in the second year, quasi as skillsassessments and intermediate qualifications. In the third year they graduatewith the Fähigkeitszeugnis, a Swiss certificate of proficiency, in commerce.Depending on the KV Profile chosen, they also study for internationalforeign-language certificates in English (Cambridge) and French (DELF)as well as the European Certificate for IT Users (ECDL) during theirSomewhere to linger: the lounge for students.Zum Verweilen: Die Student’s Lounge.© HSOSwiss Label UNTERRICHT - ERZIEHUNG - AUSBILDUNG - Dezember 2008