Future physics technicians triumph in "Schweizer Jugend forscht" competition

From Uster to St. Gallen – and then to Mexico! A journey that physics lab technician apprentices Sofie Gnannt and Nick Cáceres from the fourth year of their apprenticeship embarked on in November 2022 when they won both the Jury Prize and the Participant Prize for their project "Plastic Separation with Terahertz Radiation" at the Züri-Oberland apprenticeship competition – an exhibition with 34 projects and a four-digit number of visitors.

After their success in Uster, the two went on to St. Gallen in April 2023 for the finals of the 57th National Competition of "Schweizer Jugend forscht" (SJF), where Sofie and Nick were given the opportunity to compete against youths – mainly grammar school students – from all over Switzerland. After the SJF preliminaries in January 2023 in Bern, the two were supported by an expert from SJF and were able to deepen their research. This led to a project that was presented to a jury of experts as well as to the general public – and was finally awarded the rating "outstanding" as well as the special prize MILSET Expo-Sciences International (ESI), sponsored by the Metrohm Foundation.

The fact that research means much more than in-depth study in one field is something Sofie and Nick can confirm through their newfound experiences. It also requires perseverance, diligence and support from like-minded people. One particular challenge, for example, was compiling the written documentation and the extensive literature research it required. "This work showed us how we can combine our learned knowledge with practical work," says Sofie. In doing so, the two apprentices proceeded in a very determined and structured manner, as the SJF expert Gregory Gäumann emphasized in his acknowledgment.

Moreover, the two apprentices demonstrated with their solid approach how solutions to an existing social problem can be successfully developed and implemented. The vocational trainer of the two apprentices at Empa, Dominik Bachmann, was impressed by how independently the two had familiarized themselves with the topic, obtained relevant literature and, when they had questions, turned not only to him but also to experts within Empa. He says: "I found Sofie and Nick to be very motivated and saw how they spurred each other on to top performance through committed teamwork. I think that's what made them so successful."

Empa has a track record of being awarded the quality label "Great Start! Ausbildungsbetrieb" by the consulting firm "Great Place to Work" – and is willing to support young talents who want to make a significant commitment. Sofie and Nick's path shows: By working together, the doors are wide open!

Click here to view the accessible version of this interactive content