A woman overlooks a BERTSCHI container terminal.
A BERTSCHI truck unloads his liquid container using a heavy lift crane.
Bertschi Employees holding yellow hearts and smiling into the camera
Bertschi employees planning an intermodal rail container transport.

Golf Buggies and Yorkshire Tea – Four Weeks at Bertschi UK

Jan Willi on Golf Buggy

As part of their commercial apprenticeship, Swiss apprentices are encouraged by their vocational school to spend several weeks abroad to strengthen their foreign-language skills. This year, we used that opportunity to offer an even more relevant experience: a four-week placement at one of our own subsidiaries.

From 22 September to 17 October 2025, our 3rd-year commercial apprentice, Jan Willi, spent four weeks at Bertschi UK in Middlesbrough. The goal was twofold: to immerse him in an English-speaking environment and to give him first-hand insight into daily operations at one of our key terminals.
Below, Jan shares his experience.

Internship Report — Bertschi UK

By Jan Willi, 3rd-year Commercial Apprentice

From 22 September 2025 to 17 October 2025, I had the opportunity to spend part of my apprenticeship at Bertschi UK in Middlesbrough. This period not only gave me the opportunity to meet new people, but also to gather a wide range of impressions that broadened my professional understanding of the branches and allowed me to integrate into a new environment. Although I had to speak English, a foreign language, for four weeks, it went well. Everyone welcomed me warmly.

A particular highlight for me was the very first weekend, when the annual driver training took place in Middlesbrough. There, I was able to experience first-hand the commitment with which our BBS trainers put together an exciting and informative programme. From theory tests to form filling, there was something for everyone. I would like to take this opportunity to express my special thanks to Ian MacKenzie and Mark Wilson, who guided us through a varied Saturday.

The various tours of the entire site were also very impressive. I was really surprised by the size of the terminal, because it is so sprawling that you have to use golf buggies to get from one place to another.

In addition to professional experience, there was also plenty of time for socialising. I was able to sample the culinary specialties of the Yorkshire region – from classic Yorkshire tea during work breaks to lemon tops at the weekend, and the regional classic: the parmo. This is a kind of schnitzel topped with béchamel sauce and cheese – I highly recommend it.

My time in Middlesbrough was a valuable experience for me. Not only was I able to expand my professional knowledge, but I also gained new cultural insights and expanded my network. This short internship that is part of my apprenticeship showed me not only how important it is for the various branches and departments to work together, but also how different the conditions are at the various locations – and yet they still function.

A huge thank you to Paul Smithyman and his entire team at Bertschi Middlesbrough for this opportunity. I look forward to seeing you again.

Sabrina Gränacher
“International exposure is an important part of building broad professional competence. By combining the school-mandated language stay with real operational experience at one of our subsidiaries, Jan gained a first-hand understanding of how our teams work across borders and cultures.”
Sabrina Gränacher
Head of Bertschi HR Switzerland
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Jan Willi on Golf Buggy

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