Created in April 2008, the CFH came into being following a meeting between a watchmaker (Sébastien Monney) and a human resources specialist (Antonio Ciancio) who shared the same values and a common vision: to meet watch industry training requirements. Based in Plan-les-Ouates, the very heart of Geneva's watchmaking community, it began organising training courses last October designed to satisfy market requirements. In collaboration with the CIFOM (Interregional Training Centre of the Neuchâtel Mountains) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the CFH offers two courses:
Fitting/Casing-up: this course enables students to identify, inspect, repair and assemble the different parts of a watch, know the style and material of different watch components, become familiar with different casing-up tools used in the watch industry, use appropriate tooling according to the dimensions of the movement and components, assemble the watch's exterior parts and test timepieces. It is aimed at any person employed in the watch industry or interested in this field. A requirement is that applicants must first pass a basic dexterity and maths test. This course consists of 31 half-days each lasting four hours, or 36 three-and-a-half hour evening classes. Success in the CFH Diploma gives entitlement to an additional certificate issued by the CIFOM stipulating that the holder has passed the Fitting/Casing-up module in accordance with watch industry modular training regulations.
Quality Control: at the end of this course (10 three-and-a-half hour classes), students will be able to understand a technical drawing and identify tolerances, will be familiar with various conventional measuring tools, able to use appropriate tools for tolerance testing and compliance, understand quality standards, be capable of inspecting their own work and assembling mechanical components in accordance with operating tolerances, and be able to test the functions of mechanical or quartz watches. This course is open to any person aged 18 or over who has work experience in watchmaking or in the industrial sector and wishes to advance in the field of quality control and/or improve their knowledge of dimensional and visual inspections.
To ensure the quality of its courses, the CFH limits participation to ten people. Theoretical and practical classrooms are equipped to reflect working conditions in the industry in terms of infrastructure and tooling. Job prospects are multiple with the possibility of benefiting from continuing education. As part of the training, the CFH also proposes days dedicated to job seeking techniques and simulated interviews. A specialist in personnel management is available at all times to answer questions relating to human resources. The CIFOM is the main partner of the CFH. Together they collaborate to offer Geneva a tailor-made training platform offering a range of modules that meet the needs of the watchmaking market. To ensure that the training provided is of a high quality, the CIFOM makes available to the CFH teaching materials and teaching assistants. The final exam of the Fitting/Casing-up module is conducted by CIFOM experts on CFH premises.
The CFH is committed to encouraging contacts between its students and the professional world. To this end and to ensure the supervision of its students, it has put in place a skills management system whereby firms receive documents essential for evaluating and recruiting candidates. In many cases, the recruitment of candidates for technical posts necessitates an evaluation of the person's practical skills. This entails an assessment of candidates under working conditions and imposes a number of constraints on firms. To remedy this situation, the CFH offers to evaluate applicants directly in its workshop. A watchmaker and a human resources specialist will make a detailed expert evaluation based on practical and behavioural tests aligned with sought-after requirements.
CFH, chemin du Pont-du-Centenaire 110, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, tél 022 794 66 67, fax 022 794 66 69, email info@cfhge.ch.
