Helvetia promotes continuous learning in IT. The goal: to drive digital transformation by building relevant skills. For this purpose, IT employees have a wide range of learning opportunities and courses at their disposal. Individual learning paths, mentoring and coaching programmes as well as communities and events support employees in their professional and personal development. The IT Academy supports employees in this development and offers an attractive, modern, strategically and individually oriented training and further education programme. The focus is also on promoting knowledge transfer and the exchange of experience as well as establishing new communities.

The secret to success? Internal IT experts who contribute their knowledge and together create a platform on which knowledge is acquired, shared and invested in the future of IT at Helvetia. Two of these dedicated experts are Elisa Klimach and Mirco Müller.

Elisa Klimach: the enthusiast

With her international experience, including in project management at a major German car manufacturer in Beijing, Elisa Klimach, Implementation Specialist, has been bringing a breath of fresh air and new perspectives to Team Helvetia since 2023. Her motto: "See change as an opportunity". Elisa held an input session on product innovations from the ServiceNow conference at the 2023 Helvetia IT Academy Event.

"I was surprised and honoured when I was asked if I wanted to lead a session at the 2023 Helvetia IT Academy Event. I didn't want to miss this opportunity and accepted with pleasure. I had only been with Helvetia for a few months and saw this as a great opportunity to make new contacts within the IT community and to present our activities and our team. It was also an opportunity to talk about our responsibilities and platforms beyond day-to-day operations and to present new use cases. On the basis of demos, we presented brand-new topics, such as the use of generative AI for developers or IT service desk employees. As experts, we have a responsibility to know our systems and to stay up to date. Helvetia offers many possibilities for this, either via the Helvetia IT Academy, e-books, conferences or informal discussions in the teams. It is important that people consciously make time for learning in their daily routine, even if time constraints sometimes make this difficult. I often have very busy weeks and only have time in the evenings. So, for example, I packed four evening classes on JavaScript into one month. As a result, I gained an in-depth understanding and can now better assess how our developers work. This investment in your own continuing professional development is priceless."

Mirco Müller: the mentor

Mirco Müller, Head Architecture Analytics & Group Solutions, has been with Helvetia for over 10 years and is a shining example of how successful mentoring works. Mirco was already a mentor before joining Helvetia and was himself coached by key people for years. Today, he passes on these experiences in his role as a mentor.

"I know about the importance of good mentoring. My accumulated experience as a mentee has motivated me to work as a mentor myself for years. I can show my mentees new perspectives, support them in their considerations and contribute insights without exerting pressure. In addition to the technical discussions, the focus is often on soft skills and the question 'Who am I and where do I want to go?'. I enjoy observing the progress of the mentees. If they then implement something successfully, I am proud to have made a small contribution. Mentoring also gives me energy and expands my network. I also learn a lot about other areas and age groups, which I really appreciate. With the support of a mentor, you can often reach the next milestone faster, because you benefit from their experience and network. In the best case scenario, a mentor even becomes a driver and motivator."

Continuous learning and the exchange of knowledge are firmly anchored at Helvetia. With a wide range of development opportunities, Helvetia supports its employees in growing both as individuals and as a team and in achieving their professional goals. This culture of learning and collaboration lays the foundations for a successful future in IT.