"From a traditional industrial city to an innovative educational city"

Teacher absent? "angela works"! Angela Jetter from Winterthur founded the start-up of the same name in February 2020 - right at the start of the coronavirus crisis - and uses her network of over 1,000 vicars to find jobs at schools throughout the Winterthur region. With her start-up "angela works", she was nominated for the Job Creator Special - Encourager 2020 by House of Winterthur and took 2nd place in the online voting.

Congratulations on winning 2nd place in the Stellenschaffer Special - Encourager 2020 with your start-up "angela works". What encouraged you in 2020?
The warm reactions from those around me to the fact that I founded my start-up "angela works" on instinct. They were fascinated by how motivated and courageous I was to get started. In addition, the feedback from school principals, who often feel "saved" by my service, as well as the vicars who come to work through the network. Personally, I was encouraged in 2020 by the fact that we have overcome this crisis as a family and to see that we are functioning so well. I am also encouraged by society as a whole, how we feel we have moved closer together and support each other.

Roger Graber, Head of Business at House of Winterthur, presents the award to second-placed Angela Jetter.

"Each school muddles through on its own and checks its list by phone. That's when I started to think that there must be a better solution."

And now again for everyone: How does "angela works" work?
The vicar network is central to "angela works", whereby I arrange a substitute for short- to long-term teacher absences with over 1300 contacts to vicars - now even beyond the cantonal border. As vicar is a "Zurich term", here is a clarification of the term: a vicar is a substitute teacher. The head teachers contact me via the web form and I start from there. On the one hand, I advertise this on the job portals and also spread the word via social channels - my distribution list grows organically because I am in frequent contact with the teacher training colleges, students and schools. So at "angela works" I am a networker and recruiter and always make sure that I find the right replacement for the vacant position or lessons. Then my job is done and the school management looks at all the other details with the relevant replacement.

What was the trigger and motivation for founding the vicariate network for the city and region of Winterthur as an educational location?
I had been teaching at Langwiesen School in Winterthur for nine years as a teacher - there was a key moment: I was having lunch with the school management when a call came in that a teacher was ill - the lunch break was over as the search for a replacement began. Each school was scrambling for itself and checking its own list. That's when I started to think that there must be a better solution. Shortly afterwards, I resigned and decided to take on the role of mediator and set up my own business. It barely took a week and I was overwhelmed by inquiries, as word got around very quickly. The network is now growing steadily and I am becoming more and more systematic with my inquiries thanks to digital possibilities.

"The coronavirus had barely started when the need for vicars collapsed."

With your "carefree" service, you also offer school principals lasting relief in the event of spontaneous teacher absences and say that "the solution is just a text message away". Is it sometimes two or three text messages? What are the challenges?
It's now a web form and no longer a text message. This way, I have all the relevant information from the school management in front of me and can focus my search for a suitable replacement. It's important to me that I can guarantee quality and I ask the vicars to sign a code of conduct. As I also place substitutes across cantonal borders and they have different requirements - such as salary or who is allowed to teach which levels - it is always a juggling act to ensure that the right substitute is placed in the right place. And, depending on the situation, within a very short space of time.

Before founding her start-up, Angela Jetter worked as a teacher herself. Enzo Lopardo / enzolopardo.pictures

What has kept you confident in this situation?
That things will pick up again and that schools will or must reopen at some point. I recognized the need even before the crisis and was convinced that as soon as the schools were open again, demand would rise again. And that's exactly what happened - demand has been rising steadily since the summer.

"I recognized the need even before the crisis and was convinced that demand would increase again as soon as schools reopened."

Where do you see risks and opportunities in the education sector as a result of the coronavirus situation?
The opportunity was used, or rather had to be used, to try out a lot of new things. Where there were still reservations before the pandemic, new digital systems were used, especially through home schooling, and offers such as singing, dancing or handicrafts were also initiated outside the school system via digital media. In any case, the risks are that the gap in inequality of opportunity has widened even further and, depending on the situation, people sit in front of the computer all day or over-ambitious parents get the upper hand. Social interaction has definitely been lacking during the lockdown and has therefore increased enormously in importance.

"I hope that we in Winterthur will move forward innovatively and boldly, that new things will emerge, that we will be a kind of think tank - from a traditional industrial city to an innovative educational city."

Where do you see Winterthur as an educational location in the future?
I hope that we in Winterthur will move forward innovatively and boldly, that new things will emerge, that we will be a kind of think tank - from a traditional industrial city to an innovative city of education. That leads directly to the vibrant start-ups. With my start-up, I have many points of contact with the Home of Innovation, where I "cowork" from time to time. One of my favorite experiences was the Startup Night at Technopark, which gave me a huge motivational boost and a lot of inspiration - and I also met a lot of exciting people. I particularly like the fact that the start-up scene in Winterthur is accessible to everyone and that I can walk in at any time, be myself and be taken seriously and noticed. It also takes courage to just go out there and say: "Yes, I'm an innovator too".

You were a teacher in Winterthur and are still a vicar yourself today - but you used to be more of a marketing and hotel manager and even a tour guide. How does this benefit you today as a networker and recruiter for schools with your start-up "angela works"?
I was already self-employed when I lived in London for a while - but back then it was more in the music industry. That's where I learned how to network, approach people, develop networked thinking and deal with competition. Of course, marketing aspects in the teaching sector and my PR experience in dealing with the media are also key. As a tour guide, I was often the troubleshooter and sometimes had to reassure the other person - just like today, when a teacher is absent, I relieve and support the headteachers with my services. Basically, all aspects of my professional career play a role and I can incorporate the essence of this into my start-up "angela works". With "angela works", I have created my dream job that combines everything.

"I really enjoy the mix of nature and the cultural offerings."

You were not only in front of the camera in our online voting Stellenschaffer Spezial - Mutmacher 2020 video for "angela works", but also on Swiss television in the program "Mini Schwiiz, dini Schwiiz" and transported your home of Winterthur as a Wülflinger. What is your connection to Winterthur, especially Wülflingen?
I grew up in Elgg, went to grammar school at the Büelrain cantonal school and then just had to get out - I lived in London for a while and traveled a lot as a tour guide. When I met my husband - a true Wülflinger - I was drawn back home and since then I have enjoyed the rural to urban advantages of Winterthur. I feel at home here and like knowing lots of people and being able to walk through the city anonymously. I really enjoy the mix of nature and the cultural offerings.

One of Angela Jetter's favorite places is the Totentäli in Wülflingen.

Alessia Baumgartner and Roger Graber