Living

In four residential groups and individual youth apartments, young people organize their everyday life and leisure time together under socio-pedagogical guidance.

With a move to an external apartment in the region, the young people can take a further step towards independence following internal living.

Diverse leisure activities during the week and at weekends uncover new interests and talents for the young people.

Forum family placement

Young people live in selected families with agricultural or commercial businesses in Switzerland, which allows them to gain new experiences in a manageable setting and distance themselves from their previous lifestyle. The families are selected by us according to set criteria, are bound by contract and receive regular support. They attend our regular, specially adapted internal training events.

Family, orientation, reflection, upheaval and the courage to try something new - FORUM for short - are the guiding principles. Staying with a host family for a shorter or longer period of time is suitable for crisis intervention, reflection breaks and developing new perspectives on life; goals and length of stay are individually tailored.

Adventure education

Adventure education allows young people to experience life in the great outdoors. Under simple conditions, they experience the possibilities and limits of the environment, the group and themselves. This intensive confrontation helps young people to further develop their personality and learn new ways of resolving conflicts. Taking on responsibility and the experience of overcoming a particular challenge strengthens self-confidence in their own abilities and resources.
Experiential education is intended as an intervention that brings movement into entrenched patterns of behavior and thinking. The offer is therefore also suitable as a development-oriented supplement in the context of a stay in a home or a family placement as well as for crisis intervention in particularly difficult phases of life.

Therapeutic offers
Personal development with complementary therapeutic offers.

Therapeutic services

Individually tailored verbal and non-verbal forms of therapy (e.g. painting, theater games, individual and group discussions) serve to strengthen the personality-building effect of Erlenhof's socio-pedagogical services. Discussion and regular contact with parents are also important to us.

Pedagogical services

Living
Living in supervised residential groups and youth apartments on the Erlenhof site and in external rented apartments in the region.

Forum family placement
A time-out in selected families in Switzerland for crisis intervention, reflection breaks and the development of new perspectives on life.

Experiential education
Experiential education settings are carried out as part of the residential group activities.

Gardening

The Erlenhof nursery is primarily a landscape nursery that maintains the diverse Erlenhof landscaped areas. We also undertake comprehensive garden maintenance work and alterations in customer gardens. We also offer professional fruit tree pruning.

Potted plants for private customers are overwintered in our spacious greenhouses. We also produce summer flowers, vegetables and berries for the youth hostel's own use.

Training opportunities
Landscape gardener (apprenticeship)
Gardener (apprenticeship)

Kitchen

The kitchen provides food for the people who live and work at Erlenhof. It attaches great importance to a balanced diet and the use of regional, healthy products. Some of the food comes from the Erlenhof itself or, where possible, is sourced directly from farms in the region.

We can host festive events for up to 80 guests in our beautiful theater hall. In addition, the kitchen operates a bakery and, on request, a banquet service for smaller events.

Training opportunities
Cook (apprenticeship)
Kitchen assistant (certificate)

Horse stable

The Erlenhof horse stable is a boarding stable for around twenty horses, which are housed in large bright boxes and in a free-range stable.

Twelve hectares of meadowland are available for grazing. The immediate surroundings form a beautiful, extensive riding area that is ideal for long rides. The floodlit riding arena and indoor riding arena are used for working with horses. Qualified employees ensure that the animals are cared for in an appropriate manner.

The boarding stable also includes suckler cow husbandry with Scottish Highland cattle ("Highlands"). Purebred breeding animals and beef from species-appropriate, extensive husbandry are for sale. As the first breeding farm in Switzerland (since 1988), we have a wealth of experience and are therefore able to provide you with expert advice on all matters relating to the keeping, care and breeding of Highland cattle.

Training opportunities
Farmer (apprenticeship)
Agricultural practitioner (certificate)
Horse keeper (certificate)

Fitter's workshop

The Erlenhof locksmith's workshop is a very well-equipped locksmith's and metalworking workshop with extensive machinery.

The company also has its own forge and a sheet metal working department.

We attach particular importance to personal advice and individually tailored collaboration with our clients.

Our range includes all metal construction work such as stairs, banisters, passerelles, doors and gates, canopies and conservatories, metal furniture such as tables and stools, window grilles, containers and much more.

Our forge specializes in restoration work and also produces decorative wrought ironwork in classic and modern designs. Our specialties also include custom-made products of all kinds, especially in the combination of glass and metal.

Training opportunities
Metal worker (apprenticeship)
Metal construction practitioner (certificate)

Carpentry

The Erlenhof carpentry workshop's good mechanical equipment enables us to carry out all carpentry work - with the exception of window construction - ourselves.

We have a modern panel saw for cutting panels, and we are also equipped with all the necessary machines for veneer processing. In our company, we attach great importance to individual and personal customer advice.

Our joinery offers all general joinery work. This includes semi-finished products for industry, holistic interior fittings in public and private buildings, market stalls for local authorities and private individuals, kitchen fittings and custom-made products of all kinds according to individual wishes.

Training opportunities
Carpenter (apprenticeship)
Carpenter trainee (certificate)

Technical service

The technical service at Erlenhof is responsible for the smooth functioning of infrastructure facilities throughout the Erlenhof site.

We monitor and look after complex systems such as the fire alarm systems and heating systems in the various buildings.

In addition to building services, our varied field of work also includes the maintenance of buildings and facilities. We carry out simple maintenance and repair work on machines, equipment and buildings.

Fundamental knowledge of environmental protection and recycling is very important to us.

Apprenticeship opportunities
Operational maintenance specialist (apprenticeship)
Attendant (apprenticeship)

School

Regular class - factory school
Our aim is to enable the young person to return to school. The young person should experience that they are accepted with all their strengths and weaknesses. A school assessment at the beginning shows them where they stand, what they can do and where they still have gaps. We take a resource-oriented approach, meet the young person where they are and build on what they can do. The school level (regular class - work school) and the workload for starting school are determined. The subject matter taught is based on the curricula of the canton of Baselland.

A young person who joins Erlenhof usually spends the first period in the training workshop. This gives him or her the opportunity to settle in at Erlenhof, and the subsequent program (school - work school - finding a career - working in the companies) is initiated.