By Professional training for young people is a high priority at Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau, Germany. The experienced and committed Herrenknecht training team of 14 people focuses on developing dedicated and highly trained young talents from within their own ranks. At the present, 200 young people are integrating their training or studies at the company.
On July 18, 2020, the team around Head of Training Klaus Himmelsbach went all out to catch smart young men and women as applicants for the 2021 training year: “We have spared no effort, including strict implementation of the Corona rules. We were rewarded by over 100 pupils who visibly had fun at the event and showed strong interest in an apprenticeship at Herrenknecht.”
The event in the state-of-the-art training workshop with great attention to detail had been planned by the organizers. The proper health and assembly regulations were precisely applied and observed. The list of preparations was long and detailed, and as an example of these arrangements, one can refer to online pre-registrations for fixed appointments, distance markings, tours in small groups, disinfectants and, of course, the requirement that visitors wear face covering throughout. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the visitors experienced a clearly presented, informative, and varied program.
At most 20 people in the groups, started the 2020 Training Day at Herrenknecht on Saturday with a veritable highlight, the live presentation of two large tunnel boring machines on the extensive plant premises. On view were machines with impressive diameters of around 10 m each for a railway tunnel project in the United Kingdom.
On the following tour of the training workshop, 10 clearly and practically designed stations presented the wide range of training possibilities. Totally, 12 different jobs in the industrial, technical, commercial and IT areas plus two options for joining the company while studying were presented. For instance, in front of the visitors, apprentices conjured up a rose from hard steel and with the appropriate welding skills. Moreover, they introduced the modern interface between IT and mechanics at the CNC workstation.
Trainees and training supervisors were on hand to answer any questions in addition to queries about occupational aspects – whether about the theoretical and practical content of the apprenticeships and degree internship programs, the application process or the chronological sequence of the training process. This outstanding opportunity to get first-hand information was extensively and gladly used. One of the young visitors at the end of his tour summarized: “I liked it. I got a good insight and it was very informative. Everyone was very friendly and open to my questions.”
Source: Tunnel Business Magazine
