55 young women and men begin apprenticeships at Knorr-Bremse

• Focus on mechatronic technician, electrician, and industrial clerk programs
• First apprentices from Syria and Afghanistan

In 2018, 55 young people entered the working world with an apprenticeship at Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other rail and commercial vehicle systems, at locations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The Group offers vocational training of proven high quality as well as exciting career prospects.

On September 7, 2018, the new apprentices picked up their welcome packs at Knorr-Bremse in Munich. Similar scenes were played out in other locations in Germany – Aldersbach, Düsseldorf, and Berlin. Florence Bröcheler, Head of Vocational Training in Munich, says: “To help ensure a successful start to their careers, we provide our apprentices with all kinds of support, inluding workshops. The same applies at all Knorr-Bremse locations. But most of our apprentices already know something about the company. Throughout the year, we use a variety of channels to spread the word about opportunities for young people at Knorr-Bremse – we go to job fairs at schools, for example, and we offer an engineering camp for girls in Munich. One of our aims is to get young women interested in technical apprenticeships.” Currently a total of 125 young people are engaged in apprenticeships with Knorr-Bremse in Germany, ten in Switzerland, and 22 in Austria. In addition, in Munich there are four students starting cooperative degree programs in information systems, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering, while Schwieberdingen is welcoming four electrical engineering students from the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW).

Mechatronics remains popular

Of the 55 new apprentices, most are learning technical professions – reflecting Knorr-Bremse’s world-famous expertise in this area. In the Lower Bavarian town of Aldersbach, 19 apprentices are starting their training (5 machinists, 3 industrial mechanics, 5 electronics technicians for industrial systems, 4 mechatronic technicians, 2 industrial clerks), illustrating Knorr-Bremse’s importance to the region. This makes for a total of 53 apprentices in Aldersbach, many of whom will likely continue their careers at the location in the long term. Knorr-Bremse’s Berlin locations are again making a strong showing in 2018 with 11 new apprentices (machinists, mechatronic technicians and industrial mechanics) bringing the total to 35.

In Munich mechatronics is the most popular option this year, with five mechatronic technicians, one IT specialist, and two industrial clerks. Taking all cohorts together, the location has 20 apprentices and nine students in cooperative degree programs. Training excellence is also possible at locations with fewer apprentices – something that applies at Knorr-Bremse PowerTech in Berlin, for example, where one industrial clerk and two electronics technicians for industrial systems are starting their training. Three new apprentices are starting at Kiepe Electric in Düsseldorf. Sabine Kiesewetter, Head of Human Resources at Kiepe Electric, says, “This brings us to a total of 12 young people in our vocational training program. After a few days of onboarding, our experienced apprentices will provide ongoing support to the new arrivals – a system that has proved very successful.”

Aiming high in the Alpine nations

In Austria and Switzerland, the Knorr-Bremse Group companies are also doing their part to train the next generation. At the beginning of August, two industrial clerks started three-year apprenticeships at Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems Switzerland in Niederhasli. They had already gotten to know some of the people and spaces of their future working environment during a taster day, and also took part in the successful Knorr-Bremse Values Day. Selectron Systems AG in Lyss, Switzerland is training two electronics technicians. “The apprentice electronics technicians start their program in an external vocational training center, which provides them with a firm grounding in basic knowledge about their profession,” says Stefan Schneider, Team Leader, Embedded Systems. As part of this initial training, the new apprentices also take part in a week-long familiarization camp in the Swiss mountains. Apprentices in Germany are also aiming high: By way of an ice-breaker, the young people in Aldersbach are spending a day at a high ropes course in the Bavarian Forest.

As an apprenticeship provider, Knorr-Bremse goes beyond vocational training to cover important interpersonal aspects as well through ingeniously designed rigorous programs. At IFE in Kematen/Ybbs, Austria, this includes providing apprentices with a mentor. In 2018, the mentor is providing an important point of contact and source of advice for the two new apprentices in the mechanical engineering program. The program at Knorr-Bremse in Mödling, Austria, (17 apprentices in total) employs a similar setup. Here, three new apprentices are starting with metalworking in the mechanical engineering module at Knorr-Bremse, while two young people are staring with mechatronics in the electrical engineering module at Josef Zelisko.

Social responsibility

Knorr-Bremse actively provides careers advice in schools and recruits young people to its programs. It can be challenging to attract sufficient numbers and to interest girls in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). “Internships are one way we try to find promising apprentices,” says Bernd Graubaum, Training Supervisor in Berlin. This approach led to a refugee from Afghanistan starting an apprenticeship after successfully completing an internship there. Although there is still a language barrier, Graubaum is confident it will soon be overcome. The young man will receive the best possible support in a group of six machinists and if necessary will be provided with German language tuition as well.

Training Supervisor Andreas Schinhärl in Aldersbach takes a similar view. “We have a Syrian refugee who successfully completed an initial qualification program funded by the employment agency, and the vocational school also recommended him for an apprenticeship. So now the young man will be starting as an apprentice electronics technician for industrial systems.” This shows once again that successful apprenticeships are a joint achievement of Knorr-Bremse, a variety of training institutions, and not least a motivated young person.