By September 2017, the prospective school graduates of 2018 must have applied for an apprenticeship position with the important companies. The apprenticeship day at Burgmaier in Allmendingen, at Tries and Liebherr in Ehingen was a great help for the school students in making a decision. The apprentices of today explained to their colleagues of tomorrow the work they will have to face in the workshops. Many of them have already taken a glimpse into the companies in internships and so the training supervisors could also get an impression of their future apprentices.
In this year, Liebherr has recruited 55 apprentices. More than 700 people have applied for a training position with this global player. “On the basis of the application documents, we make an initial selection and then invite 150 people for a job interview and a two-hour workshop with various actions. Whether an applicant is male of female will not have any influence, says Hans-Georg Wahler, training officer. “We have very good and committed apprentices, two third of them win prizes and commendations in the examinations. We will take over all of them”, said Wahler.
Every year, the companies search for industrial mechanics, construction mechanics, mechatronics, automotive paint technicians and industrial sales representatives. University places for studies according to a special German studies scheme, the so-called “Ulmer Modell”, or at the Dual University of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg are also much sought-after. Michael Falch is a construction mechanics apprentice in his third year. “I have always been fascinated by these big machines, and being able to say that I have been one of the workers who make them is a good feeling”, he says. Sinisa Simeunecic has joined Liebherr after an internship. Rafael Picwczyk showed Jan Holzmann and his parents his workplace, the memory-programmable control of individual modules, which can be embedded into various manufacturing processes (see picture).
At Burgmaier in Allmendingen, Hans Mall explains the training workshop to the future apprentices and their parents – Burgmaier makes a point of having the parents come with their children. He showed the turning lathes, the CNC machines and the examination tasks and questions for industrial mechanics after the individual years of apprenticeship. Ten apprenticeship positions, eight in the industrial and two in the commercial sector, is what Burgmaier offering in 2018. The candidates may become cutting machine operators, mechatronics, industrial mechanics, machine and system operators as well as industrial sales representatives, if they meet the requirements. “The level is still o.k., but finding good apprentices is not as easy as in the former years”, said Mall. Kyril Sabelfeld from Schelklingen wants to become an industrial mechanic. “This is a great training company, I only can recommend it”, says Vincenzo Salerno, an apprentice in his third year, full of praise about his training company, which he would like to join after his apprenticeship.