On Monday, 05.09.2022, the Sturm-Gruppe received member of the state parliament Josef Zellmeier, senior student director (ret.) Hans Käfler as well as Reinhard Böckl, the chairman of the state committee for vocational training of the Bavarian state government. The latter informed themselves about the company’s developments, particularly with regard to the issue of employees, and were impressed by the high value placed on training at the international machinery and plant manufacturer. At the same time, they sought to address the problem of a shortage of job applicants and skilled workers by discussing possible solutions together with the Chairman of the Board of Management, Peter Prinz, and the HR and training managers.
“Recruiting employees is one of the key issues in these challenging times,” Zellmeier said. “Many don’t even know how much you can earn in the metal sector. A change in mentality is needed, so vocational training must be brought more to the young generation and promoted in terms of what is possible even with secondary school. We are now at a point where the need for vocational education is much higher than that of academic education!”
In order to be able to take a concrete look at the training situation at the Sturm-Gruppe, Matthias Altmann, Department Manager Human Resources and Training, and Moritz Hoque, Team Leader Training, gave an insight into the current figures. “Training has always been a matter close to our company’s heart. It enjoys a good reputation with us, which we want to maintain in the future,” Altmann explained. The goal, he said, is to prepare young people for the job in the best possible way and to bind them to the company. This brings an added value for the employees, but also for us as an employer, Altmann further described. At the Sturm-Gruppe, there are currently 45 trainees, including 20 dual students. These are still developments worth seeing – especially in view of the current challenging times. “Despite the declining number of applicants, I am particularly pleased that we are still receiving sufficient applications for the dual study program and are also able to fill the positions with top candidates,” says Hoque. “Apprenticeship positions could not be filled in all cases this year, but at least a large part of them could.” Altmann emphasized that, in contrast to recent years, it was even more difficult to fill commercial occupations in 2022. The trend was more in the electrical direction. “I am proud that there is interest in the skilled trades among young people in the region,” Altmann said.
How can vocational training be made more attractive across the board? Answering this question was a central part of the discussion.
The result: a mandatory internship for students as a possible key to success. “More than 60% of our apprenticeship positions are filled through prior internships! You gain work experience, get to know the team in advance, save on the application if necessary and can sign the contract well in advance and thus concentrate completely on the final exam,” Hoque emphasized.
According to Altmann, the Sturm-Gruppe has also had very good experiences in the past with a special company program that took place during the summer vacations and introduced the students to internship and training opportunities in the company in a playful way. In particular, it is important that parents are also involved from the outset.
In conclusion, retired principal Käfler said: “This security releases motivation when I know that I will do an internship, feel comfortable and then get a good training position. I could also imagine introducing an additional vocational training day at all general education schools.”
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