Preparing today for tomorrow
Giving meaning & embedding our DNA. A two-track system for detecting and developing talents lays the groundwork for success.
Preparing
today
for
tomorrow
today
tomorrow
Laying the foundations for success with a two-track system
Do you know about the dual vocational training system in Germany?
Dual training combines theory with practice: apprentices learn the theoretical basics of their industry in a vocational school and in a company. In other words, they really convert their knowledge into practice.
The system is more than just an alternative training arrangement. It is a tried, tested and proven way to ensure that both employees and employers are a good fit, and that the necessary skills go beyond theory to become practical, hands-on expertise.
Providing excellent qualifications and training that is applicable in the working world
Some credit this system with fuelling the German work economy. Could it also be a solution to rising youth unemployment? Fred Hess, technical training manager, insists that right from the outset, “we offer our apprentices exciting training. The apprentices are specifically prepared for their later professional life. Only by providing very good training and offering attractive apprenticeships can future skilled positions be filled by applicants from the region.”
Is it worth the hype?
From theory and practice
This system is present in all our sites in Germany. Since 1974 in Heltersberg, for example, 502 students have benefitted from the programme and the percentage of students hired upon completion is 95% – and 62% are still with the company. They follow a programme of technical vocational studies. The specialisations run from electrics to mechanics, from plastics to maintenance and to tool making. Although the dual vocational training programme is available at all our sites in Germany, Heltersberg is a particularly interesting example due to the local challenges with recruiting specialised workers. The town of Heltersberg is quite isolated and rural; the average age of the population is over 50; and local infrastructure is somewhat lacking. Enticing and retaining apprentices is a challenge, but three men and their colleagues rose to that challenge. Fred Hess, Sven Pfirrmann and Andreas Gundacker are part of the instructor team in Heltersberg. They are supported by Andreas Fuchs from Blieskastel, who supervises the engineering students. Sven deals with mechanical training. Fred focuses on plastics, and Andreas Gundacker handles electrical training. Their apprentices follow theorical classes in local training colleges in parallel to workshops in our training centre with our instructors before entering a real-life Hager Group factory situation. During apprentices’ first two months, Sven, Fred and Andreas train them, tools in hand, on how to handle different equipment stations, machines and the materials they will find in the factory. Then it’s time for practice, practice and more practice – where theoretical knowledge and skills practiced in the workshops are put to the test.
We are training the future of Hager Group.
Getting back to basics
It sounds good on paper, but it can be challenging. Both Sven and Fred agree that they are training the future of Hager, but as the years pass, training young people is becoming increasingly more complex. The technical side of the job is training apprentices in the techniques applicable to maintenance, tooling machines, plastic injection and extrusion. Here, the trainers have to add quite a bit of their own theory to the practice. Sven, more of a plastics specialist, comments that he often has to go over the theory that is supposed to be learnt in school, in particular, the mathematics. The hard skills are really what is missing, Fred chips in to say that in terms of soft skills, the apprentices are on top of their game. They are there to learn, they are polite and courteous, work well in a team but the trouble is their lack of skills in maths and German. Both men agree that standards have been slowly dropping over the past ten years. It isn’t just a question of age – apprentices can range from the age of 15 to 30 – it’s the lack of basic education that stands in their way. The basics are key. Andreas Fuchs says the situation for commercial apprentices is the same.
The dual vocational training programme
Dual vocational training programmes offer plenty of opportunities for on-the-job training and work experience. The combination of theory and practice gives students and employers a head start: by the time training is complete, both technical knowledge and hands-on experience have been acquired. Programmes usually last from two to three and a half years and consist of theoretical and practical elements. On average, apprentices spend one or two days a week, or several weeks at once, at vocational school where they acquire the theoretical knowledge needed for their future occupation. The rest of their time is spent in a company, where they directly apply their newly acquired knowledge. This can be at the workplace or at an internal training centre. They get to know what the company does, learn how it operates and find out if they can see themselves working there when they complete their training.
Light at the end of the digital tunnel
Between the four of them, they have accumulated almost 100 years of experience. They know what they are talking about. When questioned as to why they think the quality of basic skills is dropping, they are unanimous: a change in the German school curriculum led to a drop in standards and the level required to pursue further studies. Smart phones are a disruptor too. Plus, parents are less involved with their children’s education. All together, these factors make the challenges to educate and train very real.
Andreas, Apprentices & Interns Manager, is based in Blieskastel, and supervises engineering students.
To avoid any cliché that young apprentices may be more interested in the digital rather than the practical world, the question was asked: are young people less interested in this type of technical training because using a hammer isn’t as cool as a tablet? They were quick to dismiss this idea, because an iPad is a tool like any other when it comes to training. In any case, the programmes on offer are constantly adapted to industry trends and requirements. Digital media is an integral part of the vocational training programme in Heltersberg. There are many reasons for this. Covid was an accelerator, but the use of digital tools seems to make the training more interesting for apprentices, and it’s also the general trend in the industry. In their future jobs, the apprentices will need to work with iPads and the like. In the tooling department, for example, there are no more paper plans. It’s all computerised and they need to learn how to make digital adaptations.
Training & Development Manager
Techniques and jobs develop, we need to adapt.
Training the trainers
And how do they keep their skills up to date? The trainers all agree that their job requires them to be self-driven and ensure that their skills and expertise never falls behind. They all learn by doing – very much like the apprentices – and attend trade fairs and technical training sessions run by external companies. The trainers are always at the leading technological edge, so they know what the needs of the company are, what the apprentices need, and how to match the two and improve. They are also on the front line when it comes to training colleagues who need to broaden their technical expertise, because the training centre welcomes apprentices and colleagues alike. Frank Reinhardt, Training & Development Manager Germany in the Talent Management department, says: “regardless of age and experience, people need to be retrained and reskilled. Techniques and jobs develop. We need to adapt. What was learnt on the job 20 years ago may not be relevant today. It’s no longer state-of-the-art. To retain, we need to re-train. Fortunately, experience and know-how can never be unlearnt. What we can do to develop our people is to help everyone stay up to date.”
To offer interesting training and a future-proof package to apprentices Fred points out: “…to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, we must train our qualified professionals ourselves. Since our reputation for training is very good, our trained specialists are often poached by competitors. That’s why we try to offer our apprentices good perspectives for the future at an early stage.”
Interview with Christian Koehler
The proof is in the pudding
Interviewer: You went from apprentice in Plastics Technology to Head of Quality and the Laboratory in Heltersberg. That’s an impressive career.
Christian: Well maybe, but there were several steps in between. It didn’t happen overnight and there were a lot of colleagues involved in the training and knowledge-sharing process. It’s been 16 years now, but who’s counting? It started with my vocational training in school and at the Heltersberg site. Then I went on to do a bachelor’s degree in Plastics Technology, followed by a master’s degree. And, yes, I now have a dual role: I’m Head of Quality and the Plastics Laboratory in Heltersberg.
Tell me a little about your training journey and how Hager Group was involved.
I started at Hager Group with vocational training in the injection moulding department. This was through Germany’s dual system. I learned theory at a local school and did my training at the Heltersberg site. I immediately asked the company if they would accept me as a paid apprentice. I was even motivated to work over the holidays, because I know that the best knowledge comes from on-the-job experience. Basically, I wanted more practice, and I wanted it on-site at Heltersberg.
An iPad is no different to a hammer – it’s a tool.
I’m assuming the answer to your request was yes. So, what happened next?
It was. So, I did my apprenticeship, attended workshops and applied my freshly learnt skills in the factory. During my holidays, I worked on small projects. I never forgot my goal of putting the theory into practice. Doing my bachelor’s degree was three and a half years of study. Then I did another two on top of that to get a master’s degree. Throughout the whole time, I was working at Heltersberg. My studies took a long time, so it helped being financially independent. After my training was finished, I was taken on as a junior engineer in the industrialisation department. I got a contract to work for six months in Heltersberg and six in Arenzano, Italy, because there was an exciting new project being set up for processing plastic for corrugated pipes in the Arenzano factory. I put my skills to the test at two different sites and, to cut a long technical story short, after a while I took over the plastics laboratory. Then, four years ago an additional mission came up – being quality manager for the site. I jumped at the chance. It’s a challenge having this dual role, but it means I have a great overview of what’s happening and what the factory’s needs are in terms of skills and workforce. Partly since I am in a management position, but also because I know first-hand what skills are needed on the floor thanks to my vocational training.
Internal solutions to future shortages
To maintain the level of skills within our workshops and alleviate the difficulties of recruiting young toolmakers, Hager Group inaugurated its own tooling school in December 2013 at its Obernai site in France. This strategic core competency – tooling – is essential in production as it guarantees the design, manufacture, development and improvement of cutting tools and moulds for plastic injection. The tooling school was created in anticipation of the retirement of over twenty skilled employees by 2022 and in consideration of the shortage of trained candidates on the job market. It preserves and above all passes on unique know how.
The Obernai factory boasts a specifically fitted out classroom and workshop. It is entirely dedicated to providing the best working and learning conditions for trainees and teaching staff to ensure the success of this unique tooling training programme.
Cross border inspiration
Laurie Schaeffer Liess, Human Resources Business Partner Senior Sourcing & Supply Chain Group, is more than familiar with the advantages of the German system. Her recruitment duties cross the border between France and Germany. She comments: “with regards to the dual system, the big difference between France and Germany is that we can offer jobs to all our apprentices in Germany thanks to workforce and succession planning. This is a real advantage: when apprentices finish their training in Germany, they know that there will be a job available that they have specifically trained for. Fewer apprentices are ultimately hired as employees in France.”
The same energy and effort goes into training and helping apprentices in both countries, but in Germany those efforts pay really off for the company in the long term. To capitalise on the benefits of this win-win system, it was decided to take inspiration from the German model and establish a specialised in-house Tooling School in Obernai, France, in late 2013. Laurie remembers well the team that oversaw the establishment of this highly specialised and ambitious project. “The strength and reputation of our company is built on the quality of its employees and this quality is based on their skills. Skills are acquired through training. The tooling school aims to enhance the value of our employees and thereby develop our company. Apprentices learn the requirements of this profession and enable Hager Group to maintain its strategic tooling skills in France within our own production unit.”
Laurie is Human Resources Business Partner Senior Sourcing and Supply Chain Group.
Did you know?
One reason for the dual vocational training system’s success in Germany is a culture of apprenticeships that stretches back over decades. The practical component of study is so prevalent in German education that some young people even opt for semi-vocational courses at universities. For many young Germans, a standard bachelor’s degree with no hands-on experience is simply not an option.
Currently, 32 young people are being trained for a wide range of professions in our very own technical training centre.
The number of new apprentices related to required job profiles are planned on an annual basis by the Human Resources department.
In addition to the official qualifications, personal and social skills, apprentices learn all the specialist skills they will need in their future careers during their training.
Unskilled workers can also obtain officially recognised qualifications thanks to their on-the-job experience.
The training department is known beyond the German borders as a ‘talent factory’. In fact, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce awards us and our trainees the ‘best in the region’ award almost every year.
Since
1974
a total of 502 young people have completed apprenticeships to become: Tool Mechanics, Process Mechanics, Industrial Mechanics, Industrial Electricians, Energy Electronics Technicians, Mechatronics Technicians, Technical Product Designers.
62%
of these skilled workers are still working with us today.
6members
of the Management Team are alumni of the dual system at Heltersberg.
2of our
in-house
trainers
were trained in-house: Andreas Gundacker and Sven Pfirrmann. And several of our former trainees are working as department or group leaders.
Objectives & purpose – detecting talent
The Peter und Luise Hager Foundation concentrates on developing, supporting and implementing its own projects and the projects of young aspiring non-profit organisations. The overall framework for all projects is guided by the Foundation’s goal to support the development of competencies and sustainable education in all areas.
However, it takes more than the desire to help if the goal is to properly and sustainably educate people. Professionalism and responsible handling of the Foundation’s resources guarantee that assistance is provided exactly where it is needed. Resources are not scattered thinly. Concentrated efforts and support are provided to ensure that results can be evaluated by the Foundation.
As education and learning are the pillars of social development. A commitment to children, adolescents and young adults is one of the main concerns of the Foundation. Only those who actively attend to the needs of children and young adults are able to detect aptitude and talent, and then steer it in the right direction to enable future generations to contribute to and integrate successfully in the working world.
The joy of starting something meaningful
It all started with an idea: that Hager Group could do something charitable. What could we achieve by bundling our forces for the society we live in?
These were the founding ideas of the Peter und Luise Hager Foundation. Based on the values of solidarity, public spirit, sustainability, authenticity and humanity, the foundation started with small steps followed by increasingly larger and more international projects as time passed. The foundation currently supports around 50 projects, including many the foundation initiated itself.
Our own lives can be enriched by doing something for others. The foundation is tremendously proud of its success stories.
A look at projects shaping the electrical world of tomorrow:
EnerTec student laboratory at Saarland University
The Foundation’s goal with the EnerTec student lab is to familiarise students with the hot topic of renewable energies. The Foundation supports the laboratory in the Faculty of Automation Technology responsible for training future renewable energy experts.
Education and knowledge-sharing starts at an early age. The basics of renewable energies are communicated to children from primary schools, comprehensive schools, children’s groups and participants in events such as Girls’ Day or the Uni Camp. A new hands-on innovative approach to learning serves as an appropriate medium for teaching them about innovate technologies, such as the generation and conversion of renewable energies, and the technologies used in the process.
Meister-Gründerpreis – Master Founder Award
The “Meister-Gründerpreis” (Master Founder Award) is a prize for start-ups in German electrical industry. It is awarded once every two years in the form of three individual prizes of €10,000. Since 2016, the Peter und Luise Hager Foundation has been awarding this Meister-Gründerpreis to three successful electrical entrepreneurs in Germany. Candidates all over Germany can apply to win. It rewards master craftspeople in the electrical trade for their courage, business concept and the success associated with it. The seven-member jury comprises representatives from business, politics, technical education and the electrical trade – and it includes one of our own: Gregor Wille, expert in standardisation. “This prize is important for spotting talent and for encouraging innovative approaches and entrepreneurship in the domain of electricity, as well as award competencies specific to the electrical industry. It is today that we prepare, train and encourage the experts of tomorrow.”
A selection of previous winners
With his master craftsman’s certificate awarded in 2018, Kevin Breuer founded BG Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG in Ratekau, Schleswig-Holstein. His company’s services include electrical installations of all kinds: from street lighting, e-charging stations to event power supply.
Jan Liesche and Steven Kolbe also won an award in 2018 for their company Likosys GmbH in Berlin. Their speciality: management of electrical systems for industrial and commercial facilities of all kinds.
Recent 2022 winners include: Jakob Kanzler and his Stuttgart-based company Kanzler Elektrotechnik; Nils Kußerow from Kusserow Elektrotechnik GmbH in Waltrop; and Paolo Raimondo, H & R Elektrotechnik GmbH in Saarbrücken and Kleinblittersdorf.
Both Jakob Kanzler and Nils Kußerow founded their companies at the young age of 22. Nils Kußerow is very involved in the electrical industry in his region. He is the deputy head of the Recklinghausen Guild for Electrical Engineering, and also a brand ambassador for the German ZVEH (Central Association of the German Electrical and Information Technology Trades). All three of them engage in social activities, for example Jakob Kanzler and Paolo Raimondo supported the citizens affected by the catastrophic flood in the Ahr valley. Nils Kußerow made his company’s vehicles available to vulnerable citizens during the Covid pandemic so they could do their food shopping. He has also set up a collection point for Ukrainian refugees at his company and carries out free renovation work in their flats.
Development of early excellence
The foundation promotes education and learning for children at the earliest possible stage. In the case of the kindergartens “Melanchton” in St. Arnual, Saarbrücken, Germany, and the “Haus des Kindes” in Neunkirchen, Germany, it offers specific assistance in developing early excellence by financing programmes and training staff.
One of the guidelines of the “Early Excellence” concept is the belief that each child is unique. They are treated with high regard and respect for who they are. The focus is on their strengths and talents to be developed and encouraged. The foundation firmly believes that parents are the first and most important experts for their children. Parents’ abilities should be supported and integrated in their children’s education processes.
Boundaries often blur between the domains we are active in and which reflect the philosophy of Hager Group. We don’t think in stereotypes, but rather think about the people we can help.
Sailing for science and education
Hager Group and Hager Energy (E3/DC) joined forces in 2021 to become the official sponsor of the French skipper Fabrice Amedeo. In 2017, Fabrice let his serious passion for sailing get the better of him. He left his career in journalism behind him to go pro. He is a skipper on a mission. He isn’t sailing for the competitive spirit alone: he is sailing to raise awareness about the importance of preserving our oceans. As an educational by-product of his transatlantic voyages, he wrote an informative awareness-raising book for French school children called “cétacé”.
Fabrice is a big believer in setting a good example: “I think it is important to share the knowledge that we have and make people aware of the importance of protecting our oceans. Last year, I wrote a book about this and was able to reach 80,000 children in French schools”.
Seriously fun learning for future generations
It’s never too early to start educating people. Today, young children are very aware of the threat of climate change and pollution. Fabrice wanted to accompany his sailing exploits with a project to raise awareness among school children, which eventually took the form of a partnership with the Fondation de la Mer and the French Ministry of Education. The result: an educational kit that comprised a 64-page booklet with exercises, games and activities, where young readers learn more about the oceans and discover how fragile they are.
He now has plans to take his quest to share knowledge and raise awareness to the next level and go beyond French borders. One of the reasons for choosing to partner with us was the Peter und Louis Hager Foundation, which is also very engaged in actions to educate children and increase awareness about the impacts of global warming.
Going pro with passion
Until 2017, Fabrice Amedeo was a journalist for Le Figaro, a French newspaper, but he also had a serious passion for sailing. That same year, his passion won, and he became a professional skipper. Fabrice completed his first solo transatlantic race in 2010 and four years later he finished 9th at the Route du Rhum race in Class 40. In 2020, he sailed around the world in the service of science.
