Wirtgen Group trainees took on the role of users and realised an authentic road construction project. This year, the event was staged by Joseph Vögele AG.
The latest round of the AZUBI techdays: from the 3rd to the 5th of May, around 80 trainees from all five Wirtgen Group brand headquarters came together to rehabilitate a paved forestry track in Altrip. They were assisted throughout the project by 15 instructors and 7 service technicians.
Every year, Wirtgen Group trainees in their second year come together for a three-day event at one of the group’s five brand headquarters. This year, the event was hosted by Joseph Vögele AG in Ludwigshafen. The absolute highlight of the AZUBI techdays: the trainees work together on the realisation of an authentic road construction project under their own direction and operate the machines themselves with the assistance of the service technicians. This gives them an opportunity to experience the ideal interaction of the Wirtgen Group products in a realistic working scenario. Although the trainees are familiar with the products from their own brand headquarters, they are not necessarily aware of the machines of the other brands and their various capabilities.
At this year’s event, the participants were therefore given the task of working as a team on the rehabilitation of a paved forestry track in Altrip. They were assisted during the milling, paving and compaction of the stretch of road with a length of 210 m and a width of 3 m by service technicians from all five brand headquarters.
Parallel to the construction project, the trainees also had an opportunity to watch a Kleemann MOBIREX MR 110i EVO2 mobile impact crusher in action at a specially arranged machine demonstration at a recycling centre in Otterstadt.
This year’s event for the upcoming generation of professionals was staged by Joseph Vögele AG.
‘The Wirtgen Group has already staged this event with enormous success at several of the group’s factories. Here at Vögele, we also made sure that everyone who took part could experience our passion for the world of road construction and feel the spirit of togetherness within the Wirtgen Group.’
Oliver Laible, Training Supervisor at Vögele
Working independently and as a team are two decisive components of the training concept offered by all five product brands of the Wirtgen Group. Trainees taking part at the AZUBI techdays not only get to know the products manufactured by Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann and Benninghoven – the three-day event also promotes essential soft skills such as communication, the ability to work in a team, a sense of responsibility, and personal initiative.
‘I enjoyed the construction project most of all’, said Robin Veth, currently training as an industrial mechanic at Vögele. ‘It was great to see how fast the job got done. That was simply a brilliant team event.’ At the same time, Thomas Bayer and Oliver Laible, training supervisors at Vögele, were particularly pleased to see the outstanding engagement and commitment shown by the young colleagues. ‘The Wirtgen Group has already staged this event with enormous success at several of the group’s factories. Here at Vögele, we also made sure that everyone who took part could experience our passion for the world of road construction and feel the spirit of togetherness within the Wirtgen Group’, said Laible. The trainees attending the event were not only from the technical divisions, but also from the administrative departments of the brand headquarters. ‘Together with the realistic challenges and the great team events, this mix ensured that the techdays were a unique event’, says Laible.
Wanted: young talent!
At present, Wirtgen Group employs over 380 trainees – and is constantly on the look-out for talented newcomers to the industry. At the same time, the company group focuses on a holistic training concept that not only fosters specialised knowledge, but also personal and social skills. Career starters can look forward to intensive support and guidance, state-of-the-art training facilities and workplaces, fascinating hands-on projects, in-house training courses and a wide range of career development prospects. Vocational training is offered for around 20 recognised training occupations – for instance as an industrial mechanic, mechatronics technician, industrial management assistant, computer science expert or product designer – and includes a range of dual study programmes.
Interested? Visit https://www.wirtgen-group.com/vocational-training to find out all you need to know about vocational training opportunities at the five brand headquarters of the Wirtgen Group at a glance.
