“My personal highlight was getting to the chance to operate a Hamm roller – it’s such a powerful machine.”
Max Arnolf, trainee from Hamm
Learning by Doing
The AZUBI techdays 2026
From May 20 to 22, around 80 highly motivated trainees from across the Wirtgen Group came together at Hamm AG in Tirschenreuth to independently realize their first real-life road construction project.
Staged every year, the Wirtgen Group AZUBI techdays are a special highlight for trainees in their third and fourth years of training and, at the same time, are an important investment in the future and the skill sets of our up and coming specialists. At the three-day event, the participants translate theory into practice and learn what it means to take on responsibility on a real-world project and work together successfully as a multi-brand team. The highlight of the event is a road construction project that the trainees carry out largely on their own, with only minimal support and advice from instructors and service technicians. Here, they not only learn how machines and products from different brands interact with one another, but also grow closer as a team. Core competencies such as teamwork, initiative, a sense of responsibility, and problem-solving skills are actively communicated and developed. The program is supplemented by fascinating workshops, informative factory tours, and machine demonstrations. There was also plenty of fun when the day’s work on the construction site was left behind: A varied evening program ensured that the three days would leave the young people with lasting memories that go far beyond the purely academic aspects of the event.
“At our AZUBI techdays, our young talents don't just get to know the machines and technologies in real-world construction site conditions. The approach we take also helps develop soft skills such as teamwork, personal initiative, and problem-solving abilities – core competencies that are also in enormous demand in the construction industry.”
Stefan Engl, Head of Vocational Training at Hamm
Step-by-Step to the Finished Project
TIRSCHENREUTH/Bavaria: Hamm hosted the AZUBI techdays 2026. Despite a global outlook, the compaction specialist has never forgotten its roots and is always pleased to contribute to community projects in the region. This is why the trainees are helping out at the local soccer club, ATSV Tirschenreuth, this year. Here, the ageing access road and the forecourt of the clubhouse was in urgent need of renovation – and our trainees were able show the skills they have learned. After all, training to be part of a winning team is not only essential on the football field, but also at the Wirtgen Group. The project was backed from the start by the club itself and a local civil engineering contractor and demonstrated an outstanding collaborative effort on the part of the trainees, these project partners, and the region.
Various machines from the Wirtgen Group were deployed on the approximately 980 m² site. The project kicked off with the W 120 Fi from Wirtgen. This machine milled off the old surface layer precisely and left a level surface for paving with the Vögele SUPER 1800-5 X road paver. After paving, the Hamm HD 14i, HD 10e, and HD 12e rollers ensured ideal compaction and a clean, high-quality finish. A total of 253 tonnes of asphalt mix was paved.
