Apprentice Competition 2013 of the WKOÖ

Apprentice Competition 2013

The apprentices of Engel Austria are among the best in the country. With one first place and two second places, Engel's second year of apprenticeship was able to confidently defend this reputation at the 2013 Apprentice Competition organized by the Upper Austria Chamber of Commerce (WKOÖ). Raphael Fischer is the best trainee designer in Upper Austria. The two second places are occupied by Stefan Undesser (Designer) and Georg Hannl (Machining Technician).

The WKOÖ competition for technical and commercial professions, held annually, offers companies and apprentices a comparison of their training levels after the second year of apprenticeship. This year, 845 apprentices from 153 companies in Upper Austria participated in the jury’s assessment. The awards were presented at the Design Center in Linz.

The company Engel participated this year with 39 trainees and can boast an above-average overall result. 15 of its apprentices received the top grade "very good" for their work, a distinction awarded to just under 16 percent of all participants. For the company's training manager, Josef Wahlmüller, this renewed success confirms the company's strong commitment to training and Nachwuchsförderung (young talent development). "Our apprentices are our future," emphasizes Wahlmüller. "With a 98 percent employment rate, professional training in-house significantly contributes to securing skilled workers and thus the competitiveness of our company."

Securing skilled workforce early
Engel's training workshop in Schwertberg, where around 150 young women and men work, is one of the most modern in the country and is integrated into the manufacturing network at the site. Machine components produced by apprentices are used in ongoing production. "For entry-level workers, this is a high motivational factor," says Wahlmüller, who is especially proud to also teach training content that is not included in all companies' curricula. For example, English courses, crane and forklift licenses, and first aid training are offered. Additionally, trainees gain insights into neighboring work areas regardless of their specific profession and learn early to think interdisciplinarily and work in teams. Trainers take the time to individually promote and reward the strengths and talents of apprentices. The two best apprentices of a cohort are deployed for three months at Engel's large machinery plant in Shanghai after passing their final exams.

As a state-certified training company with more than 4,300 employees worldwide, the company trains mechatronics technicians, machining technicians, mechanical engineering technicians, plastics technicians, materials technicians, mechanical design engineers, surface technicians, and warehouse logisticians. On September 1, 2013, 44 new apprentices will be hired.