Training in prison: learning to be a versatile all-rounder for life

VAW Operations Manager Johannes Schmidt (left) is currently training four inmates at the Heimsheim Correctional Facility on an Allrounder 320 C Golden Edition as machine and plant operators. (Photo: Arburg)

As the first correctional facility in Baden-Württemberg, Heimsheim offers training as a machine and plant operator in metal and plastic technology. The team from the correctional work system (VAW) includes workshop manager Wolfgang Wenzelburger, operations manager Johannes Schmidt, managing director Lars Klapper, and trainer Götz Heinrich (from left). (Photo: Arburg)

On the new injection molding machine, for example, paper clips, keychains, and plastic containers are produced. Since metalworking is also part of the training, the future machine and plant operators mostly manufacture the tool for a notepad box themselves. (Photo: Arburg)

• New in Baden-Württemberg: JVA Heimsheim trains inmates on injection molding machines
• Perspective: Four aspiring machine and plant operators in metal and plastics technology
• Demand: All-round injection molding machine for contract manufacturing of plastic parts

As the first correctional facility (JVA) in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Heimsheim offers a two-year training program for plant operators in metal and plastics technology. Since September 2013, four trainees from the detention center have participated. For the plastics technology part, an all-round injection molding machine from Arburg was purchased, which is also used for contract orders. With their newly acquired knowledge in handling injection molding and metalworking machines, as well as a professional qualification certified by the IHK, the inmates have better chances on the job market after their release.

"Our top priority is resocialization," explains Lars Klapper, Managing Director of the Correctional Workforce (VAW) at the Heimsheim correctional facility. "We have around 460 inmates here; as many as possible of them we want to release as potential new employees." However, a problem is that many inmates have not completed vocational training.

JVA trains as machine and plant operators

Therefore, in Heimsheim, alongside the opportunity to learn German and obtain a secondary school diploma, a partial training program for forklift drivers, a welding course, or a carpentry machine course is also offered. "We are proud to be the first branch of the state-operated correctional workforce to offer a two-year training program for machine and plant operators in metal and plastics technology since September 2013," adds VAW workshop provider Wolfgang Wenzelburger. For theory lessons, vocational school teachers come to the detention center several times a week. The practical part is handled by our own staff with technician or master training. In JVA Heimsheim, Götz Heinrich is responsible for the metal sector and Johannes Schmidt for plastics.

Latest machine technology in use

The machinery in Heimsheim is well-equipped. As a service provider and contract manufacturer, the ISO 9001-certified company also takes on numerous orders from regional industrial companies and private individuals. On approximately 7,300 square meters of production space, there are, for example, a metalworking shop, carpentry, printing shop, and an assembly area. In metal training, a modern CNC machining center is available. For the production of plastic parts, a new injection molding machine from Arburg was purchased last year. "We chose a compact all-rounder 320 C from the Golden Edition series, which allows us to produce parts with a shot weight of up to 50 grams," explains Johannes Schmidt, who ran his own injection molding shop for many years and has had good experiences with quality products from Loßburg. An additional advantage is the proximity of Arburg in the Northern Black Forest. "Competent technicians come to our training facility for commissioning, service, and maintenance. In this regard, we differ from no other company," emphasizes Johannes Schmidt.

The four trainees, aged between 25 and 30, are now learning step-by-step how to set up and adjust the injection molding machine. Two more inmates, who will be released soon, are also taking the opportunity to train on the all-rounder. "The Selogica control system is intuitive to operate thanks to graphical process programming and makes working on the machine easier," says Johannes Schmidt.

Plastic parts: in-house production and contract manufacturing

The all-rounder is used, for example, to produce paperclip and keychain marketing items for the detention center, but also various plastic containers and a dental instrument for regional clients are part of the product portfolio. When a job for a notepad box was awarded, the trainers came up with something special: "To meaningfully integrate metal and plastics, we largely manufacture the appropriate tools for the injection molding machine ourselves," explains Götz Heinrich.

At the end of March, the first intermediate exam will take place for the four trainees. In September 2015, if everything goes well, the inmates will receive their journeyman certificate certified by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). This will give them a professional advantage over unskilled helpers in the open market and the option to further train as industrial mechanics.