On May 25, Herrenknecht AG invited interested boys and girls from local schools together with their parents to the Training Day at the Schwanau plant. In the state-of-the-art training workshop, over 350 visitors took the opportunity to look behind the scenes of the technology leader in mechanized tunnelling. At 15 stations and hands-on activities, the young people were able to discover the training opportunities and experience first-hand what tasks await apprentices.

June 3, 2019 Schwanau, Germany. Even before the official start (at 10 a.m.) on May 25, despite the bright sunshine the first visitors arrived at the Herrenknecht AG training workshop in Schwanau. Altogether more than 350 visitors informed themselves about the diverse training opportunities. The clear presentation of the individual training occupations as well as hands-on activities gave the pupils practical insights into the reality of an apprenticeship. At 15 stations, the 13 different training occupations in the industrial, technical and commercial areas as well as three options for joining the company while studying were presented.

Making a rose out of metal, designing technical drawings and using a soldering iron quickly brought existing talent and interest in the underlying training occupation to light. Theoretical job descriptions thus came to life as something that could be experienced in a practical setting. The inside of a tunnel boring machine could be explored virtually using VR glasses. Interested participants in the half-hourly plant tour were treated to live impressions. The highlight of the visit was the rotating cutting wheel of a tunnel boring machine for a metro project.

The apprentices and training supervisors willingly answered questions onsite about the application process, the theoretical and practical content of the training occupations and degree internship programs, as well as about the course of the apprenticeship. The opportunity to receive first-hand information was gladly used.  

Klaus Himmelsbach, Head of Training at Herrenknecht AG, is satisfied: "I am personally pleased that the offer to get a taste of our apprenticeships is so well received. It's simply great if we can inspire young people about our company and create transparency. Because only if pupils can really get an idea of what the training occupations are like are they able to choose the right apprenticeship."

Currently there are about 150 apprentices and student trainees at Herrenknecht AG undergoing training in Schwanau. As of the new training year, Herrenknecht offers a total of 180 young people apprenticeships and degree internships, making it one of the largest trainers in the region. The training team is donating all of the takings from the barbecue, coffee and cake stalls to the Freiburg Children's Cancer Clinic.