Tognum increases number of apprentices and trainees by 21 percent

• Tognum expands in-house training to tackle lack of skilled labor
• All apprentices and trainees receive permanent contracts
• Chamber of Industry & Commerce accolades for five apprentices

Friedrichshafen, 18 October 2011. The Tognum Group is to take on 108 apprentices and trainees in 2012 at its Friedrichshafen site. For the propulsion and power generation specialist, that represents an increase of 21 percent. By investing in its own future, the company is making an important contribution to combating the shortage of skilled workers. On top of that, alI apprentices and trainees finishing this year have been offered permanent contracts.

With the increase in the number of trainees and apprentices next year, the proportion of those studying technology at cooperative state universities is set to almost double. That will allow the company to cover its personnel requirements by recruiting more young professionals from its own ranks and also gives upper secondary school graduates from the year with double intake numbers better chances of obtaining a place on a practice-oriented degree program. The move represents an important step on the way to preserving and building on company know how by means of in-house training. "At the same time, the higher number of training places reflects the leading role played by the Friedrichshafen site in the Tognum Group," said Ingo Metzer, head of Human Resources at Tognum.

  "We are pleased to have been able to offer permanent contracts to all 44 apprentices and trainees who have now completed their training at MTU Friedrichshafen," said Martin Stocker, head of apprenticeships and dual study courses at Tognum. Only a few trainees will be pursuing further studies and these have received a guarantee that they will be re-hired. Trainees and apprentices at other Tognum locations – Augsburg, Stuttgart and Magdeburg – were also taken on.

During the celebration, five apprentices who had completed their Tognum Group training in Friedrichshafen received awards from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Lake Constance and Upper Swabia. Commended for achieving excellent results in their theoretical and practical exams were: Juliane Mayer (draughtswoman), Marco Prinz (mechatronics technician) and Christopher Damoune, Matthias Strauß and Daniel Talge (industrial mechanics).

Of the 44 successful trainees and apprentices, 26 were industrial apprentices and five commercial apprentices. In September, seven engineering students and six business students pursuing dual study programs completed their degrees. The company now has a total of
313 young talents on its training schemes, learning skills in 10 different vocations and eight study courses.