The best female engineer is an Engel Austria employee. Budding design engineer Sara Brandstätter not only secured first place in her occupational category in this year's competition for apprentices in the sector organised by the Economic Chamber for Upper Austria – she also won a special award for the best female trainee in a skilled technical trade. And Engel apprentices brought a second trophy home to Schwertberg as Raphael Pechhacker secured second place in the machining technicians category. The Engel apprentices won through against 805 participants from 123 businesses throughout Upper Austria. A total of 37 young men and women from Engel were presented to the critical panel of experts, with a third of them rated 'excellent'. "This has been an outstanding result overall – we are proud of our talented young people," says a delighted Josef Wahlmüller, training manager at Engel Austria. Although Engel trainees consistently perform very well in competitions organised by the Economic Chamber, every new contest means fresh excitement and every new award is special. "The success of our apprentices confirms that our training efforts are on the right track," stresses Wahlmüller. A team of trainers devotes a great deal of time to identifying the strengths and talents of trainees and promoting individuals. Training courses also offer content not available in all companies. From the outset, Engel apprentices gain insights into adjacent departments; they learn how to take an interdisciplinary approach and work as part of international teams. English courses, crane and forklift operator licences and first aider training are offered during training.
New apprentice workshop for Schwertberg headquarters
One major motivator is the fact that machine components produced by trainees are used in machine assembly operations. "Integration into the production network is something we will continue to encourage in future," says Wahlmüller. The expansion of the Schwertberg headquarters, which started in June, will involve a revamp of the apprentice workshop and modernisation of the machine park for the benefit of trainees. The training centre, which has received national awards, is already one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the country.In-house training improves competitiveness
Every year, Engel takes on 45 new apprentices in Austria, training them as mechatronic technicians, machining technicians, mechanical engineers, plastics technicians, materials technicians, design engineers, surface technology specialists and warehouse logisticians. The large-scale machine plant in Shanghai also houses a big training centre."With a retention rate of 98 percent, in-house professional training is critical in terms of securing skilled positions," believes Josef Wahlmüller. "At the same time it enables us to enhance our company’s international competitiveness."
