Bosch is seeking around 1,550 apprentices and dual-education students across Germany for 2017. Applicants have a choice of over 30 different professions they can apply for online.
09 Aug 2016 | 5328 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Bosch, the German supplier of technology is seeking apprentices in the areas of mechatronics engineering, industrial mechanics, and electrical engineering for automation technology.
Connected manufacturing is placing new demands on staffers. For instance, they need broader knowledge of manufacturing workflows due to the interconnected nature of processes. Bosch says ...
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Bosch, the German supplier of technology is seeking apprentices in the areas of mechatronics engineering, industrial mechanics, and electrical engineering for automation technology.
Connected manufacturing is placing new demands on staffers. For instance, they need broader knowledge of manufacturing workflows due to the interconnected nature of processes. Bosch says it is already taking that into consideration in its training programs.
Christoph Kübel, member of the Board of management and director of Industrial Relations at Robert Bosch GmbH, says, “For connected manufacturing, we need highly qualified technicians in addition to university graduates. Industry 4.0 calls for Occupational Training 4.0, and that’s exactly what we offer our apprentices.”
Encouraging independent and interdisciplinary work
In Industry 4.0, machines and products are interconnected and continuously exchange data. That makes IT skills increasingly important. Technicians are also increasingly working on interdisciplinary projects that involve multiple areas of specialisation.
“Right from the start, we give our apprentices more autonomy and project responsibility. In multiple practical assignments, they familiarise themselves with manufacturing workflows and engage in cross-functional collaboration with other specialist units. At the end of their training, apprentices are able to shape digital connectivity. And they enhance their communication skills in the process. Both are key capabilities in a connected world,” explains Siegfried Czock, head of Occupational and Continuing Professional Development in Germany.
In addition, roughly one in five apprentices in technical and industrial disciplines spends several weeks of their apprenticeship on a work assignment abroad. In the ‘junior company’ training module, apprentices take command and are responsible for handling jobs at a plant.
‘Occupational Training 4.0’ in practice
Apprentices at Bosch in Homburg (Saar), Germany, for instance, already get insights into the manufacturing systems of the future in the first year of their apprenticeship. For example, they see smart workstations that adjust to associates’ individual skill levels and offer support accordingly. Second- and third-year apprentices get to apply their theoretical knowledge on the job so that they can deepen their experience with connected manufacturing. They might, for instance, modify a robot stand or upgrade a wireless communication channel to enable the exchange of information with a tablet computer. At the same time, they pass on their knowledge to associates in the plant.
Laura Kästner, a second-year apprentice specialising in electrical engineering for automation technology in Homburg, said, “The large amount of hands-on experience offered by the training program and the various different projects on which we get to work make Industry 4.0 a very tangible concept for us. We are being well prepared for the connected future.” Czock adds: “Our trainers on site, together with the specialist departments, continuously determine what skills are needed and adjust the training content and teaching methods as necessary.”
Connected industry also poses new challenges for trainers and teaching institutes when it comes to imparting the necessary skills. Bosch Rexroth’s Drive & Control Academy supports internal and external trainers as well as institutes of higher education with courses, training systems, and advanced media on the topic of Industry 4.0.
Number of female apprentices on the rise
One in four apprenticeships offered at Bosch is part of a university degree program. Aside from programs that follow the traditional dual-education model, the company also offers cooperative programs that combine a university degree with an apprenticeship, such as an applied computer science degree combined with an apprenticeship as a certified IT system integration technician.
Today, women make up just under one-sixth of all apprentices in technical and industrial disciplines. But Bosch hopes to get even more young women interested in technical careers by partnering with schools and for initiatives such as Girls’ Day or Technology Experience Days.
Occupational training offered for refugees
This year, the international supplier of technology and services is offering roughly 400 additional internships for refugees at about 30 occupational training departments. The aim is to prepare them for the labor market or an apprenticeship. The company prepares its trainers for this task by honing their intercultural skills.
As Kübel explains, “From our experience training Spanish apprentices in Germany, we have found that, apart from learning the local language quickly, intercultural support is also key to successful integration.”
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