Siemens: Training at Siemens rises to challenges posed by digitalization

Around 1,300 apprentices and university students in work-study programs will begin their professional careers at 20 Siemens locations on September 1. Out of this total, 800 apprentices will complete their training at Siemens AG, 200 at Siemens Mobility, and 110 at Siemens Healthineers. In addition, these trainees will be joined at Siemens Professional Education by 190 participants from the company’s external partners who will complete vocational training programs.
The new training year will focus on major opportunities for developing the digital learning environment. “We’re providing our students with the digital tools to survive in our modern corporate culture in times of digital transformation, and embrace the imperative of lifelong learning. For us, the virtual world is full of possibilities where digital content and conveying that content digitally go hand in hand,” said Barbara Ofstad, Head of Siemens Professional Education in Germany.
“Digitalization is the key to overcoming the major challenges our society faces. But digitalization is not just about the technologies themselves, but our attitude toward it,” said Thomas Leubner, Head of Siemens Professional Education worldwide. “That’s why we’re not only trading technological know-how with our apprentices, but imparting the necessary attitude toward digitalization. We know that new technologies require new skills and qualifications. We want to make our apprentices and university students in work-study programs as fit as possible for the future.”
In the 2021 training year, this development is also reflected in the professional orientation of the program for trainees and university students in work-study programs. As in previous years, the focus of the training will be on technical and IT professions, accounting for 87 percent of the total. Overall, over 50 percent of the apprenticeships are for university students in work-study programs.
The SIEYA virtual tradeshow portal, which has already won two awards from an external jury, enables school graduates to make a successful transition to an apprenticeship or work-study program despite the COVID-19 crisis. Siemens is also contributing to professional career guidance with its Digital Insights program that gave 750 students many insights into different companies. Participants in the program included SAP, Microsoft, MINT-EC and the SIEGEL school network. Schools in both the MINT-EC and the SIEGEL school network have particularly good scientific profiles and career orientation opportunities for their students. In addition, the online assessment function was complemented by a gamification approach. These measures make important contributions and ease the students’ entry into a professional career.
The second round of the International Tech Talents training program will start this year, underscoring Siemens’ commitment as an international ambassador for work-study programs. As part of this program, 16 young people from nine countries will complete a 12-month training program in Berlin. The primary focus will be on future-oriented skills. Alongside modules on project management, robotics and cybersecurity, the tech talents will also learn to apply theory to practice and, by doing so, benefit from key aspects of the work-study program.
With a total of around 6,800 apprentices and students in work-study programs around the world, Siemens has one of the private sector’s largest and most innovative training programs worldwide. In fiscal 2020, Siemens invested more than €159 million in the training of young people.