OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2015. The application process for the 2016 training year has begun, with Bosch offering 1,387 young people apprenticeships. As a result, the number of apprenticeships will approximately match last year's high level. Applicants can choose from over 30 professions, including new career opportunities such as production engineer. With the training curriculum also increasingly covering IT-related topics, the company is preparing apprentices for the demands of connected industry. “The future will be digital and connected. Today, we are already giving our apprentices the skills and knowledge they will need to successfully shape the world of tomorrow. IT is one of the key areas of expertise,” says Christoph K?bel, a member of the board of management and the director of industrial relations at Robert Bosch GmbH. Mechatronics engineers, industrial mechanics, and electricians are in particularly high demand at the supplier of technology and services. More than 300 apprenticeships are available as dual-education models. All vacancies are posted online at www.bosch.de/ausbildung.

Expertise for the connected world
Through occupational training, Bosch ensures that the company has the specialists it needs. Bosch is both a leading provider and a leading exponent in the world of connected manufacturing, also known as Industry 4.0. The need for well-trained specialists is growing. In connected manufacturing, skilled workers need expertise in IT, networking and wireless technologies, as well as process design. “The current job profiles are usually so flexible that it is possible to supplement the existing curriculum with the required training,” Siegfried Czock, who is responsible for occupational training and continuing professional development in Germany, explains. As a result, it is currently not necessary to create new job profiles for the connected world, he says, adding that existing training occupations are capable of meeting the additional requirements, such as comprehensive knowledge of production processes. In keeping with this approach, Bosch started training production engineers at its Feuerbach location in Stuttgart this year. Production engineers plan, oversee, and document industrial production processes. They also set up and commission production lines.

Apprenticeship as well as a degree: more cooperative education options
Bosch is expanding its range of cooperative education options. “Cooperative education combines theory and hands-on experience by bringing IHK-certified occupational training and an academic course of studies together. In just four and half years, I'll be able to complete my training as an IT specialist for systems integration and earn a bachelor of science in informatics,” says Charlotte Oberl?nder, a student in the informatics cooperative education program, describing the advantages. This year, Bosch began offering the “e-mobility plus” cooperative education program in vehicle mechatronics to meet the growing need for engineers in the field of electromobility. The five-year program allows students to earn a bachelor of engineering and complete their occupational training as mechatronics engineers.

Technical professions: not just for men
Some 4,300 young people are currently enrolled in occupational training programs at around 50 major locations and 100 smaller sites in Germany. One out of every five apprentices is female. “With 15 percent of our employees in technical professions being women, we are well above the national average in Germany. However, we aim to interest even more young women in a technical career. That's because mixed teams are more creative and more successful,” Czock points out. To kindle girls' interest in for technical professions at an early stage, Bosch supports initiatives such as Girls' Day.

International apprentice exchange
Today's apprentices learn problem-solving and social skills early in their careers. During their occupational training, they manage their own junior company, support projects by the Wissensfabrik educational initiative, and take part in a week of activities dedicated to social responsibility. Bosch has also been offering international apprentice exchanges for 60 years. Every year, more than 300 apprentices have the opportunity to discover other countries' ways of working, and to gain intercultural experience. The aim is to help apprentices develop into independent and responsible professionals