Schnaithmann Maschinenbau GmbH, located in Remshalden near Stuttgart, is a system supplier for automation technology. With an export quota of 50 percent, Schnaithmann supplies companies all over the world with conveyor and assembly systems. The family-owned company has approximately 280 employees. An apprenticeship training program has always played a major role at Schnaithmann, which is reflected in the high training education quota of around 15 percent. Even during the Corona crisis, the training projects have continued.
"It was important for us to adhere to the training framework plans in the educational training workshop despite Corona and to prepare our trainees as well as possible for their deployment as skilled workers," says Engin Hergül, Deputy Training Manager at Schnaithmann. The master craftsman for precision mechanics had trained as an industrial mechanic at Schnaithmann himself and later worked as a team leader in the assembly department. Since June 1, 2020, he has been assisting the Apprenticeship Training Manager Horst Klenk. "In order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible, our trainees were divided into two groups, which were present at weekly intervals. During the period of school closure and group separation, the trainees were also released from work on a paid basis. In the event of a suspected corona or a possible infection, only one group would have been affected. In this way we were able to ensure that internal and external projects did not suffer but could be completed professionally and on time. The official instructions for handling the virus are of course also valid in the training workshop. Since our trainees work together on different projects, situations also occur again and again in which the mask obligation must be observed".
Although the Remshalden-based medium-sized company also had to cope with severe restrictions due to the worldwide pandemic and introduce reduced-time work, projects are still being carried out in the training workshop. One of the larger projects is the system assembly „ROTAAS". On this system LED flashlights are assembled automatically from individual parts. Trainees from the 4th year of apprenticeship in the professions of industrial mechanic, electrician, mechatronics technician and technical product designer worked on this system. Mechanical, electrical and programming tasks were to be carried out. "From this project and the various tasks, the company orders for part 2 of the final examinations were also selected," says Klenk. "After passing the examinations, the 3rd year trainees took over the project. They are now familiarizing themselves, installing various mechanical optimizations and electrical replacements and, of course, contribute their own ideas after consulting with us, the trainers, or the specialist departments".
Another project concerned the hygiene measures required by Corona. "For the care of our employees' children during the summer vacations, our trainees designed and set up two mobile wash basins. This enables the children to wash their hands regularly in the childcare facilities and to observe the rules of hygiene," says Klenk. "Another project that we realized together with the Max-Eyth-School in Stuttgart was a disinfection stand for the students. Our trainees produced a prototype at short notice and delivered twelve stands for disinfection fluid for the school two days later: a flexible and cost-effective solution that was made available to the school in good time before school started".
The whole training team is very proud of the 12 graduates who achieved excellent exam results in the winter and summer exams. For the new training year, which begins in September 2020, Schnaithmann can maintain its training quota of 15 percent: Apprenticeships will not be lost despite the pandemic. In September, the training workshop will welcome ten new apprentices in the professions of industrial mechanic, electronic technician for automation technology, mechatronics technician, industrial clerk, warehouse logistics specialist and metalworking technician. Together with the 26 trainees from previous years, 36 young people will then be learning eight professions at Schnaithmann. "We are looking forward to the new trainees and wish them and all of us a lot of fun and a great apprenticeship at Schnaithmann", say the two Apprentice Training Managers. "The first interviews are already being held for the start of an apprenticeship in September 2021.
