Learning what matters
As a family-run company, Viessmann’s corporate strategy is based on the long term and clearly defined goals, which can only be achieved together with its dedicated employees. We’re already teaching young people their professional tools of the trade at the highest level through internships, apprenticeships, or the cooperative education program.
Quality in the heating industry
For 103 years, the name Viessmann has been synonymous with quality and reliability in the heating industry and is now also associated with integrated climate and energy solutions. We have been passing on our extensive experience in this area and our acquired knowledge to apprentices and students for many decades. The figures alone show Viessmann’s dedication to educating and promoting young talent: we have trained more than 4000 people since the 1960s, around 95 percent of whom have remained with the company afterwards. “We want to offer all our junior staff good development opportunities within the company,” says Georg Glade, Head of Training at Viessmann, who has been part of the company for more than 21 years. More than 200 people are currently doing apprenticeships in different occupational fields or completing a cooperative education program with the company at the headquarters in Allendorf (Eder).
Wide range of apprenticeships and cooperative education programs
Technologies change, and with them, so do the demands of the job. Apprenticeships at Viessmann have thus changed accordingly over the years. Some occupational areas still teach specific skills as they did in the past. Such as metalworking or electrical engineering. Nevertheless, training methods and didactics have also changed significantly with them. Other occupations such as fusion welders have completely disappeared. But new ones have also emerged, such as mechatronics engineers.
Overall, Viessmann offers a vast array of apprenticeships and cooperative education programs. Nine professions are offered in the technical field, including systems mechanic for sanitary engineering, heating, and air conditioning technology, tool mechanic, or technical product designer. The commercial sector has five professions available, such as industrial clerks, e-commerce clerks, and IT and logistics professions. There are also ten cooperative education programs in the technical and commercial fields, such as accounting and controlling, industrial engineering, and software technology.
Viessmann also offers shorter training paths to qualified degrees to give school-underachievers a chance. If they perform well, these individuals are further promoted and can obtain further qualifications.
The educational opportunities and promotion of young talent start at an early stage: in addition to the various apprenticeships and the cooperative education program, Viessmann also offers young professionals a variety of internships: from student internships to annual internships and university or college internships.
A diverse range of further training and qualification opportunities
Viessmann’s apprenticeship system offers comprehensive further training and qualification opportunities. “Every year, we fill some of our study placements with apprentices who’ve graduated with honors,” says Head of Training Georg Glade. “15 of the current 71 students are former apprentices.” This results in attractive career paths with Viessmann – from apprentice to cooperative education student or master technician. Employees can also get their bachelor’s or master’s degree while working.
During the apprenticeship, practical phases are offered for all professions and cooperative education programs throughout the world of Viessmann, both in Germany and abroad. For several years now, one-third of the SHK systems mechanic training has also been carried out at network partners in workshops.
Training factory and smart factory
Practical experience also has top priority at the company’s headquarters. That’s why a training factory was set up in Allendorf (Eder). The Viessmann production system maps their production line – as well as everything that goes with it. This is where apprentices are taught all about logistical procedures and the processes at the crucial test points, for example. The commercial and technical apprentices collaborate with each other and work independently to produce a real product for the market. Digitization also plays a major role in training. The training factory’s test bench has been digitized, for example, to test topics such as predictive maintenance or process visualization.
Another project for apprentices is the smart factory. The apprentices develop, install, and operate a “smart” production line: based on customer specifications, they configure a product with the tablet and use robots to manufacture it in batch size 1. “We teach methodological know-how in addition to technical skills,” adds Georg Glade. “Our primary focus is to teach self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and self-organized learning.”
Professional excellence and values
Viessmann offers interns, apprentices, and students a lot more than just the norm. All new apprentices and cooperative education students partake in a project week during a training camp. Specific projects are realized here during team training sessions. For this purpose, the camp was equipped with training facilities designed and built by the Group. Road safety days and health days are also offered.
Viessmann’s range of apprenticeships is extensive, but so are the demands placed on the apprentices. Our objective is to have apprentices do better than the average on their tests. “99 percent of our apprentices achieve this goal,” says Georg Glade. “We often produce guild champions as well as regional and national winners.”
No matter if they’re doing an internship, apprenticeship, or studying. Education and training at Viessmann aren’t only about professional skills but also about teaching values. We focus on topics such as personal responsibility, responsible behavior, giving and receiving feedback, and entrepreneurial thinking. And not just during their education and training. “We want to give the young people a well-rounded education and prepare them for the professional world,” says Georg Glade. An apprenticeship or cooperative education at Viessmann provides the requisite know-how for this.