The new intake of trainees at Stadtwerke Giessen started their careers at the end of July with an induction week - an early start that pays off for the young adults.
The twelve new trainees and two technical college students at Stadtwerke Giessen (SWG) have already got to know some of their colleagues and their future employer over the past few days. As is the case every year, SWG gave the career starters time to familiarise themselves with their new environment and make their first contacts during an induction week. "The young adults have already overcome the great excitement and palpitations that come with change by the time they actually start their training on 1 August," explains SWG training manager Ruth Biehl-Franze, referring to the experience of previous years. The introductory week for trainees has become a firm institution at Stadtwerke. It's an offer that career starters are happy to take up - even though they have to sacrifice some of their last days of holiday after leaving school and their holidays are a little shorter.
Getting to know and utilising your own potential
The twelve young municipal employees and the two annual interns began their induction week with a round of familiarisation. The focus was not only on introducing themselves to their future colleagues, but also on finding out more about their own goals and prospects. "Where do I stand, where do I want to go and how can I contribute my potential to the company? The trainees clarify these questions at the beginning. It always turns out that the answers paint an even more concrete picture of the start of their career and their own expectations," explains Ruth Biehl-Franze. She believes it is a crucial step to define expectations and to think about what you expect from your employer as a trainee.
The young adults then learnt about the key contact points and central departments at SWG during a "scavenger hunt" through the company. During the induction week, they were also given an insight into different areas of responsibility. "A technician won't always just reach for a screwdriver, but will sometimes pick up the phone to speak to customers. Conversely, the business people should know what the everyday life of a technician looks like," explains Ruth Biehl-Franze. At the end of the induction week, the trainees were taken on a day trip to the most important technical facilities and external sites of SWG - such as the gas tank, the Westbad swimming pool, the elevated water tank on the Bundesstraße 49 and the Queckborn waterworks.
Finally arrived
Since 1 August, the twelve young adults can officially call themselves trainees at Stadtwerke Gießen - two of them as pool attendants, four as electronics technicians for industrial engineering, two as plant mechanics, two as industrial clerks and two as automotive mechatronics technicians. Depending on the job profile, their training lasts three to three and a half years. The only exceptions are two technical college students who complete a practical year in the commercial field.
Together with the two board members Manfred Siekmann and Reinhard Paul, Sonja Krausmüller, the trainer for the specialist pool attendants, Thomas Füller, Chairman of the Works Council, and Christopher Rommel, Chairman of the Youth and Trainee Representative Council, Ruth Biehl-Franze wished them every success on 1 August as they embarked on their new phase of life.