The clearly noticeable shortage of skilled labour at all transport companies is forcing companies to find creative ways of recruiting young specialists and managers. Going public to emphasise the attractiveness of working in transport companies is the key.
drive & study
Our first example comes from Mannheim:
On Monday, 19 February 2024, representatives of the Hochschule der Wirtschaft für Management (HdWM) and Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv) unveiled a newly foiled tram at the Mannheim depot, which will be on the move in the transport area with immediate effect and draws attention to the wide range of courses offered by the university. It was created as part of the joint and successful cooperation “drive and study”, which has existed between the HdWM and rnv since summer 2023.
With “drive & study”, students have the opportunity to earn some extra money as student assistants in transport operations alongside their lectures and during the lecture-free period and supplement their student funds. In addition, students can complete internships at rnv, write their theses or apply and develop the theoretical knowledge they have learnt during their studies in practice while working as student trainees.
“We have long wanted to see a tram in HdWM colours on the streets of Mannheim,” reports Prof. Dr Perizat Daglioglu, President of HdWM. “We are therefore all the more pleased that we have now been able to realise it within the cooperation with rnv. ‘Drive and study’ is a unique opportunity for our students, as it makes it easier than ever for them to enter the world of business. In addition to the possibility of an extraordinary and responsible working student job as a tram driver, there are also other exciting opportunities to apply the specialist knowledge gained during their studies in other areas of rnv and thus not only gain further practical experience, but also finance their tuition fees,” explains Prof. Daglioglu.
“Against the backdrop of the desired transport turnaround, we have been taking innovative and creative approaches to recruitment for some time now. ‘Drive and study’ opens up enormous opportunities for us in the search for qualified and committed personnel to counteract the shortage of skilled labour that is on everyone’s lips across all industries – both in the short term and in the long term,” reports Steffen Grimm, Head of Human Resources at rnv. “We are delighted to have a strong cooperation partner at our side in the form of the Hochschule der Wirtschaft für Management, with whom we can jointly enable young people to enter the world of business and work while they are still studying.”
The next two courses for training temporary student drivers will begin in summer 2024. The training lasts eight weeks and takes place during the lecture-free period. During the semester, students are usually deployed as tram drivers at weekends and at special events. All students enrolled at the HdWM, as well as students from other colleges and universities who are interested in doing great things with the rnv alongside their lectures, can take part.
For further information at www.rnv-online.de/karriere.
Practical day at VAG
Nuremberg is also focussing on intensive public relations work and “taster offers” for students: VAG Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg is organising a practical day for students, giving them a glimpse behind the scenes of the company and its processes.
Just as the first railway started in Nuremberg, VAG put Germany’s only fully automated underground railway on the rails here in Franconia. And that’s not all: with the U2 line, it was the first company in the world to automate a previously manually operated underground line, and it did so while the train was running. The automated underground railway is certainly VAG’s flagship project, but it is also important to keep up to date with the latest technology for all transport systems in order to ensure that they function smoothly in everyday life. To do this, VAG needs students specialising in electrical engineering, computer science or business informatics. And it is precisely these disciplines that it is offering a comprehensive look behind the scenes on Monday, 11 March 2024, from around 9.00 am to 2.30 pm. The programme includes a visit to the master workshop for communication systems, a tour of the power supply systems and train control technology in the control centre as well as getting to know VAG IT and the company as an employer. A few places are still available. Registration is possible until Monday, 26 February 2024 at www.vag.de/praxistag.
These are just two examples of attractive career opportunities in public transport at various other locations in Germany.
21.02.2024
