Education and training
Article 964a ff. Code of Obligations
Concept and due diligence
With our HR work, we want to help people reach their full potential and we invest in internal and external further training for this purpose. This will enable us to respond to changing conditions faster and more flexibly. We are continuing to expand our education and training activities in the context of individual HR development and we are using talent promotion initiatives to open up internal development opportunities. When it comes to recruitment, we work with schools and universities and take part in regional activities in the field of personnel marketing, such as trade fair appearances and sponsoring, to help us find suitable candidates.
Measures including evaluation of effectiveness
Employees are prepared for new requirements with internal and external training. In addition to specialist further training, this also includes seminars for strengthening methodical expertise, educational leave, advancement qualification and courses on project management. Training rooms and exhibits at the production sites give employees the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the manufacturing processes as well as with the product application.
Material risks and how they are handled (own scope of business and, where applicable, business relationships)
Given the constant need for staff, declining applicant numbers and a trend towards academic education paths pose a risk for Arbonia’s revenue targets. For this reason, our brand as an employer is set to play an increasingly important role in our efforts to combat the shortage of skilled workers. We are therefore stepping up our commitment to employer branding, looking for new recruitment channels and focusing on increasing employee retention – particularly for junior staff.
Key performance indicators
The number of apprentices, most of whom are employed by Kermi, Prüm and Garant in Germany, fell by 10% to 159. The average time spent on training per Arbonia employee amounted to 8.2 hours in the reporting year. This key figure was recorded for the first time in the 2023 reporting year.
In order to be seen as an attractive employer, we promote professional development, nurture employees’ individual skills and focus on increasing employee satisfaction and retention by ensuring that we are always developing and improving. We foster a culture of continuous learning at Arbonia and identify gaps in knowledge and skills by means of employee interviews, performance reviews and feedback. Based on the company targets and strategies, we determine the necessary key competencies and knowledge areas.
Education and training as a matter of course
For Arbonia, cooperation with schools and universities is playing an increasingly important role in demonstrating the attractiveness of its training opportunities to potential applicants at the earliest possible stage. This includes, for example, offering “taster” internships in the production companies. Furthermore, we involve our trainees in our communication activities in order to harness their persuasive power and creativity when it comes to social media and appealing to the younger generation directly.
At Arbonia, we support employees’ professional development with internal and external further training and contribute to the majority of costs. At some sites, we also offer dual study places on an annual basis in order to support university students in a practical environment. We determine the need for further training with the help of annual employee interviews as well as through close cooperation between supervisors and the Human Resources department. In principle, any employee can take part in further training. However, the training must follow a clear objective and is subject to evaluation once it has been completed. This applies to internal as well as external programmes.
The training portfolio ranges from subject-specific and management training to soft skills and on-the-job qualification programmes. In particular, the efforts put into ensuring that junior staff have the right qualifications have paid off with regard to filling demanding specialist and management positions and the associated internal careers.
Climate Division
Supporting employees’ professional development is one of the medium- to long-term targets of the Climate Division. In order to achieve this target, a number of measures have been introduced at the various sites; for example, the promotion of “high-potential” profiles or internships for students in Italy. The aim of this project is to support professional development in various company positions and processes as well as for individual employees. The division has initiated projects with the university in Castellanza, Italy, in order to identify potential skilled workers. To this end, a rotation system was introduced for production employees involved in production assembly processes. In addition, the division offers an international job rotation programme which is targeted at young talent from various foreign subsidiaries and aims to develop their management skills. Internal finance courses were held for new recruits along with refresher courses for all employees in order to improve the corporate culture and communication within the company.
Doors Division
Professional development and training are important topics for the Doors Division too. To combat the shortage of skilled workers across all training paths, the division is focusing on developing attractive training opportunities in order to recruit motivated and talented junior staff and fill specialist and management positions.
In addition to the traditional dual education system, we are introducing a dual study programme in future-relevant areas such as IT as well as expanding opportunities for student workers and internships for schools and further education institutions. In this context, it is crucial that our communication is tailored to the target group in question and that our trainers are aware of the target group’s needs, as the younger generations have different expectations when it comes to aspects such as work-life balance. By working with schools and attending school fairs, we are also able to use teachers as “multipliers” to help raise our profile.
We have also been working on improvements in order to retain existing employees. For example, the concept of the employee interview has been expanded and standardised and has undergone further digitisation so that potential can be identified more quickly. Further training has been individually tailored to the topics relevant to the division and the subsidiaries and programmes have been introduced for managers and prospective managers. Furthermore, the division is offering courses on programs such as Excel, training in project management, coaching, as well as sales and trade fair training.
