Perfect start to apprenticeship

Monday, 2 September – Starting off on the right foot is easy!

At Krones’ vocational training centers, the quiet weeks of school break end quite abruptly. At 7:45 am, on the dot, young people begin trickling in for the traditional September-start of apprenticeships at our Nittenau and Neutraubling plants. This day also marks the beginning of the training year at our Rosenheim plant. The one exception to the mass start is our Flensburg plant, where the new school year has been underway since August. Even so, 2 September is a special day for our new recruits from the far north as well, because they are travelling south to Bavaria – more specifically to Neutraubling – to take part in Welcome Week.

And that’s where we find ourselves now, in Neutraubling:  After a brief word of welcome from the teaching team, the day gets rolling with some icebreaker games. These are followed by a discussion of training fundamentals, including logistical items on courses and exams and how to schedule time off. After a refreshing lunch break, work clothes are distributed to all of our new colleagues, who then get a tour of the training center and visit the assembly halls. 

Meanwhile, for our trainees coming in from Flensburg and Rosenheim, Monday is a travel day ending with a tour of Regensburg and a traditional Bavarian dinner at their hotel.   

Tuesday, 3 September – How to be successful at Krones

Long lines form outside the marinaforum event center in Regensburg, about ten kilometers from Krones headquarters in Neutraubling. This is where Welcome Week will take place over the next two days. At 8:00 am, the first curious newbies file in. The space fills quickly as buses carrying trainees from Flensburg, Rosenheim and Nittenau arrive. A careful survey of the room reveals a surprise: standing among the new apprentices are none other than Supervisory Board Chairman Volker Kronseder, CEO Christoph Klenk, CFO Uta Anders and Works Council Chair Josef Weitzer. Although not everyone is likely to have recognized the four immediately, that will soon change. Because, of course, we will hear from them directly in just a moment. 

Once all 160 or so apprentices and trainees are present in the marinaforum’s atrium, Jonas and Vinzent, two second-year apprentices call everyone to attention. They welcome their new team members and pass the mic to Christoph Klenk, Uta Anders and Josef Weitzer. After introducing themselves, the three share a few personal thoughts. The common theme running through all of their remarks is the importance of curiosity and team spirit. And, in fact, the goal of Welcome Week is to help Krones’ new team members find their feet and find connection, to build a sense of belonging and to lay the foundation for successful teamwork. 

At this point, participants break out into small groups for workshops on a variety of topics, ranging from occupational safety to teamwork to respectful conduct – all essential tools for an easy, smooth start to a career at Krones. 

Wednesday, 4 September – Cheers to us!

Today’s focus is on a crucial topic: Krones’ “target picture”, which incorporates our vision, mission and so much more. It is essential that everyone working for Krones knows and understands what drives us as a company and what values make us who we are, so that we can work together with purpose and mutual respect. Participants work in small groups of about 20 each, learning through role plays and other engaging activities about each of the behaviors that are defined within the target picture. A couple of examples: Ten trainees are asked to arrange themselves in order of their age – without speaking. Meanwhile, in another small group, each person ties a string to a pen and then the whole group proceeds to draw the Krones logo together, with everyone pulling on their own string but also communicating effectively to guide the pen in the right direction. The goal of all these activities is the same: to instill the understanding that together, through good collaboration and outside-the-box thinking, we can find solutions and accomplish our goals.  

Metal milling machinists, mechatronics technicians, business administrators and “Profil 21” students – Krones’ new class of trainees reflects the incredible diversity of career training opportunities at Krones and of the company itself. Participants have an opportunity to learn just what that means on a visit to the “marketplace” during the lunch break. Here, our new apprentices discover the many areas and departments that make up life at Krones, including our Diversity Board, the many internal communication platforms, our counseling service and the e-sports team for trainees as well as the wide range of health, wellness and occupational safety activities. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that Krones is a lot more than “just” its technology. 

After the lunch break, organized programming resumes with another team-building exercise. For this one, participants get back into their small groups and compete to see which team can build the tallest freestanding tower of shish kebab skewers. The winning tower measures an impressive 3.5 meters tall. 

The day closes with a real highlight – a Danube river cruise. The entire group walks down to the marina to board the “MS Fürstin Gloria”, which is named after the city’s very own Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis. Non-alcoholic beverages are served on board, and the boisterous group plays a game of non-alcoholic “beer pong” as the boat makes its way to Walhalla and back. (Walhalla is a monumental temple to German culture that sits high on the bank of the river at Donaustauf.) 

The two days at marinaforum were a huge success. The gamified introduction to the company, the networking and the opportunity to talk to other apprentices, including those from different sites, was great – it was quite obvious that the participants loved it. The whole thing was incredibly well organized. Kudos to the team, which also included instructors and current apprentices. They really did an excellent job. For us, it was an absolutely brilliant event, and I’m certain we’ll do it again next year. Michaela Sperlhead of vocational training at Krones

Thursday, 5 September – Settling in

The next day is considerably quieter: The apprentices from Neutraubling and Nittenau go to their respective plants for a localized introduction to the IT platforms. There, they also receive iPads to be used during their training (instead of the usual laptops this year!). During that time, our colleagues from Flensburg and Rosenheim get a tour of the Neutraubling plant. And then, it’s time to say goodbye and start the return journey home. 

And with that, four wonderful and exciting days of Welcome Week 2024 have come to a close. The 157 new apprentices can now start their careers at Krones in earnest, knowing that they’re well prepared. 

Welcome Week gave me some great insights into Krones and helped me get to know the people I’ll be working and learning with better. I’ve got a better sense now of what it will be like training here. Daniel Brilzcombined vocational training and degree student for electrical and information technology