We specialize in legacy Indramat servo motors, drives, and controls, many of which are still going strong in printing and packaging plants after decades of service. Our typical customer doesn’t remember when Indramat existed as a company, and many weren’t even born when the Indramat components in their plants were installed.
This makes us keenly aware of the importance of passing along skills to the next generation.
Bosch Rexroth knows this, too. Together with Indramat, whom they joined at the beginning of this century, they have a long history. In the early days of the Bosch, Rexroth, and Indramat companies alike, the apprenticeship system was the only method of training new specialists.
The apprenticeship system fell out of favor in the U.S. in recent years. In Germany, home of all three of the caompanies that have become Bosch Rexroth, it’s an official collaboration between the government and corporate employers. High school grads expect to complement further academic education with on-the-job training and experience, and the result is not only good for German manufacturing companies, but has also led to the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe.
Recently, the German American Chambers of Commerce awarded a Trainer of the Year recognition to Mike Bryan, a long-time apprenticeship program leader and developer for Bosch Rexroth. Not only does Bryan head up the apprenticeship program for Bosch Rexroth in North Carolina, but he puts in more than 300 volunteer hours a year in local schools.
This commitment to education exemplifies the long view Bosch Rexroth is known for, as well as the commitment to excellence that is evident in all their products.
Does your company use apprenticeships to train new workers? Do you partner with schools? We’d like to hear about your experiences if so.