Learning and working worldwide: Around 80 new young talents in the Friedhelm Loh Group

18.09.2017. Seventy-nine young people are getting ready to face the future in the Friedhelm Loh Group. The companies of the family-run group have now welcomed 59 new apprentices and 20 students to their ranks. These young people, ranging from office clerks and IT specialists to industrial engineers, have set themselves some very different goals. They include international perspectives and exciting Industry 4.0 (IoT) projects. The social responsibility of the region’s biggest employer also impresses young people. Being successful worldwide and yet remaining true to its roots – that provides motivation.

Standing together and achieving common goals – the new trainees and students on the StudiumPlus programme proved, right from the start, that the Friedhelm Loh Group is a committed community. During the students’ excursion to the Outdoor Centre in Lahntal, it was important to combine ambition with teamwork. During the official welcoming of the trainees by the Rittal management, Carsten Röttchen underlined the importance of training as a time of shared learning and working: “Pursue your goals for the future seriously and make use of your links within the company. The Friedhelm Loh Group offers you excellent prospects, nationally and internationally, in industry and IT, in the factories and in the administration. We will help you achieve your goals.”

Combining theory and practice in a sensible way

Seeing the big picture is particularly important in training and education, Mr. Röttchen emphasised: “Particularly, in these times of digitisation, the world of work is changing and accelerating constantly. This will place great demands on you but it does make your training more exciting every day.” The company is currently training some 200 young people in 20 different careers, ranging from electronics technicians for industrial engineering to warehouse logistics specialists and IT systems management assistants. The Friedhelm Loh Group invests in the company’s own training facility, the Loh Academy, which offers a large number of qualification measures in training.

During the course of their studies, the young people can pursue their professional interests and personal development goals in equal measure. The StudiumPlus programme at the University of Applied Sciences of Central Hesse (THM) in cooperation with the Friedhelm Loh Group offers a large number of qualification measures. Whether in industrial engineering, engineering, business administration or software technology, the courses of study are further divided into other specialisations such as refrigeration and climate control technology, mechanical engineering or the management of medium-sized businesses. This is inspiring Daniel Wäsch, for example. After completing his training as an industrial mechanic at Rittal, he is now pursuing a degree in industrial engineering: “I am fascinated by the innovations of the Friedhelm Loh Group”, said the student during a visit to the Rittal Innovation Center in Haiger: “That’s what pleases me most about project work in the company.”

Together with his new colleagues, he swats up for university in term time and works for the company during the college vacations. They pursue their own projects and get involved in teams, learn from their colleagues or go to an international subsidiary. “What appeals to me about StudiumPlus is the combination of theory and practice”, Daniel says. He also appreciates the way the Friedhelm Loh Group is internationally orientated: “The chance to supervise a project abroad and to gain international experience and intercultural expertise is simply fantastic!”

Four refugees now in training

The trainees, too, were already looking forward to the new experiences on their first day. The welcome by the management, tours of the Rittal factories and a barbecue evening together, all this helped the newly-arrived trainees to settle in at their new workplace, says Matthias Hecker, head of training at Rittal: “Our trainees should not only know, but also fully experience the fact that they are more than just a number for us. Community and responsibility are of paramount importance in the family business.”

For this reason, the new intake of trainees again includes four refugees, from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. They had qualified for training as machine and plant operators during a three-month internship at Rittal. They are following the lead set by Khaibar Fatehzada and Eyobel Gebreyesus, who this year successfully completed their training at Rittal as the first participants of the Friedhelm Loh Group’s integration project. They have grabbed their chance for a peaceful future through ambition, diligence and enthusiasm.