On Girls‘ Day and every day, Knorr-Bremse promotes research careers for women

Connecting with kids at a young age, the Kids&Engineering project at Knorr-Bremse in Aldersbach shows that elementary-school children can already learn basic manual skills. Supervised by apprentices, the youngest participants get a first taste of soldering, fastening, and drilling. Older children of employees can take part in the “KB for Kids” programs in Munich and Aldersbach to familiarize themselves with the vocational training programs offered by Knorr-Bremse and engage in activities such as building a locomotive out of aluminum.

Girls’ Day 2018

Once they reach their teens, kids can engage with Knorr Bremse’s “Wanted: Girl Researchers” program, for example at “Girls’ Day 2018” hosted by Knorr-Bremse in Munich on April 26. Employees showed the young participants how to perform technical experiments and helped wherever there were gaps in their knowledge of physics – like which materials conduct electricity. Working in teams, the young researchers found the answers to questions like this and used a brake test bench to test different materials during the braking process. At all three locations the groups got to present their projects at the end of the day. The girls also had a chance to find out more about vocational training programs. The majority of apprenticeships at Knorr-Bremse are in technical professions – like electrician, mechatronics specialist, machinist, and industrial mechanic. In Aldersbach, some 15 girls got to know the basic skills called for during vocational training and were able to take home the workpieces they made, like a table clock. And in Düsseldorf, girls visiting Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Kiepe Electric, a leading supplier of electrical systems for trains and buses, got to keep the electronic cubes they had soldered themselves. In their other hand, the girls carried away certificates documenting their participation in Girls’ Day 2018 – which will stand them in good stead as they apply for vocational training programs in the future.

Raising the profile of vocational programs

For Knorr-Bremse, ongoing collaboration with local schools is important. For example, the vocational training supervisor at Kiepe Electric in Düsseldorf helps match students from local secondary and vocational schools with available internships. Kiepe Electric is also represented at career fairs held by the Chamber of Skilled Trades (HWK) in Düsseldorf, like “Berufe Live Düsseldorf” and “Tag der Technik”. In Aldersbach, Knorr-Bremse works closely with schools such as Vilshofen Mittelschule. Here, careers counselling and job application practice is offered for metalworking and electrical professions. Andreas Schinhärl, head of vocational training in Aldersbach, feels that conducting a variety of activities is the key to reaching motivated young people. “In light of the broad range of vocational courses, schools, and university programs, not to mention the general shift toward academic disciplines, you have to offer a program that appeals not only to high-school students, but to their parents as well, if you’re going to attract the talents the company needs going forward.”