Two employees in Remagen turned strong performance into professional qualifications: after first joining accumulator production without formal vocational training, they went on to complete Germany’s traditional dual training program and qualify as plant and machine operators.
“We firmly believe that teams that are diverse in terms of age, gender, and cultural backgrounds are not only enriching, but also more successful.” That is how the Freudenberg Group’s annual report puts it — slightly abridged here. In other words, diversity is deeply rooted in the Group’s values.
“As a company working with metal, our workforce in Remagen has traditionally been predominantly male,” says Marcus Darms, Global Operations Manager, Lead Center Accumulators. That has been especially true in manufacturing leadership roles — and not only at this location. “That’s why we want to train more women for demanding production roles, giving them the opportunity to move into high-level technical and leadership positions,” he says.
That approach has now proved successful in Remagen — twice over. A few years ago, Angelika Gwozdz and Natalia Majcher joined Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ accumulator production team. At the time, neither had any experience in metalworking.“
Nevertheless, it quickly became clear: “These two are doing a great job; they’ve really got what it takes,” Darms says. “They are extremely reliable, highly motivated, eager to learn, quick to grasp new concepts, and versatile enough to work on a variety of systems and machines.” It was also clear that Angelika Gwozdz and Natalia Majcher were capable of more than assembly, operation, and installation tasks — the kind typically handled by “unskilled” workers.
Graduation with Flying Colors
That’s how the idea emerged to offer both employees — even though they had been out of school for several years — a dual vocational training program to become plant and machine operators. Over two years, they would build their metalworking skills from the ground up, both in the classroom and on the job. The plan quickly moved forward. The Federal Employment Agency even considered the initiative worthy of funding and provided government support for the project.
The two employees passed their final exams at the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) with flying colors this June, scoring 90 and 93 out of a possible 100 points, respectively. “This is a flagship project that sets an example and will hopefully encourage other women to follow in the footsteps of Angelika Gwozdz and Natalia Majcher,” says Darms.
Their achievement has already paid off: both graduates have received permanent employment contracts. They are now putting their skills to work on a high-profile e-mobility project for a major automaker. As part of the ramp-up of a brand-new cleanroom production line, they perform specialized technical tasks such as setup work and measurement equipment studies.
