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ENGEL training

Successful training you can measure - Schwertberg, Austria – July 2011.

Plastics processing companies are seeking to use custom-designed programs to convey business-related information to their staff, and to quantify the effectiveness of these training measures. ENGEL Austria has come up two new offers that address this requirement and, at the same time, shed light on the effectiveness of ENGEL training services. A uniformly high standard of training programmes around the world is guaranteed by a quality assurance system. 

Year after year, some 3,000 employees from plastics processing firms take part in seminars or workshops at one of ENGEL's 14 global training centres. As from this year, participants are being invited to add a final examination to their course. “The exams are not compulsory, but a lot of people are taking up the option”, reveals Robert Brandstetter, head of training at ENGEL Austria in Schwertberg. “For those who join a course, it is becoming ever more important to get objective feedback on how much knowledge is actually conveyed.” The final examinations are offered for all regular courses around the world. The majority of course participants answer the examination questions online via the ENGEL e-learning platform, which provides them with an instant written confirmation of their score upon completion.

In addition, the ENGEL training division has responded to customer requests for objective learning feedback with a second new initiative: first ENGEL gauges the knowledge level of trainees with a competence assessment, then develops custom-made training programmes aimed specifically at them. From basic to expert level, from machine and robot operation to process engineering, ENGEL covers the full spectrum of knowledge needed by plastics processing businesses – and addresses the individual needs of its clients. Companies that are active around the world are also benefiting from the global presence of ENGEL training centres: they can take advantage of ENGEL competence assessments to raise the knowledge level of staff at all their sites to a uniformly high level.

High quality training on a global scale:
“The issue of further education and training is becoming increasingly important in the workshops of our customers”, says Robert Brandstetter. To keep pace with the trend, ENGEL is continually investing in training as a business area. The new training centre built three years ago at the headquarters of ENGEL Austria in Schwertberg is one of the most modern training facilities for the plastics industry. By striking the perfect balance between theoretical and practical education, it sets the standard for all ENGEL training centres in Europe, America and Asia. Inside the seminar rooms, all computer workstations are equipped with ENGEL virtmould, the virtual injection moulding machine. This enables course participants to prepare fully for the subsequent practical exercises on real machines before they leave the seminar room. 

Equipment alone is not enough to ensure successful training outcomes, however; continual learning on the part of the trainers is equally important. Trainers at ENGEL keep pace with the latest technical developments through workshops arranged by the development and product management departments, train-the-trainer seminars and other means. For ENGEL, measuring the success of the company's own training initiatives is also a priority. For this reason, the trainers themselves undergo regular testing to assess their knowledge levels. A quality assurance system, developed recently, ensures the highest possible quality standards at all training centres, across the board and around the world. Centres that bear the Certified Training Centre logo, which symbolises this aspiration, have successfully participated in an annual process of auditing and certification. 

Cooperation to combat specialists shortage:
Thanks to its high standards in education and training, ENGEL has also established a name for itself at state training facilities in Austria. During the past year, for example, ENGEL's training division entered into a cooperation agreement with WIFI Oberösterreich GmbH and the certification authority of the economic development institute of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. The partners to the agreement worked together to develop training courses in injection moulding machine operation (MBS) and process-optimised injection moulding (POS). Both courses conclude with examinations and certification in line with international standards. 

The aim of a new cooperation initiative between ENGEL's training division and the SPES Labour Foundation is to combat a growing shortage of specialists. With the backing of the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) and the state of Upper Austria, job seekers will be offered places on courses lasting one to three months that lead to qualifications in the operation and maintenance of injection moulding machines and robots as well as plastics processing technology. 

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