The fact that teaching at the state-run technical college for mechanical engineering can be launched so quickly is mainly due to GROB's support, which the company's owner, Dr. Burkhart Grob, promised to the Bavarian State Premier, Horst Seehofer, during his visit to the Mindelheim plant in early March. Now Horst Seehofer has a clear mandate to get the school up and running as swiftly as possible. "The new technical school for mechanical engineering will play its part in countering the shortage of skilled workers in the region," observed the Bavarian Minister, Dr. Ludwig Spaenle, in early May in a press release issued by his Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs.
As early as the 2013/14 school year, the first 28 students will, as part of their training program to become graduate machine building engineers, receive tuition in the priority areas of mechatronics and automation technology, thereby meeting the requirements of GROB's Mindelheim plant. "Although we have been widening our training offer year over year, we still have a high demand for qualified young technicians," said Christian Grob, the company's chief representative. "At our Mindelheim site alone, we have, in recent years, increased our training courses by over 30 percent."
Every year sixty young people start their training at GROB in technical and commercial fields, with the aim of becoming electronic engineers, IT specialists, industrial salespersons and industrial mechanics or mechatronics engineers and technical product designers; and yet. "Not least because of the rapid expansion at GROB's Mindelheim plant, our training department must – now more than ever – search for suitable new recruits," said Werner Drexel, GROB's training director. "It's an almost impossible task for GROB: how is the company to satisfy the constantly rising demand for young talent, at the same time seeing a reduced number of graduating students?" he added.
But the recruiting problems are not just due to reduced graduation numbers; the demands on young technicians are becoming ever tougher. For the first time for this training year GROB is increasing its offer in several fields of study, so that it can now more effectively overcome the challenge of the skilled worker shortage at the Mindelheim site. In September 2013, for the first time, two computer specialists will join GROB to receive a qualified professional education in IT. They will be working in the field of "system integration", i.e. planning, installing and managing in-house IT systems and networks.
Against this background, the new technical school is a win-win. The Bavarian Minister of Cultural Affairs, Dr. Ludwig Spaenle, explained: "Vocational schools in rural areas are vital if we want a well-trained workforce, they sustainably support regional economic development and help to keep young skilled workers in their own area", thereby meeting the requirements of GROB's Mindelheim plant.
