As the 2023 training year begins, Audi is welcoming more than 700 young talents. With innovative formats and individual development opportunities, the company is offering a forward-looking training program – thus making a valuable contribution to solving the shortage of skilled workers.
With around 20 vocational training and an additional 20 dual study programs, young professionals at Audi can look forward to numerous training opportunities in diverse areas, from traditional professions in production to automation technology or software development. “Our training and study programs prepares young talent for the coming changes in our industry and opens up new areas of expertise for them,” says Xavier Ros, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources and Organization at AUDI AG. “Modern, digital, interdisciplinary: This is our response to the growing shortage of skilled workers.”
More than 700 young people will begin their training or dual study program at Audi in 2023. The Ingolstadt site welcomed 372 trainees and 69 dual bachelor students on September 1. Today, 219 trainees followed in Neckarsulm today. October will also see the start of other career development programs, such as the program at the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Neckarsulm and the dual master’s programs in Ingolstadt with around 50 young talents.
Securing the next generation of skilled workers with bottleneck qualifications
The Audi Junior Academy at the Ingolstadt site is one example of how Audi ensures the development of future employees. The academy provides up-and-coming IT professionals with an insight into all relevant IT areas at Audi. After completing basic training at the training center, the trainees focus on learning on the job in real projects.
IT specialists specializing in Digital Networking also learn to help develop complex processes at the interface between IT and production. The first students to be trained in this specialization, which was introduced in 2020, recently completed their training in Neckarsulm and are now regularly employed at Audi. Starting this year, the portfolio of IT specialists in Ingolstadt will expand to include Data and Process Analysis.
As part of the dual vocational training program, which also qualifies trainees for admission to a university of applied sciences, Audi also offers trainees the opportunity to study at a university after successfully completing their training, thus helping to secure the next generation of skilled workers with bottleneck qualifications in areas such as electromobility and IT. In addition, the number of places for dual courses of study at Audi will continue to grow in the coming years. Compared with the previous year, enrollment has increased by around 50 percent. New dual study programs offer young professionals exciting insights into specialist fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, and robotics.
New learning formats and exciting projects
When it comes to imparting knowledge, Audi relies on new learning formats and methods, such as mobile learning and individual development opportunities. When trainees and dual students begin their training, they receive a tablet or laptop along with access to Audi’s digital world. The company has its own projects to strengthen team spirit and cooperation beyond the actual training content. In recent years, for example, trainees converted a rickshaw into an e-rickshaw with used Audi batteries, while others built a show car for the Dakar Rally.
Professional and personal development
In addition to future-proof careers and modern working conditions, Audi offers trainees long-term security. The company guarantees they will be offered a permanent position upon successfully completing their program. “Our trainees are a decisive factor for the future viability of our locations. We support our colleagues throughout their professional development, in particular by promoting job-specific qualifications and advanced training,” says Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council of AUDI AG.
In addition to technical training, the company attaches great importance to the personal development of its young employees. It offers young people starting their careers a varied program so they can get involved in social commitment, health, and environmental protection. Among other things, Audi trainees can visit institutions such as the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp Memorial, get active in protecting the environment in their region, and volunteer for social projects.
> What we offer newcomers: Information about vocational training at Audi