- COMPANY USE GERMAN DUAL SYSTEM AS BASIS FOR TRAINING INNOVATION OFFERED TO APPRENTICES
- NEW SYLLABUS COMBINES THEORY AND PRACTICE, TOTALS 1,700 WORK-HOURS
- ALL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE REMUNERATION
Martorell, 05.09.2012 –SEAT will introduce the system of dual Vocational Training (VT) in its Apprentices’ School. With the beginning of the new academic year starting on September 12th, the company will replace the current training system with a dual one – based on the German system –, thus combining theory and practice, and providing students with solid professional experience. The new syllabus will increase the number of hours by 57% (from 2,950 to 4,625) in comparison to the current system, and gives equal importance to training and work in terms of hours.
The new dual training model at SEAT’s Apprentices’ School will be a three-year course of study. Students will sign a training and apprenticeship contract, and all will receive a monthly payment. First-year apprentices will receive 250 Euros, second-year students 420 Euros, and third-year students 530 Euros.
Josef Schelchshorn, SEAT’s Vice-president for Human Resources, expressed his great satisfaction at the introduction in Spain of a system similar to the German one. “The project means a quantum leap in quality for our School. We are broadening and improving the training of apprentices before they join SEAT, while at the same time forging closer links with the world of work”. Schelchshorn added that “it is a matter of great pride for SEAT to be able to contribute to Spanish society in the form of quality training and employment”.
Much broader-ranging syllabus
To date SEAT has been offering two years of Middle Grade vocational training cycle, completed with an additional one-year training course to provide students with better qualifications before joining SEAT. The syllabus now becomes broader: 1,700 workhours are included in one of the company’s production plants, whereas to date 600 hours had been devoted to practical work in workshops. Productive practical work is also introduced in the training centre itself in order to respond to the needs of some company technical departments, allowing students to put their theoretical knowledge to practical use.
Also, first-year students will be provided with 160 hours of hands-on in-factory training in July, to which a total number of 200 hours for English language training will be added in the second and third years, as well as the continuous specialised training offered to those workers already on the SEAT workforce. Each apprentice will also have a personal tutor for the duration of the apprenticeship.
For the current academic year 2012-2013, SEAT will have an intake of 61 new first-year student apprentices, chosen from a record number of 400 applicants for the centre. As has been the case to date, once the apprentices have successfully concluded their three year course of study, they will be entitled to join SEAT on a long-term contract. Thanks to the new contractual relationship provided by dual training, the students’ links and identification with the company will be strengthened, while at the same time increasing the attractiveness of both the centre itself and of SEAT as an employer.
The Apprentices School, more than half a century of training
SEAT’s Apprentices’ School is a privately-run centre of excellence in vocational training open to the public. Opened in 1957, this pool for professionals for the Spanish car manufacturer provides three Middle Grade training cycles – electromechanics maintenance, machining and vehicle electromechanics. The technical level of the facilities and trainers, together with practical training work, have been key factors in the success of the School, which has trained over 2,500 students over the past half-century.
Forty-two students were awarded their diplomas in the 2011-2012 academic year, the highest figure of the past decade, all of them joining the SEAT workforce since June 11th last. For the current academic year, SEAT will have 146 students – 61 in the first-year, 50 the second year and 35 the final year.
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Text and photograph by: SEAT.
