Wiener Stadtwerke / 2020 Annual Report
An open culture and exciting projects Top apprenticeship training and twice the opportunities
Forewoman – at the centre of the action A fine example of female power at Wiener Stadtwerke is forewoman Beatrice Bichler, who supervises 111 employees in the Favoriten car maintenance department, making a place for herself in one of the last male-dominated areas. In 2009, the 27-year-old Vienna native started her Wiener Linien career as a mechatronics apprentice, then worked in the Wiener Linien competence centre in Ottakring and rose to become a specialist technician and independent fitter. Then came the next step to plant forewoman and responsibility for a very large team that maintains and repairs trams, and often makes emergency calls. How has she been able to gain widespread acceptance? “There was initially some scepticism,” says Bichler with a smile, but “I’m an open and honest person, and that’s probably how I earned their trust.”
Where do I want to be working in the future? Nowadays, new career entrants are no longer satisfied with simply earning a lot of money. A sense of purpose and self- realisation are increasingly their priorities, as well as variety and opportunity to develop in many directions. Welcome to Wiener Stadtwerke. Even in these difficult times, we are training young people to become top performers – in twelve different apprenticeships. In autumn 2020, around 150 new apprenticeship positions were advertised, and 480 apprentices are currently in training. In recent years, more and more young women have chosen a technical apprenticeship – a positive development that we are actively promoting. 57 per cent of our female apprentices are now in training in one of our technical professions. One profession in particular that offers young women excellent development opportunities is the dual apprenticeship in electrical engineering and mechatronics, which involves the control and construction of electrotechnical systems such as cable systems, switching, control, distribution and overhead line systems. The core task is to guarantee the electrical power supply, from power station to wall socket.
CEOs for Future
This all-round profession is on the rise because it serves a real megatrend; in the course of the digital transformation, vehicles systems are becoming increasingly automated and computer-controlled. Smart meters and smart grids enable efficient use of energy. As a result, electrical engineering, mechanics, computer science and electronics are now more interconnected than ever, as are our apprentices’ skills.
At Wiener Stadtwerke, dialogue with young people is a management issue. We are part of the non-profit organisation CEOs for Future and have launched our first initiative with a focus on apprentices. In the economy4future initiative “Apprentices and Young Employees”, 25 top managers from Austria have come together to draw up a catalogue of measures that defines joint action towards achieving the Paris climate goals, because both young and old agree that “We need to take action now!”
480
Find out more online at www.ceosforfuture.at.
apprentices are currently in training.
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