Siemens AG, Germany: Training and development
Organisational background
Siemens AG is one of Germany’s leading technology companies. It operates in the fields of information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical solutions and lighting. The company employs a total of 460,800 people worldwide, including 124,000 women, who represent about 27% of its global workforce. Some 165,000 employees work for Siemens in Germany. With its continuing reputation as an attractive employer, it appeals to qualified young professionals.
Siemens is very active in the training of young people and in developing its staff competencies. Some 158,300 employees (corresponding to 34% of the company’s total workforce) hold a university degree; of these, 117,000 employees or 26% of the workforce are qualified engineers and scientists. A further 160,000 employees or 35% of staff have served an apprenticeship or completed vocational training, while just under a third of employees (142,500 people) have an unrelated qualification or no vocational training.
As a company of long-standing tradition, Siemens has always endeavoured to retain its staff. It relies on an excellent workforce and offers a wide range of training programmes to enable all company employees to continue to develop professionally. Careers often last within the company until retirement.
The age profile of Siemens AG reveals a high proportion of people in the middle age group, with relatively few employees aged over 55 years; nevertheless, there are some employees who are older than 60 years of age. The average retirement age is between 57 and 60 years of age and, to date, many staff members continue to make use of the partial retirement option.
Siemens has a works council that is actively involved in personnel development processes. The original initiative
In the mid 1990s, staff members