ZEISS offers plenty of training opportunities and works with various universities. In the reporting year, a total of 159 young people began a vocational training program or a combined degree-and-vocational-training program at the German locations in Göttingen, Jena, Oberkochen and Wetzlar. They are either being trained in the fields of industrial mechanics, precision optics, mechatronics and industrial business management, or are completing a combined degree which marries theoretical knowledge with real-world application. With its sophisticated dual education system, ZEISS is contributing to the development of society, especially at its German sites.
Both young and more seasoned professionals have the chance to take part in a host of development programs and international networking events. This prepares them for new challenges and ultimately increases ZEISS’ appeal as an employer – which plays an extremely important role in combating the lack of skilled workers. With a wide range of training and education programs – for example, in the form of web-based seminars – ZEISS also offers professional development opportunities for employees worldwide.
Advanced training includes a focus on the development of managers. In addition to a mandatory program to prepare them for their first leadership experience, ZEISS also promotes job rotation for its employees. Postings abroad within the company are enabled through a variety of different programs. Various offerings to identify and develop talents support employees in their professional careers, with special attention paid to their particular skills and their development. This way, ZEISS not only enables promising careers for managers, but also offers attractive career paths for R&D and Innovation specialists, and for service employees.
Guidelines, Structures and Processes
Through the promotion and further development of its employees, ZEISS is laying the foundations for attracting qualified and motivated talents, and ensuring they continue working at the company for many years to come. To support the ongoing education of all employees, an online learning platform was established, providing access to a wide variety of educational formats – from classroom-based learning to courses that are entirely online. Known as the Group Learning Program, it has been available since fiscal year 2016/17 – initially only to German-speaking locations – and offers more than 150 different training modules. Globally, the program has been enhanced with numerous e-books that are available for download on the learning platform. Internal qualification offerings and measures are consolidated on the Group Learning Platform and rolled out worldwide.
Corporate Human Resources (CHR) is responsible for training and education, talent management and management development. The department works closely with the local human resources departments within functional teams, service areas and projects.
Measures and Results
At the end of the reporting period, ZEISS employed a total of 517 vocational trainees and students in a combined vocational-training-and-degree program in Germany (previous year: 464). To ensure that young talents remain interested in ZEISS in the years ahead, the company stays in touch with approximately 10 percent of its best interns through a retention program. Ultimately, approximately 600 young people completed a technical or business-related internship at the company’s German locations or wrote their thesis at ZEISS. In addition, roughly 250 high school students had the opportunity to explore their future career options as part of a high school internship.
As a global technology leader, ZEISS needs employees who are willing to move around the world. At the present time, 68 employees from Germany are working in 21 different countries worldwide. 16 employees from abroad have also been assigned to work in Germany at the present time. There are also many third-country assignments. They all use the opportunity that ZEISS offers to work abroad as part of a globally defined and structured process for limited-time assignments. They thus support the Group’s cohesion while significantly expanding their professional and personal horizons.