Skilled labour is not a sure-fire success

Dr Guntram Schönherr and Patrick Meyer from Sachsen Guss

Career guidance means more than just being present at training fairs: Those responsible at Sachsen Guss have long recognised this. They repeatedly invite young people and show them the company processes. The company has now received a national award for this commitment. What does it smell like in a foundry? Is it really that hot? What work steps are necessary to ensure that a perfect part is cast in the end? At Sachsen Guss, Dr Guntram Schönherr, Head of Human Resources and authorised signatory, and Patrick Meyer, Head of Training, do not answer such questions in theory. They prefer to show them on site. The two of them explain why they go to such lengths and how successful they are in doing so in the "Maker of the Week" interview.

You put a lot of energy into career guidance. How many pupils are we talking about?

Meyer: Last year, we had a total of 800 pupils here at the company. This starts in the fifth grade. We offer practical days, excursions to our premises and, of course, internships - both school-based and voluntary during the holidays. We visit schools and teach lessons in the subject of business, technology and home economics. We are currently working with twelve schools - mainly secondary schools, but also a grammar school. The schools are now asking us whether we would like to work with them.

How long has this programme been running?

Schönherr: We opened our school foundry in 2018 and have been actively promoting it since 2019. The children can cast their own little plaque with their name on it. They go through all the same work steps as the "grown-ups" in the foundry. It is the centre of our offer, where we teach the technology.

The company currently employs 805 people and 77 trainees and is able to produce up to 75,000 tonnes of castings per year. In addition to machine mould casting from automatic moulding systems, special individual parts weighing up to 25 tonnes can be produced in the manual mould casting area. As mechanical processing is also possible in the factory, the company is a complete supplier. The cast parts from Wittgensdorf are used in wind turbines, machines and transmission technology. Deutsche Bahn, Siemens and Flender are among the customers of Sachsen Guss, which generates an annual turnover of around 125 million euros.

Why are you doing all this?

Schönherr: We train ten different professions: from foundry mechanic to technical model maker to materials tester. However, these are mostly professions that are not so much in the spotlight, that are not mainstream. So we have to publicise them. This is vital for us, because we need skilled labour in the long term.

Meyer: And it's having an effect. Our goal is 20 new trainees per apprenticeship year. With 24 to 26, we have now exceeded this for the third year in a row. Our career guidance programme really took off in 2020 and since then we have been able to increase the number of applicants by 20 per cent. We are now receiving 80 to 90 applications per year again.

Schönherr: Young people need a connection to practice. What does it look like in an industrial company? They need to experience it, hear it, see it, smell it, they need to feel the temperature. We arouse their interest and the young people can get a feel for whether this could be something for them at an early stage. This reduces the drop-out rate later on and we get apprentices who really want to do it. Our programmes for schools are varied and can be adapted to suit individual needs. The pupils are supervised by experienced trainers.

Meyer: Even during the tours and in the school foundry, you can tell who turns up their noses and who asks smart questions. Their manual skills quickly become apparent. We speak to such pupils directly after the tour and ask them if they would like to do an internship. Last year alone, 30 interns volunteered here during the holidays.

Schönherr : The main challenge for us is the demographic trend. It is almost impossible to find skilled labour on the market. There are virtually no more manual labourers in the daily commuter area. Without young people, there will be no future. That has to be said.

Meyer: If we need people, we will train them. In September, a young woman will start her training as an IT specialist for system integration.

The Chemnitz foundries can look back on more than 100 years of tradition. In 1951, the VEB Vereinigte Chemnitzer Gießereien was formed from six previously independent companies in Chemnitz. From 1953 it was called VEB Gießerei Rudolf Harlaß. The site in Wittgensdorf has existed since 1976. After reunification, the foundry changed hands several times. Ten years ago, Josef Ramthun, owner of Franken Guss, took over the company.

At the end of 2022, you were awarded first place in the "Cooperation between schools and companies" category by the nationwide "School Economy" network for your extensive range of career guidance programmes.

Meyer: We received the award together with Friedrich-August III-Oberschule. It was one of the first schools to take part in our programme. The teachers there are very, very committed.

Schönherr: I am one of the chairs of the school-business working group. We discuss how business can help with the shortage of teachers, for example. Representatives from companies cannot replace teachers, but we can make a contribution. And we raise interest in the skilled trades. So both sides benefit.

What excites you about casting?

Meyer: The job description of a foundry mechanic is very varied and the tasks are not limited to melting and casting metals, but also include, for example, the areas of quality management and the 3D simulation of cast parts - a wide range of specialised knowledge. The future prospects of a foundry mechanic are very good.

Schönherr: I'm not a foundryman. But I am also fascinated by molten iron. For us, it is clear that there is a lot of potential in the trade. You can realise yourself wonderfully and have a practical impact.

What are your hopes for the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025?

Schönherr: That the foundry industry is presented as an integral part of Chemnitz's industry. Culture is not just about singing and dancing, but also about industrial culture.

Meyer: We were there last summer at Makers United in the Stadthallenpark with our school foundry. It's mobile, two people can carry the small furnace. The representatives from Nova Gorica found it so interesting that they invited us. We were there in September 2022 and the response was just as positive as here in Germany. It was a great experience. One of our trainees, who is from the area, was there to help with the language differences. That's my idea of a Capital of Culture.