Committed to progress
From Backnang out into the wide world – our trainees abroad!
The training period at stoba is something very special. In addition to educational content about the company, culture and technology, the assignment abroad during the apprenticeship at stoba is a key highlight. “In addition to our largest location in Backnang, the trainees should also get to know our foreign locations in order to strengthen relationships with international colleagues and gain even more skills,” says training manager Markus Gebhardt, explaining the background.“After the coronavirus pandemic, we were finally able to send four young talents out into the world again to get to know even more of stoba.” These four are Tobias Hochrein and Daniel Wolf (both training as mechatronics technicians), who travelled to Small Dole, UK, and Timo Kühnle and Leon Kopp (both training as cutting machine operators), who visited the Czech site in Brno. In the UK, the first challenge started immediately after arrival: driving on the left! They went from Gatwick to Small Dole, where, after a short safety briefing and a tour, they just got started: “Our main tasks for this time were to support the maintenance team and the engineering team in all areas. We also gained an insight into the areas of quality assurance and logistics, as well as ECM processing and maintenance,” the two describe their work. They were able to learn more about the composition of individual components of a Mikron Multistep and gain a better understanding of the replacement of the device and the replacement of the anode/cathode in the ECM process.
There was also a lot on offer in Brno. After the welcome, the two of them first delved deep into the local technologies as well as the machines and capabilities of the Czech site by asking specific questions. “We also helped with projects in this area. For example, we measured finished precision parts and helped to update the maintenance plan alongside our production assignments,” say Timo Kühnle and Leon Kopp about their excursion to the Czech university city. The contact and cooperation with the colleagues on site was not neglected – “there were many conversations and great input.” The trainees were not only able to improve their English language skills in England and the Czech Republic – they also had plenty of free time in nearby London and beautiful Brno. Getting to know each other is particularly important for the team spirit in the company and the cooperation between the seven stoba sites. Tobias Hochrein and Daniel Wolf appreciate this great opportunity. “It felt like being part of a big family,” says Tobias Hochrein about his assignment abroad. The stoba family is represented internationally and this is lived through the assignment.
