At the end of the school tour, a BoostCamp took place on June 29th as the highlight of the campaign in Chemnitz. A selection of the students was invited to Schaeffler Digital Solutions GmbH in Chemnitz.

Schaeffler carried out a training campaign for schoolchildren in Chemnitz together with Microsoft and Helliwood

Goal: Promotion of the digital skills of young people

School tour with workshops on IT and computer science

BoostCamp at Schaeffler enabled practical applications and insights into the local training world

From June 17 to June 29, 2022, a training campaign for schoolchildren took place in Chemnitz to strengthen their digital skills. It consisted of workshops at the Annenschule Chemnitz and a subsequent BoostCamp at Schaeffler Digital Solutions GmbH. There, the participants were able to put their newly acquired skills into practice by visiting a training company. The global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler is conducting this training initiative together with the international hardware and software manufacturer Microsoft and with Helliwood, a division of the association for youth and social work. Further campaigns are planned at various Schaeffler locations in Germany.

Promote digital skills

With this initiative, the companies involved want to promote the digital skills and employability of young people. "We also want to make the attractiveness of the dual vocational training clear to the schoolchildren and give them an understanding of the advantages of Schaeffler as a training company," says Sarah Tscharntke, Culture & Competence Manager at Schaeffler Digital Solutions GmbH.

The Annenschule Chemnitz took part in the school tour. The focus was on those interested in IT and computer science. "The aim of the school tour was to discover the strengths of the young people and to promote their IT skills," reports Astrid Aupperle, head of the CSR department at Microsoft. This was done, among other things, through a practical task: The students made a water level indicator for an espresso machine using a Calliope mini (microcontroller), crocodile clips, a container and aluminum foil. They were given all the necessary materials and, with the help of knowledge cards, independently found a way to solve the task. They were introduced to the subject of sensor technology, learned what role circuits can play, and learned how to program.

Insights into practice at Schaeffler

At the end of the school tour, a BoostCamp took place on June 29th as the highlight of the campaign in Chemnitz. A selection of the students was invited to the Schaeffler Digital Solutions GmbH location in Chemnitz. The subsidiary of the Schaeffler Group currently employs around 60 people and develops and integrates web-based software that, thanks to its high level of compatibility with existing systems, sensors and controls, can query and process all data on a wide variety of machines.

"This gave the students the opportunity to experience an IT start-up in a large company up close, to exchange ideas directly with trainees, trainers and employees, and to gain insights into practice," says Jens Hammer, Managing Director of Schaeffler Digital Solutions GmbH . Among other things, two workshops were held in which the participants gained their first programming experience and experienced agile working with Scrum using a terminal block scenario.

The students took part in the campaign with great commitment and gained a lot of valuable experience. As recognition for the completed learning and knowledge modules, the students received digital badges and certificates for their application portfolio after completing the BoostCamp.

Apprenticeship at Schaeffler

Training is very important at Schaeffler and has a long tradition. Accordingly, the company offers its trainees and employees a wide range of opportunities to strengthen and develop their skills and competencies, because they are the most important success factor for meeting promising challenges and shaping a sustainable and intelligent future.