As part of the BIB Pirmasens, we spoke with Dr. Kerstin Schulte about the possibilities of inter-company training at the PFI.
What exactly is this all about? And why is this form so interesting for companies in the footwear industry?
What is meant by inter-company training?
Dr. Kerstin Schulte: Classic inter-company training is an extension of in-company training. It comes into use when companies do not have the opportunity to qualify their trainees in all areas relevant to an apprenticeship occupation. Trainees can learn the knowledge they lack elsewhere. Some training companies are too specialized or too small to be able to cover all the training content and ensure the material and personnel training requirements. For them, there are opportunities to supplement their training with training measures outside their own company. This is where we start thinking about creating these supplements for off-the-job training.
How is this type of training realized at PFI?
Dr. Kerstin Schulte: In particular, we want to offer this type of training for shoe manufacturers. The industry urgently needs young talents. Unfortunately, many companies no longer provide training, or they often lack the areas to cover the entire training content. We can offer this content in consultation with the companies and implement it for the trainees.
Which companies can participate? With what kind of training?
Dr. Kerstin Schulte: In general, any company that would like to train a shoe maker. Of course, our capacities are limited and we can only start with a small number of two, maximum three external trainees as shoe finishers in addition to our trainees.
What advantages do companies have from inter-company training?
Dr. Kerstin Schulte: We give the companies helpful support as we offer them to qualify their apprentices as shoe finishers for practical exercises in different types of manufacturing, for test models or generally for exam preparation at the ISC. Furthermore, these trainees can also take a look at the testing laboratories and complete internships there. As a general rule, companies that do not cover individual training contents can complete them with us.
How long does inter-company training last? And how long is the period during which the trainees are at PFI?
Dr. Kerstin Schulte: The duration of inter-company training cannot be generalized. The respective time windows depend on the scope of the content. The more content is to be taught at our company, the longer the trainee will be with us. It would even be conceivable for the trainee to spend a large part of his or her apprenticeship period with us and for us to agree a training cooperation with the company accordingly.