In the survey to find Germany’s best companies for apprentices, SCHUNK scored 100 points out of 100, thereby coming top in the category mechanical engineering. The research, which was conducted from January to December 2018 on behalf of DEUTSCHLAND TEST and the economics magazine FOCUS-MONEY, was published in the news magazine Focus at the end of March 2019. The 20,000 companies in Germany with the most employees were used as the basis for the study.
“The award as Germany’s best company for apprentices in the category mechanical engineering underlines the huge importance that the topic of education and training of the next generation plays at our company,” emphasized Managing Director Henrik. According to siblings A. and Kristina I. Schunk “Our nine trainers, the 80 authorized apprenticeship representatives but also the around 200 apprentices can all be proud that SCHUNK is considered a benchmark for the entire sector. The result shows just how strong how our entire training team is and how well it performs,” they concluded. Individual learning methods, the latest machines and plant technology as well as preparation for professional life that is closely oriented to practice have been second nature at SCHUNK for many years now. Whoever proves their worth during their apprenticeship can switch over to the actual company very quickly and assume their first responsibilities there. Selected apprentices even have the option of moving to a SCHUNK branch abroad for a while in order to gain valuable experience. No less than 95 percent are taken as permanent staff by SCHUNK following completion of their apprenticeship.
At SCHUNK apprentices and students encounter the latest production technologies.
Digitalization and artificial intelligence
The technology expert has been a pioneer and idea generator in the field of production automation for years. Professionalism and a spirit of togetherness go hand-in-hand at SCHUNK. Rather than profits and share prices, the focus is on top-notch performance. The family of owners are convinced that everything else then follows as a matter of course. The company employs around 3,400 employees around the globe, more than half of which are based in Baden-Württemberg. High-precision SCHUNK grippers and clamping devices are in demand worldwide. The components have proven to be highly durable, low-maintenance and highly efficient in interaction with robots, handling systems and tool machines, regularly opening up potential for new productivity and often paying dividends within the shortest of times. At the same time, SCHUNK sees itself as a pacesetter for new technologies.
When it comes to digitalization, mechatronics and automation of production processes and collaboration between human beings and robots, SCHUNK’s specialists are in demand as contact partners and creative minds. At the heart of this is an innovation management system that creates innovation-friendly framework conditions and nurtures a culture of innovation overall. The company is also strengthening its market position from the exterior: At the Hannover Messe, SCHUNK also announced its cooperation with AnotherBrain, one of the world’s leading specialists in artificial intelligence. The plan is to develop the first autonomous gripping system by the beginning of 2020, which will enable independent handling without manual programming.
