The STAUFF Trainee Welcome Days take place every year in August at the start of the training programme. They bring together trainees from all years of training and from different specialist areas. The aim is to welcome new colleagues, get to know the company better and encourage interaction between the different cohorts. The Welcome Days offer a mix of company information, factory tours and group activities. We spoke to one of our apprentices and asked him how he found the days.

The first day was all about the company. Together, the participants visited the four main plants and gained insights into numerous departments, including the turning shop, filter manufacturing, metrology assembly and the logistics centre. This allowed the apprentices to understand how the various sites and specialist departments at STAUFF work together.

During lunch together in Werdohl, there was also plenty of time to make initial contacts and discuss their respective apprenticeship programmes.

For Tim, too, this exchange was one of the most valuable aspects of the day:

“The Welcome Days are a great opportunity every year to get to know people from other departments. It’s the interaction between trainees from different years in particular that makes the event especially valuable to me,” says Tim Rix.

Whilst new apprentices are getting to know many areas for the first time, experienced participants benefit above all from further expanding their network within the company and welcoming new colleagues.

On the second day, everyone headed to the WOOHOO event site on Lake Sorpe. The programme there featured various team tasks designed to promote collaboration and strengthen team spirit.

To kick things off, the participants worked in groups to build their own rafts and then tested them on the water. After lunch, further group tasks followed, which called for communication, creativity and teamwork.

It was here in particular that it became clear how quickly a genuine sense of community can emerge from initial reserve.

“The atmosphere was excellent throughout the two days. At first, many people were still a bit reserved, but by the second day at the latest, everyone had warmed up and we’d got to know each other much better,” says Tim.

The participants also have particularly fond memories of the communal barbecue buffet at Lake Sorpe. In a relaxed atmosphere, it provided another opportunity for conversation and personal interaction.

The STAUFF Trainee Welcome Days are far more than just an induction event. They provide an opportunity to forge connections beyond one’s own department and to gain a better understanding of the company as a whole.

New trainees are given a comprehensive overview of the various sites and areas of work. At the same time, the more experienced trainees benefit from interacting with their new colleagues. This helps to forge connections right from the start of the training programme, which often last throughout the entire training period.

This year’s Welcome Days have once again demonstrated how important personal interaction, shared experiences and team spirit are for successful collaboration.

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