Qualification of new precast concrete specialists
If training and qualification is necessary, then made-to-measure. At the Education and Training Center for the Construction Trades in Kreuztal-Fellinghausen, Germany, employees of precast concrete plants (AWZ) have been trained and qualified as precast concert specialists for nine years now, in collaboration with the Trade Association of German Precast Construction (FDB). The new training course Precast Concrete Erector, held for the first time, is aimed at qualifying additional employees from outside the industry as precast concrete erectors. Newcomers from other industries are offered qualification here to gain a foothold in precast concrete construction. With these two further education and training measures, the FDB hopes to somewhat cushion the shortage of specialized workers in the precast concrete industry.
The certificates and diplomas for both further education courses were presented to the graduates on 29 March 2019 at AWZ Bau. Beginning now, the precast concrete industry has 19 additional precast concrete specialists and 29 qualified precast concrete erectors.
Qualification of specialist workers for precast concrete plants and construction sites
Both training courses focused on practice. While the Precast Concrete Specialist course was held in all-day, two-week blocks, comprising 90 course modules on specific knowhow from precast concrete plants, the Precast Concrete Erector course consisted of four course modules (40 hours for each module = 1 week), which were focused on time-tested practical knowledge and safe and sure erection of precast concrete components. The lecturers, in addition to staff members of AWZ Bau and the FDB, were experienced specialists from the extended precast concrete sector who shared with the participants of the courses their knowledge gained from practice.
A total of 193 construction workers have been trained and qualified as precast concrete specialists since 2011. Time will tell how many precast concrete erectors can be trained over future years. In the summer of 2019, FDB and AWZ will prepare detailed content planning for the years 2019-2020. Pace must indeed be kept with the times and knowledge on the current state of technology and standardization must be passed on, next year as well. A good feel for the needs of its members and the construction sector in general. Well-qualified manpower, in addition to commercial skills, is an absolute necessity for the economic success of any manufacturer on the market. Manufacturers in our industry can rely on the FDB, on comprehensive, goal-directed and expert content – and, most of all, on the continuity of specialized further-education and training offers.
