Trainees in Action
AZUBI techdays 2024
In the course of the AZUBI techdays from July 3 to 5 at Benninghoven, trainees from across the Wirtgen Group showed their skills and talents as they jointly realized a road rehabilitation project with the CTB method on their own.
The AZUBI techdays are already a traditional annual event and, for many of our trainees, the absolute highlight of their vocational training. This year, it took the trainees to Benninghoven, in Wittlich. There, they could look forward to three whole days of purely practical learning accompanied by theoretical input.17 instructors and 7 technicians accompanied the group of around 70 trainees and were always ready to help them out with expert advice and practical information. An entertaining supporting program with highlights such as a backstage tour of the Nürburgring racing circuit rounded off each of the three days.
Overcoming the Toughest Challenges Together
The idea behind the AZUBI techdays? The challenge for trainees from the five brand headquarters was the realization of a real road construction project in which they would not only learn more about the products from the other brands and their interaction in a real-life scenario, but also how to grow together and work as a team. Here, an important role was played by personal skills such as independence, initiative, and the ability to communicate – valuable skills which were also trained and realized by means of team-building measures. That the three-day event was not all work and no play was assured by a widely varied supporting program with exciting team events.
A Challenging Task: Road Rehabilitation with the CTB Method
A Different Challenge Every Year! This time around, our trainees faced the challenge of rehabilitating a section of an existing road not far from the Benninghoven factory by paving a cement-treated base layer (CTB). The aim of the rehabilitation of the section with a length of 300 m and a width of 3 m was to make it safe for traffic again and resistant to weathering and wear.
Machines & plants from all product brands were deployed on the project.
Working Together on the Road to Success
The project began with a comprehensive and detailed presentation of the machines. In three workshops, the trainees were able to discover all they needed to know about the Vögele paver, the Wirtgen WR, the Hamm rollers, the asphalt mixing plant, and the Kleemann impact crusher at first hand, and familiarize themselves with their functions. Ideally prepared for what was to come with this background knowledge, the group then moved on to the project site.
“We have a lot of roads like this that are in need of rehabilitation – and, with a team as motivated as you are, I have no doubt that the results will be as good as this. You can – or rather you must – come back again.”
Joachim Rodenkirch, Mayor of Wittlich
A Widely Varied Supporting Program
How often do you get the opportunity to take a tour of one of the world’s most modern manufacturing facilities for asphalt mixing plants? Benninghoven, the host of this year’s event, was pleased to provide detailed insights into the production process. Our trainees had the chance to learn all about the state-of-the-art production methods, the automation processes, and the groundbreaking innovations – and were suitably impressed. They were particularly impressed by the commitment to sustainability at the factory – for example, the economical handling of resources, the efficient use of energy, and the efforts made to reduce the carbon footprint of the production processes.
