GERMANY: In a bid to end the shortage of qualified staff at a time when demand for electrification skills is expected to grow rapidly, the German Railway Industry Association (Verband der Bahnindustrie in Deutschland) has partnered with a group of companies to launch a specialist training scheme.
The Overhead Line Equipment Training Initiative (AOLA) is intended to establish common conditions in order to offer vocational training for their employees as a consortium. By offering an additional year of training for staff in the electrification field, the initiative is aimed at fitters who have already completed initial training and who wish to qualify as specialists in the profession.
An initial intake of 16 fitters started a one-year course in early September based in Langenhagen near Hannover, at the end of which they will qualify as certified fitters.
In the longer term there are plans to establish a mutually recognised Catenary Industry Education Standard, to increase the number of trainees and to expand membership of the Initiative.
In addition to the VDB, the founding group comprises DB Bahnbau Gruppe, Europten Deutschland, Furrer + Frey Deutschland, Heicon Service, Rail Power Systems, Spitzke, SPL Powerlines Germany and Strabag Rail Fahrleitungen.
Ralf Hickethier, spokesperson for AOLA, said that ‘the fitters will in the future contribute to safe operation of electric traction, thereby helping to achieve a sustainable and climate-friendly transport system’.