After nearly one and a half years, it was finally time: at the TOC Europe 2022 exhibition, four Hübner Giessen apprentices used their model of a ship-to-shore crane to show how our U-ONE-SAFETY-LWL system works. For the apprentices, the visit to the exhibition in Rotterdam marked the conclusion of a challenging development project.
An apprentice project with outstanding results
To familiarize them with the work on a development project from A to Z, we set our four apprentices the task of developing a model of a ship-to-shore crane with a hoisting gear and trolley travelling winch right away in their first year of training. The model was required to provide a practical demonstration of the benefits that our U-ONE-SAFETY-LWL (FOC) universal encoder systems offer when it comes to crane construction. With the support of their trainers, they mastered the cross-departmental project with outstanding results: in perfect timing for the start of TOC Europe, the finished and functional crane model was presented at the Hübner Giessen stand – constructed by the four apprentices themselves. In recognition of their hard work and excellent achievement, we invited our apprentices to Rotterdam to experience their first major international exhibition.
Plenty of new impressions in Rotterdam
The two days of the exhibition in Rotterdam were both exciting and exhausting for our apprentices and provided them with plenty of new insights: after arriving in the city, we immediately headed to the exhibition, where they set up their crane model and got it working ready for visitors. In addition to the basic functions and practice-related presentation of the driving cycles, having a positive impact on visitors is, of course, another important factor. We brought the first day at the event to a close by enjoying an evening meal with our colleagues from the sales team and management board. We also chose special accommodation for our apprentices, who enjoyed a good night’s sleep on the Hotelschiff SS Rotterdam, a former cruise ship. The next day gave the four apprentices the opportunity to explore the exhibition themselves and gain a detailed insight into port, ship and terminal technology.
A training highlight
Looking back on the exhibition, the apprentices all responded positively, stating that they considered the experience gained from the crane project and their visit to TOC Europe to be a particular highlight of their apprenticeship. Felix, Dilbin, Julian and Ahmad all agree that alongside the better insight into the industry and other industrial sectors, the time spent with their sales colleagues was also particularly important. “We got to know a multitude of new faces who represent Hübner Giessen, not only during working hours but also at our evening meal. And it was impressive to see how much effort and work go into an exhibition stand,” summarizes Dilbin.
We regularly provide apprenticeships at our headquarters in Giessen in seven different occupations – from milling/cutting machine operators, electronics engineers and IT specialists right through to industrial managers and IT administrators. You can find out more about our apprenticeship programmes with international horizons at our apprenticeship & studies career page.