SEAT hires first 45 apprentices of dual VT programme

SEAT hires first 45 apprentices of dual VT programme. Today SEAT held the graduation ceremony for the first Class of apprentices trained with the company’s new dual Vocational Training model. The 45 graduates, who have successfully completed the three-year course of studies of Middle Grade vocational training, will join the company with an open-ended contract starting on 1st July next.

Also, for the first time, the students’ qualifications have obtained official recognition not only in Spain from the Catalan government’s (Generalitat) Department of Education, but also in Germany from the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain. Students have had to pass the examinations of both institutions in order to obtain these double qualifications.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Irene Rigau, Catalan government Minister for Education; Marie Antonia von Schönburg, Assistant Director of the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain, in addition to other institutional representatives.

SEAT was represented in addresses given by Dr. Francisco Javier García Sanz, Chairman of the Board of Directors; Jürgen Stackmann, Chairman of the Executive Committee; and Josef Schelchshorn, Executive Vice-President for Human Resources. All speakers recognised the value of dual training for the acquisition of solid experience and professional qualifications, and awarded prizes to the best apprentices in each speciality.
SEAT has been providing dual vocational training since the academic year 2012-2013, and is a pioneering company in the implementation of this system in Spain. Based on the German system, it combines equal measures of theoretical and practical training in its own centre, the Apprentices School, with work in the company’s production plants.

A single model, five different professions

The students graduating today have specialised in one of the five Middle Grade professions offered by SEAT – industrial mechanic, die mechanic, electrical mechanic, automation electronics technician and automotive electrical mechanic. During this period, all students have been given a training and apprenticeship work contract and have received monthly remuneration. For the next academic year 2014-2015, more than 900 candidates have pre-registered to win one of the 60 places on offer from the training centre so as to access the first year of studies.