HR Projekte

Simon Erhard , Trainee 2020, Kapsch TrafficCom AG After successfully completing the multi-stage application process for the Kapsch Graduate Trainee Program and receiving my acceptance letter, my anticipation of the actual start of the trainee program grew with each passing week. I was looking forward to my first station, getting to know new colleagues and, above all, immersing myself in the exciting, diverse topics of the Kapsch world. The very committed trainee community definitely made my start easier and was a great source of guidance, especially during the first few days and weeks. Even before the official start, I had the opportunity to get to know the (ex-)trainees better in an informal setting at a "Trainee Welcome Party". In the first few weeks, regular introductory meetings were then held in which, for example, the operation of the video conferencing systems in the meeting rooms was explained or my understanding of the internal organizational structures of the various Kapsch companies was sharpened. Of course, that was extremely helpful in helping me to find my way around the company very quickly. Not only in the trainee community, but also in my first station - in the Operations department of Kapsch TrafficCom - I was fully integrated from day one, directly involved in exciting projects and entrusted with challenging tasks. Among other things, I was able to contribute to the development of an IT service management model for the Advanced Traffic Management System used in the United Kingdom, which also included the setup of a new KTC office in England. When I look back on my first few weeks at Kapsch, I'm genuinely excited about all the things I've already seen in such a short time and the projects I've already been able to work on. This is exactly the kind of exciting and varied environment I was hoping for when I applied for the trainee program a few months ago.

In the regular two-day first aid courses, our apprentices are trained by doctors and emergency paramedics in the various methods of first aid. Especially for the technical apprentices who work in the workshops, accident prevention must not be missing here. An important part of these two days is also dealing with immediate life-saving measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or the correct use of the defibrillator. Furthermore, the correct treatment of minor wounds such as minor burns and major injuries such as broken bones are demonstrated in practical exercises and then practiced by the trainees themselves. Thanks to the professional supervision of the experts, our apprentices learn how to react quickly and, above all, correctly in an emergency. This is not only important for working in the apprentice workshops, but of course also useful in their free time! In addition, the course can, of course, be credited toward a possible upcoming driver's license.

As an internationally oriented company, Kapsch TrafficCom also attaches great importance to the language skills of its young colleagues during apprenticeship training. English, in particular, is an important part of the apprentices' further training that goes beyond apprenticeship training.In written and oral placement tests, the apprentices are divided into perfectly matched groups before the course - matched to language level and apprenticeship occupation in order to teach them the learning content in the best possible way.In small groups, colleagues learn to speak fluently about the company and its products and to describe work processes and departments. Whether in the office or in the technical area - vocabulary and expressiveness are strengthened, colleagues learn to express themselves confidently and also to understand somewhat more complex conversation content. Argentina, Poland, Sweden - telephone conversations in English with customers and colleagues are no longer witchcraft after this intensive course! An e-mail to a colleague in New Zealand - no problem!

Anna Alexandra Ress, Trainee since October 2021 , Kapsch TrafficCom Towards the end of my Master's studies in International Management, like many others I was thinking a lot about the question: "Where do I want to start my professional career?" In this context, two things were immediately clear to me: I definitely want to work in an international environment, as the resulting diversity and the intercultural exchange have always fascinated me. And secondly, I definitely want to work on something where I can make a difference and support society in its fight against the major problems of our time. A few months before I graduated, I came across the Graduate Trainee Program at Kapsch TrafficCom. When I researched the company in more detail, I was particularly impressed by Kapsch's vision of using its products to make the world a healthier and greener place. I was also fascinated by the idea of being involved in technological innovations that could have a decisive impact on the way we live together. It was immediately clear to me that this was something I wanted to work on. In combination with the international presence of the company and the diversity within the company, the setting immediately caught my attention. When I actually got the chance to become part of the Kapsch Graduate Trainee Program, I was of course extremely excited and happy. After I was able to build up helpful knowledge about the solutions offered by Kapsch TrafficCom in my first station in Product Management, it was clear to me relatively quickly that I would like to work in the department that decisively drives the green transformation that is happening within and originates from the company. Therefore, I decided to do my second station in the Environmental Sustainability department. The experience in this team was very enriching for me, as I got to know Kapsch's sustainability efforts from many perspectives. On the one hand, we worked on quantifying the savings potential of our solutions to illustrate the need for a transformation in road traffic to our customers with the help of a wide variety of measures. On the other hand, we also worked on a wide range of measures to continuously reduce Kapsch TrafficCom's carbon footprint. A major focus lies here on reducing the CO 2 footprint of individual products. I was even given the opportunity to independently coordinate a project on the topic of circular economy related to our best-selling hardware product. This task was very interesting and instructive because, on the one hand, I was able to work with colleagues from various departments and, in some cases even from different countries, to define the requirements for this project and, on the other hand, I was given a lot of trust by my supervisor and colleagues and was thus able to contribute many of my own ideas and had a lot of leeway to help shape the project. Looking back, I can say that the decision to apply at Kapsch TrafficCom as a trainee was exactly the right one for me. During my time here so far, I've already been able to gain so many valuable and exciting experiences and have been able to work in a wide range of different areas and develop myself further. And the best part for me is that I get the chance to help make road traffic more sustainable in the future!

Cooperation with institutions and networks is an important component of apprentice training at Kapsch. For example, apprentices at Kapsch Components designed and implemented a redesign of the finger-and-lip mouse, or FLipMouse for short, in cooperation with the FH Technikum Wien as part of a project that lasted several months. The FLipMouse is an electronic input device developed by the FH Technikum Wien, which enables people with limited mobility to operate computers. A control element is moved with the lips or fingers, which triggers mouse movements and other actions on the computer. In order to simplify the construction of the device and to be able to use the FLipMouse more quickly, the apprentices designed a circuit board pre-assembled with SMD (Surface Mounted Devices) components as well as a suitable housing, which was manufactured with a 3D printer. In addition, a built-in WLAN and Bluetooth technology opens up completely new possibilities for interacting with the environment and controlling electronic devices directly via the FlipMouse. At a closing ceremony of the project with all participants, the optimized FlipMouse was presented and handed over to the wife of a former Kapsch employee.

In school in the course of the 3rd year of apprenticeship, we were not only offered project-oriented lessons for the first time, but we were also given the opportunity to lead a cross-curricular project ourselves. We had the choice between a running light and a versatile component tester. When we received the circuits, I was completely fascinated by what this component tester would test. This awakened the perfectionist in me, as I wanted to produce an equally great product from a great circuit. In the first semester, I started planning and collecting ideas, and I suspected that my project would be very time-consuming. Back at Kapsch Components, I told them about the great project we had started at school. Naturally, I asked our excellent prototyping team for electronic and mechanical help. I quickly realized that my ideas were good, but partially unfeasible, so it was back to the drawing board. This time, however, not on "my own", but with expert support from the KCO prototyping department and professional software. The idea was to replace the bent aluminum sheet housing I had originally planned with a milled aluminum block. This, of course, I welcomed very much, as I was able to learn drawing with AutoCAD software, CNC programming and some mechanical knowledge. After the case was made, I started designing the electronics, and since I didn't want to make life too easy for myself, I designed 2 boards. One with wired components (as required by the vocational school) and another with SMD components to prove my skills. This was of course very well received at the vocational school. Back at the vocational school after the practice in the KCO, the second block was about finishing the circuit board. With the finished board, the final assembly could begin, where I still had to make one or two small adjustments. When everything met my expectations, I was able to present a great final product with a good 75 pages of documentation, which of course impressed my teachers. The Universal Component Tester project: The Universal Component Tester is a versatile measurement device for component testing. It has a large 16x2 LCD display with blue backlight, through which it outputs the detected components. The evaluation is done by a programmed microcontroller (ATMEGA 8), which of course does all the measuring and sends the data to be output to the display. For the measurement optionally 2 x 3 pin adapter cables can be connected to the tester, which can be used as desired and according to the type of measurement. Once in a mini-hook and a fine measurement tip version. Usually the measurement takes about 2 seconds, for larger capacitors up to one minute is possible. Automatic detection of:

A cooperation with 'Maker Austria' enables our first-year apprentices to put into practice what they have learned so far. In a so-called Maker Space, an open workshop equipped with modern tools and machines, they can try out various techniques such as laser cutting, soldering, milling, and much more. Throughout the year, there are various projects, such as a Christmas project. Planning and implementing these projects is part of the apprenticeship training. Of course, the apprentices also receive support from the trainers. Maker Austria is an association that offers all tinkerers the opportunity to realize ideas and projects. Materials (wood, clay, textiles) and technology (electronics, robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting) can be combined in any way. To share experiences, create something new and accordingly learn from doing things together. In addition, all age groups are also represented. Thus, the apprentices have the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and skills of the other participants.

Three Kapsch apprentices developed a driverless transport system as part of the Kapsch Components apprentice project. Chonthicha Yarungsri, Alexander Weigl and Kiprijan Smiljanic (currently already a young specialist) produced the circuit board for the vehicle according to their own circuitry and printed the transport mounts for it in the in-house 3D printer, among other things. The vehicle can follow a glued line and transport small objects. Watch the video of the innovative Kapsch Components apprentices right here: