Siemens 2007 Annual Report Download - page 24

24 At a Glance
Our employees –
The key to our success
Highly qualifi ed and motivated people drive our success. That’s why we’ve
always been intensely committed to the training and continuing education
of our employees worldwide.
About 9,900 young people – 6,300 from Siemens
and 3,600 from other companies – are currently en-
rolled in our vocational training and work-study
programs. We offer a comprehensive range of train-
ing programs, preparing participants for new types
of jobs in business administration, information
technology, metalworking and electrical engineer-
ing. In addition, we sponsor special programs for
high school graduates and work-study programs
for university students.
Hands-on training
Siemens is exporting its work-study system, which
combines theory and practice, to many of its Region-
al Companies around the world. Outside Germany,
about 3,100 young people are currently enrolled
in Siemens apprenticeship programs, which have
been adapted to country-specifi c requirements.
These programs enable us to maintain an outstand-
ing workforce, which in turn contributes to the
high quality of our products and services. In
Germany, we receive about 50,000 applications each
year for our education and training programs, with
our popular work-study offerings attracting partic-
ularly well-qualifi ed applicants.
Cultivating a highly qualifi ed workforce
We’re constantly raising the educational standards
that our employees have to meet. In 2007, 31 per-
cent of our new hires had university degrees. To
meet our large need for university graduates, we
establish contacts with university students – par-
ticularly those majoring in engineering, the natural
sciences and economics – at an early stage and
foster their development. Our Generation21 educa-
tion initiative offers ambitious young people op-
portunities to acquire academic qualifi cations and
prac tical experience in a multinational environ-
ment through a number of international programs
and partnerships.
Our work-study and internship programs, which
attract a large number of applicants every year, are
an excellent way for young people to get to know