Nearly four years ago, Heidelberg USA re-launched its Apprenticeship Program in response to the growing shortage of skilled labor in the country.
The vocational training initiative, designed to cultivate a new generation of field service technicians, has already proven successful, with several graduates now employed full-time by Heidelberg. Currently, the program is training 25 apprentices across its sheetfed, postpress, and Gallus product lines – its largest group to date. With plans to hire an additional eight apprentices within the year, the program is not only filling a critical skills gap but also serving as a model for how companies can invest in their future workforce.
The HEIDELBERG Apprenticeship Program spans eighteen to thirty-six months and combines classroom instruction at the company’s Print Media Performance & Training Center (PMPTC) in Kennesaw, GA and hands-on field training alongside a journeyman mentor within Heidelberg’s extensive network of service technicians. Apprentices are hired throughout the year, often beginning in the field and returning as a class to the PMPTC for a Fundamentals Training Course that covers every operating, electrical and mechanical function on a Heidelberg press in addition to pneumatics, software, and application.
“Bringing them in as a group helps build camaraderie and even friendly competition,” said Kimberly Wicker, Skills Development Supervisor, Heidelberg. “This dynamic empowers them to rely on each other. Even as they move across the country, they frequently connect to share tips and troubleshooting challenges together.”
