31.10.2017
WINTERSTEIGER becomes sponsor of technical college course
WINTERSTEIGER visits its sponsored year group at HTL Ried
Fifteen years ago, WINTERSTEIGER AG became one of the first sponsors of the newly established technical college HTL Ried. As a founding member of a regional association comprising 50 local companies and institutions set up to support the new college, WINTERSTEIGER actively assisted HTL Ried with many projects. Now the mechanical and plant engineering group is deepening its relationship with the college by becoming the new sponsor of Year 1 on the agricultural and environmental engineering course.
WINTERSTEIGER recently visited "their" first-year students to explain all about the activities they will experience together over the next five academic years. These include expert lectures, participation in machine field tests, engineering and design exercises, plus a visit to the Agritechnica trade fair in Hanover. The training workshops at WINTERSTEIGER will be used regularly by small groups of students for practical lessons, while the company will be setting up machines at the college for courses on seeding and harvesting technology. For those seeking internships and work experience placements, the HR department will provide coaching to help ensure students' applications are successful. Last but not least, WINTERSTEIGER will also have a little treat for outside the classroom: Students will be able to have their skis and snowboards reground before heading out on the slopes!
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New agricultural and environmental engineering course.
Thirty-six first-year students have signed up for the agricultural and environmental engineering course, which was launched to great acclaim last year. “The numbers enrolling on the course are far beyond our expectations. In this respect, the support we have enjoyed from local businesses has certainly helped. There's a further practical element to our collaboration with WINTERSTEIGER, which will prove valuable during the fifth-year dissertation project,” says Wolfgang Billinger, the director of HTL Ried.
Graduates in demand.
According to the college's director, Wolfgang Billinger, places on the course are not the only things in great demand; its graduates are also highly sought-after. Dr. Martin Baldinger, head of development at WINTERSTEIGER, agrees: “There will always be an agricultural sector. Opting to become a mechanical engineer who specializes in agricultural engineering is definitely a good decision that will leave you in good stead for the future.” On a visit to the college, he introduced the students to the various roles at WINTERSTEIGER that require this skill set, such as the mechanical engineering and design of combines and sowing machines, or positions relating to control technology. Software programmers will also find a welcome home at WINTERSTEIGER.
Monique Fiedler, head of staff development at WINTERSTEIGER, is positive about the sponsorship program: “Through this collaboration, we are already taking steps to help our future workforce before they even leave education. We are teaching students practical skills while at the same time introducing WINTERSTEIGER as a potential future employer. By working so closely with HTL Ried, we are also helping to support the local region with which we enjoy such strong links.”
From an agricultural machinery workshop to the world's market leader.
WINTERSTEIGER has been manufacturing machines for agricultural field research for nearly 65 years. In fact, it was Johann WINTERSTEIGER who developed the world's first plot combine for field research in 1960. Today, WINTERSTEIGER boasts 16 branches and is the global market leader in field trials technology.