voestalpine Automotive Body Parts – Student Training Program

The automotive supplier voestalpine Automotive Body Parts in Georgia, USA, offers its own training program for youths. In doing so, it aims to secure an early start in the education of tomorrow’s skilled professionals.

This 2 ½ year apprenticeship program (20-40 hours per week) combines theory classes with on-the-job training. The curriculum was developed in cooperation with the Bartow County College and Career Academy.

Certified Educational Program

The training program is already registered with the US Department of Labor and has been officially certified as an apprentices training program. Upon completion of the program, the apprentices receive the title of “Industrial Manufacturing Technician”. With this training program, voestalpine Automotive Body Parts aims to train its own workforce to fit the growing needs of the company in terms of qualified personnel.

voestalpine Automotive Body Parts – Student Training Program.

The past financial year saw 2 youths begin their apprenticeship. In the current one, a total of 8 are enrolled in the program and are being trained to become the technical professionals of tomorrow. Unlike in Austria and in Germany, there is no unified training program for youngsters. Therefore, the vocational high schools and the voestalpine training centers in Austria and Germany act as role models for the “Apprenticeship made in USA”.

US-Delegation Visit at the Training Center in Linz

On July 14, a delegation from Georgia, led by the state’s First Lady Sandra Deal, visited voestalpine at its site in Linz. The focus of the visit was to examine the training center and to find out about its specifics, as well as to learn about the dual educational system in Austria. Moreover, the delegation had the opportunity to talk to former apprentices about how their careers developed, thereby gaining valuable insights into what characterizes an apprenticeship at voestalpine.