December 7, 2023

From apprentice to international specialist

LEIBINGER: Training with perspective

Tuttlingen, November 2023 – Independent projects, responsibility, leisure activities and team events all await industrial mechanic and mechatronic apprentices at LEIBINGER. Successful completion of the training paves the way into numerous departments. One case in point is Michelle Gönner, a mechatronic specialist fresh out of training whose assumption of co-responsibility for a new product would see her travel to Thailand and the USA.

Coding and marking systems such as LEIBINGER industrial inkjet printers are in demand all over the world. These are exclusively developed and manufactured in Tuttlingen – not least by specialists trained in-house. To this end, the family-run company invests in an apprenticeship program that is second to none.

Following apprenticeship, a flying start in the dream job

“The opportunity I was offered at LEIBINGER is just unparalleled. I hold my colleagues in high regard and the teamwork is nothing short of exceptional,” explained Michelle Gönner. Like all LEIBINGER apprentices, towards the end of her training Michelle Gönner participated in an experiential tour of all the departments. With the ‘Development & Testing’ team, the budding mechatronics specialist felt she was in good hands. After being promptly offered a position in the department, she has been supporting development of the new IQJET printer since 2020. From the outset, Michelle Gönner was given responsibility for field testing. “I quickly became the IQJET specialist within the testing department.” Soon she was traveling to customers in Belgium, the USA and Thailand to carry out installations. “The international experience I gained and the appreciation I received is also helping me progress from a personal perspective”, concluded Michelle Gönner.

^{Kick-off for our new training year: 5 new trainees started their training at LEIBINGER in September.}

Goodbye chalk and talk, errors allowed

Andreas Schmider and Sebastian Wolf head the apprenticeship program at LEIBINGER. Both see themselves as personal mentors. No fans of the chalk and talk technique and rigid presentations, they advocate independent working within a team. Equipped with the latest machinery, the in-house apprentice workshop is where all the industrial mechanics and mechatronics training content is imparted. “We quickly involve apprentices in the production process. They assume responsibility for the parts they make at an earlier stage than is elsewhere the case,” explained Sebastien Wolf, and continued: “We also nurture a positive error culture – where mistakes are allowed as part of learning for the future.” Both instructors value the fact that the apprentices help to shape their own training and set their own priorities according to their interests. Training content is also intensified and consolidated by way of external seminars.

_{Trip to the Allgäu with company tour and team-building measures for our trainees}

Team building through mountain climbing and archery

In addition to flat hierarchies and short decision-making channels, cooperation is also a major priority within the company. The training team regularly organizes activities such as company runs, New Year bowling events and BBQs. One of the highlights is the apprentice training trip. In autumn 2023, the apprentices spend a weekend together in Allgäu, where they get to know a supplier company in Pfronten, go up on a cable car and spend the night in a cozy mountain hut. After a mountain hike and chilling out together, they move on to team building activities, including a round of archery in the woods. To wrap up, the apprentices summarize on a poster some of the takeaways from the weekend: “Teamwork, team spirit, communication, consideration and fun” all place towards the top of the list.

For more information about available apprenticeship positions, please refer to our careers section.

Michelle Gönner trained as a mechatronics engineer at LEIBINGER and was then taken on in the "Development & Testing" department.