Participation EAfA - European Alliance for Apprenticeships
Huge success for apprenticeship training and digitalisation projects.
Thank you for your support
One of the renowned VET Excellence Awards sensationally goes to the apprenticeship training of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG this year. The nomination for one of these coveted awards by a jury of experts was already a huge success. Now ÖBB was also able to win the final in a public vote and bring one of the prizes to Austria. Thank you for your support.
The digital future is now
Digital technologies and possibilities improve our education and make us more independent and flexible. One of the most important points concerning the conversion from classroom teaching to digitalised teaching is the self-determined access of our trainers and trainees to teaching materials and their subsequent interaction with them. Digital learning enables a new form of collaborative learning and working in our training professions. Its cornerstones are good education and training, for more digital skills: digitally equipped and networked training centres and an open culture of innovation.
We knew - "The digital future is now"! In the 120-year history of apprenticeship training, we were able to realise a record of 643 admissions of apprentices in the time span of the Covid-19 pandemic, starting with the year 2020. For collaboration between trainers and apprentices a learning management platform was set up and the support service was intensified.
Apprenticeship projects
Collaboration and knowledge sharing is extremely important to us. We therefore encourage our apprentices to interact with their colleagues and share their knowledge via tutorial videos. "Videos for apprentices, made by apprentices".
Here we would like to present some projects of our apprentices in the digital field.
Applying state-of-the-art methods including VR
In apprentice training, we rely on state-of-the-art teaching and learning methods, including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). The very first project, which was programmed by apprentices in cooperation with their trainers is the so called "100 Meter Meidling" project. Here apprentices learn how inspection and maintenance of switches, rails and overhead lines work. Usually, for practise, it is necessary to be on site, which is directly in the rail track area and therefore not possible for safety reasons. Using VR glasses, apprentices can practise in a realistic setting and gather experience without having to deal with safety issues.
Translation: english transcript Video "Virtual reality in ÖBB education"
"100 Metres Meidling" is our virtual reality project for apprentice training where we depict 100 metres of track systems from Vienna Central Station in the direction of Meidling. We try to give our apprentices a good insight into practice, which we would not be able to show under normal conditions. In our virtual reality project, we have realistically reproduced 100 metres of track from Vienna Central Station in the direction of Meidling with all the systems that can be found there. The lessons with virtual reality are designed in such a way that an apprentice puts on the VR glasses and plays through the scenarios with guidance from outside. The advantage of virtual reality for me as a trainer is that I can work safely with the apprentices. The apprentices can see the situations in advance which await them in real-life situations. This would not be possible without virtual reality. "You feel like you are in another world - as if you were not in the training workshop. It's as if you were really on site and working there." One of the great advantages of virtual reality is its flexibility. You can see and use different things without having to travel for hours.
Innovative teaching using 3d printers
Due to the innovative, contemporary nature of our apprenticeships, we are always happy to venture into new territory with projects. As part of the apprenticeships dealing with electronics and mechatronics, our apprentices learn to operate 3D printers and can hence produce certain parts themselves. Printed head housings, casings or several various small parts can easily be created in the classroom and subsequently installed by the apprentices. In this project they are supported by the electrical engineers to be, who solder the control boards of the 3D printers for the control system. The various metal parts are manufactured by the future metal technicians and mechanical engineers. This part of the training is particularly popular with our apprentices.
An insight into our apprenticeship programmes
Ready for your next level?
Fair salary, lots of free time and good job opportunities - all this awaits you! Take the next step with one of 27 apprenticeships with a future at ÖBB.
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