Introduction

Siemens is a leading technology business and one of the largest electrical and electronics engineering companies in the world. In the UK, it employs over 20,000 people and is in the top three electrical and electronics companies in the world. It has been a pioneer in innovation since 1843 when Siemens installed the first street light in Godalming, Surrey. 

In 2006, Siemens UK invested over £74.4 million on research and development.

The company designs and manufactures products and services for both industrial customers and consumers. It operates in three main sectors:

• In industry, Siemens develops systems for transport, for example, London’s traffic monitoring for its congestion charge scheme. It is also the second largest provider of trains for major UK rail companies like FirstGroup. Siemens also provides lighting and electrical systems for major construction projects.
• In energy, Siemens’ work is wide-ranging. It makes systems for transmitting and distributing power for power companies including building power stations and wind farms. It also provides energy metering services, for example, water meters for businesses and consumers.
• In healthcare, it specialises in equipment to help medical diagnosis, such as MRI scanners and imaging technology. It also provides equipment for testing blood in laboratories.

Siemens’ technology appears in every aspect of everyday life, for example:

• the electronic ‘eye’ (Hawk Eye) helps umpires in tennis and cricket matches
• 9 out of 10 cars contain Siemens products
• 20,000 domestic products like toasters are used in homes every day
• systems such as Pelican crossings keep people safe. Car parking systems help guide traffic quickly to free spaces, keeping traffic moving and reducing pollution on the roads

To keep its world-leading position and grow in a competitive environment, Siemens aims to deliver quality products and services. To do this, it needs people with first class levels of skill, knowledge and capability in engineering, IT and business.

The size and varied nature of its business means that Siemens requires many different types of people to fill a wide range of roles across the company. These include skilled factory workers, trade apprenticeships, designers and managers. This case study explores how Siemens manages its ongoing need for skills through training and development.