Introduction

Siemens is one of the top three electronics companies in the world. It employs more than 20,000 in the UK. It designs and makes products for three main sectors:

• industry, for instance, traffic monitoring systems and trains
• energy, for instance, power transmission and distribution
• health care, for instance, medical scanners.

Siemens is involved in every aspect of life. Nine out of ten cars contain Siemens products, as do other household products like toasters and kettles. Siemens also makes car parking and traffic systems. Even the Hawkeye electronic ‘eye’ used in cricket and tennis matches are built by Siemens. To stay as leader in its field, Siemens needs the best people.

Training needs

Siemens needs the right people with the right skills. Workforce planning helps it to plan for the future. It looks at the skill sets it already has and plans how to fill any gaps. People with the right skills can either be recruited from outside or trained within the organisation.

Training

Training involves teaching new skills or techniques. Training may be either:

• on-the-job – training whilst working
• off-the-job - training takes place outside the firm.

Siemens has three main training programmes at ‘Entry Level’:

• Apprenticeships. These are for school leavers who want to 'earn as they learn'. Most start their working life from their home town. They work at their local Siemens site. Siemens believes apprenticeships are vital for its future growth.
• Siemens Commercial Academy. This launched in 2005. The programme focuses on students who have a keen interest in Business and Finance. It lasts four years and is an alternative to going to university.
• Siemens Graduate Programmes. These recruit into three core areas of the business - engineering, IT and business.

Development

A business needs to retain good staff. This is because the costs to recruit new staff are high. Siemens needs well-trained staff with good key skills. In particular, they need good communication and team working skills. Trained staff help Siemens to compete. Staff are more flexible and able to change. They may also be more creative and innovative. Employees also feel that the company values them. This makes them want to work harder. This is called motivation.

Evaluation

Siemens uses an appraisal system to see how effective its training is. This is called the Performance Management Process. Staff and their managers agree objectives. Managers then help employees to work towards them. Each year, the process sees how far people have developed. It also provides a way to find out and plan future training needs. This benefits the individual and the business. The process keeps staff up-to-date and involved. It also gives them the chance to air their own views.

Conclusion

Training and development are key factors that help Siemens to grow. Siemens focuses on achieving well-trained staff. These workers are assets to the business.