{"id":1378,"date":"2020-06-30T10:07:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T08:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pactuell.com\/en\/?p=1378"},"modified":"2020-06-30T10:07:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T08:07:28","slug":"institution-followed-by-a-wind-of-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pactuell.com\/en\/institution-followed-by-a-wind-of-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Insti\u00adtu\u00adtion Followed by a Wind of Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alfred Merz has mixed feel\u00adings. The approaching depar\u00adture from his work\u00adplace is not easy for the 62-year-old. Forty-five years in the same company leave their mark \u2013 or, as he says himself: \u201cI am an Uhlmann person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

I am a Uhlmann person.<\/p>\n

Alfred Merz, former head of the training work\u00adshop<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

More Uhlmann connec\u00adtions than those of Alfred Merz are hard to find. His father worked for the company. He himself commenced his appren\u00adtice\u00adship as a fitter in Laupheim in 1975 \u2013 on the same day as an aspiring indus\u00adtrial clerk, who was later to become his wife, and has like\u00adwise remained loyal to the company to this day. One of their three sons also joined Uhlmann four years ago.<\/p>\n

240 appren\u00adtices in 36 years<\/h2>\n

He is just one junior employee of many left behind by Alfred Merz. Since taking over respon\u00adsi\u00adbility for the training work\u00adshop in April 1984, he has encour\u00adaged, shaped, and guided 240 indus\u00adtrial mechanics. The impres\u00adsive record: Not one trainee failed the exam and several have moved on to leading posi\u00adtions in the mean\u00adtime. \u201cI have always enjoyed working with young people. It keeps one young. I will miss that\u201d, he says and recalls many special moments with his appren\u00adtices.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One example is the trip to East Germany with 20 trainees in 1987. Or a number of soapbox derbies through the youth orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion \u201cStadtju\u00adgen\u00addring\u201d Laupheim, when the Uhlmann appren\u00adtices left the race circuit as cham\u00adpions. Or playing soccer together \u2013 he actively partic\u00adi\u00adpated until three years ago. Or, going back ten years, when his prot\u00e9g\u00e9s talked him into joining them for some\u00adthing to eat on the last working day before Christmas \u2013 and it was suddenly two or three in the morning.<\/p>\n

Good rela\u00adtion\u00adship with young people<\/h2>\n

\u201cI always found it impor\u00adtant to be able to laugh together. If you are not allowed to laugh, you can stay at home\u201d, says Merz. Although saying farewell to Uhlmann is hard for him, he will also laugh at home and certainly not be bored. Taking care of his young grand\u00addaughter, bike tours, or building a shelter for the robot lawn\u00admower \u2013 Merz has plenty of plans and a clear head to set about doing things. After all, he has no worries about his successor in the company. \u201cUhlmann has found the right man by appointing Michael H\u00e4nn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Worthy successor<\/h2>\n

The 28-year-old took over respon\u00adsi\u00adbility for the training work\u00adshop on June 1, 2020. The deci\u00adsion to put the training of indus\u00adtrial mechanics, elec\u00adtronic and mecha\u00adtronic engi\u00adneers, tech\u00adnical product designers, and students from the univer\u00adsi\u00adties of applied sciences in the hands of Michael H\u00e4nn was made by Helga Haag, Head of HR Devel\u00adop\u00adment, and Gert Jaudas, Director Human Resources.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Partic\u00adu\u00adlarly having expe\u00adri\u00adenced the qual\u00adi\u00adties of Alfred Merz, the deci\u00adsion was made with care. Refer\u00adring to Merz, Haag, his supe\u00adrior since 2015, says: \u201cWe saw eye to eye from the start and had faith in each other. An insti\u00adtu\u00adtion goes when Alfred Merz leaves Uhlmann, but Michael H\u00e4nn is a smart, spir\u00adited, and intel\u00adli\u00adgent man capable of contributing new ideas.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jaudas under\u00adlines: \u201cThe image of training at Uhlmann has been signif\u00adi\u00adcantly shaped by Alfred Merz. Together with his colleagues, he has given this hall\u00admark a mirror finish day in, day out. Michael H\u00e4nn will undoubt\u00adedly continue this success story.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

New ideas for training courses<\/h2>\n

A dream is coming true for H\u00e4nn in his new job. Since his own mecha\u00adtronics appren\u00adtice\u00adship at Uhlmann, he regu\u00adlarly contem\u00adplated becoming a trainer himself and gained the appro\u00adpriate tech\u00adnical school certifi\u00adcate. As a start, he took over a group coor\u00addi\u00adna\u00adtion center in Assembly. \u201cA lead\u00ader\u00adship func\u00adtion has always attracted me because I like working with people and passing on knowl\u00adedge\u201d, says H\u00e4nn, and adds with a laugh: \u201cExplaining is not a problem for me, nor are young people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Explaining is not a problem for me, nor are young people.<\/p>\n

Michael H\u00e4nn, new head of the training work\u00adshop<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

H\u00e4nn is now following in Merz\u2019s foot\u00adsteps, but is going his own way. He wants to make the training elements more digital in the future and is plan\u00adning, for instance, to purchase tablets. He also wishes to intro\u00adduce a new project in the basic metal working course.<\/p>\n

However, as every\u00adthing is so different this year because of corona \u2013also for the appren\u00adtices \u2013 H\u00e4nn is glad that his prede\u00adcessor is still actively supporting him. \u201cAlfred Merz has set such an example. He has incred\u00adible expe\u00adri\u00adence and I hope that I will have gained the same amount of know-how one day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the advice that Alfred Merz gives his \u201cyoung\u00adsters\u201d when he sends them on their way will be of help: \u201cBe open-minded, take in as much as you can, don\u2019t be afraid, and have the courage to tackle things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The training team<\/h3>\n
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The team that attends to appren\u00adtices at Uhlmann is led by Helga Haag<\/strong> and is made up of<\/p>\n