Schottel Academy Promotes Professional Development
With the founding of the Schottel Academy this January, the propulsion systems manufacturer is demonstrating its commitment to improved training and continuous professional development for all target groups. The Schottel directors – from left to right: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Jensen (CEO), Ralf Wöllert (Service Director) and Christophe Mourot (COO) – symbolically launched the project by cutting a blue ribbon at company headquarters in Spay/Rhine.
“We will find ourselves up against a strong headwind in the next few years”, declared Ralf Wöllert, “but the same applies to the entire sector. In the Academy, we have an instrument to ensure that we continue to steer a winning course, even in these troubled waters.” In view of steadily increasing requirements on marine propulsion and steering systems, their ability to communicate with other on-board systems, and ever greater complexity of shipyard operation, the instruction and training of personnel is becoming more important, as every system is only as good as the service, installation and operating personnel.
Customers, captains, on-board personnel, external service engineers, sales partners and Schottel employees receive specialist instruction in the operation and servicing of Schottel products from around 30 trainers at the Schottel Academy. Approximately 150 training modules have been developed. These can be customized according to the level of knowledge of the target groups and used for individual or group training courses. What makes the Schottel Academy stand out from previous product training programmes is the emphasis on internal continuous professional development. In this way, Schottel is ensuring, for example, that new employees or administrative personnel systematically receive in-depth product competence, thus quickly providing them with the technical qualifications they require to perform their tasks.