Silke on the New IT Training Program

Supporting young talent has long been part of our identity at MVB. Until now, mainly through traineeships for digital and print media specialists. Starting in August, we'll also be training our first IT specialist in system integration.

Silke is part of our IT infrastructure team and a newly qualified trainer. We asked her how this came about – and why training is a real win-win situation for her.

• Silke, your team is training new apprentices for the first time – how did that come about?
  There wasn't any grand plan. But when two long-standing colleagues retired, our team had to reorganize. And that's when the question arose: Why not train apprentices ourselves? We already had a lot of good experiences with student interns and year-long interns. Most recently with Jeremy – he's starting his training with us in August. For him, it's not a complete new start, but rather a smooth transition. He already knows the team and many of the processes. That makes it easier for everyone – and shows how much potential there is in internships like this.
  
  The idea of training young people ourselves quickly took hold. Instead of looking for skilled workers from outside, we prefer to invest directly in the next generation – and take the opportunity to pass on our knowledge. What further encouraged us was that we cover the entire training framework within our company – no one has to go elsewhere for specific content. From network technology and dealing with service providers to workplace configuration, everything is included.

• What does this mean for the department?
  The team is highly motivated and looking forward to new experiences and tasks. I was impressed by how quickly the team saw themselves in their roles. No one had to be convinced. When we divided the framework plan among the individual colleagues, they immediately identified with the specific tasks and topics that they will now take on during their training period. So the responsibility does not lie solely with me as the trainer, but is shared among many shoulders.
  

• What does that mean for you personally?
  It feels special to be able to train others now. I took a special training certificate course for this and spent the last few weeks cramming quite a lot of theory. It will be really exciting to apply what I've learned in practice and pass on my knowledge and methods. I also like to think back to my own training and studies, when I first got into the trade and later delved deeper into the theory. That reassures me and gives me the feeling that I can pass on both well. It also helps me to better understand the trainee's perspective in different situations.
  
  
• What are you most looking forward to?
  I'm looking forward to accompanying someone on a path that I myself once walked. Of course, there's a bit of respect involved. At the same time, there's also a little fear of the challenges ahead. That's only human, because you'll be helping to shape this young person over the next three years. I'm very excited, because it will be a learning experience for both of us, in which we will learn different aspects. I'm looking forward to what's to come. I also think it's good that we already have training experience in-house. I will regularly exchange ideas with my fellow trainers Katharina and Valeska so that we can benefit from each other's experiences.

PS: More insights into the House of Books can be found regularly on the website of the Börsenvereinsgruppe.

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