1,500 new employees. With the Macan, Porsche has created 1,500 new jobs in Leipzig. Around 400 of the new employees are engineers and specialists in the paint shop, body shop, logistics, assembly and quality areas. These experts ensure that the new production facilities work to perfection; they are all professionals in the automotive industry. Around 1,100 of the employees work in Production; they are specially trained people: mechatronic and automation technology specialists, painters, welders, body manufacturing specialists, industrial mechanics and motor vehicle fitters. “For many of these new 1,100 employees, cars have influenced them in their private lives, but until now have not made their mark in their professional careers,” says Stefan Althoff, Personnel Manager at Porsche Leipzig GmbH. Althoff continues: “Even those who already had a lot of experience in the automotive industry are not necessarily familiar with the processes that await them at Porsche in Leipzig. That is why we have developed a training programme that is both sophisticated and innovative; it ensures the qualification of new employees on a uniform top level.” Training instructors were definitely helped by one big thing: Porsche – the brand and the Macan – are great motivators.

Great affinity for the Porsche Brand. Dr. Oliver Blume, Member of the Executive Board Production and Logistics of Porsche: “We wanted employees with the proverbial petrol in their blood. And we got them. They have a great affinity for the Porsche Brand, an enthusiasm for building cars. Great commitment. And solid workmanship and know-how. One important criteria we had when hiring new people was that they must fit in with the team already in place in Leipzig. It is the right mix that counts: young and old, a variety of backgrounds and experience, men and women. I like to compare it to a football team: You can only be successful if you have the right mix on your team – you will not win the match with eleven excellent technicians on the field if you do not have the people who do the leg work there in the background.” But even the best team has to be trained. Especially when many of the players are new. And that is exactly what is happening in Leipzig. For two years now, we have been preparing employees for the launch of the new Macan:

Employees for supply and production lines

Workers in the body shop, paint shop, assembly and logistics. The new employees in the logistics supply centres and on the production lines (body shop, paint shop, assembly) had to be trained in their tasks in specific ways. To form the teams at the individual stations as flexibly as possible, the team already deployed for the Cayenne and Panamera had to be coached in the Macan as well. “Since the sheer number of employees in these areas was and still is so high, a new training method had to be created, as described above. It went beyond the 'learning by doing' in the parts supply zone or on the assembly line,” says Financial Director Dr. Joachim Lamla. “Against this backdrop, we developed a new concept – a new training centre for each of the new or extended plant departments. To guarantee excellent preparation for the new tasks, all new employees had to participate a training programme of three to five days at one of these centres prior to beginning their future career with Porsche.” And the existing core team participated as well.

Ideal training conditions. Special training rooms were created at the centres, ranging from 200 to 300 square metres in size. The working environment established there reflects the production system. In addition, the instructors developed a so-called room for pros, in which plant-relevant or model-relevant tasks are simulated in an environment that matches the workplace on the assembly line down to the details. Overview of the individual topics of training centres and rooms for pros:

• Training centre + room for pros “Body shop”

(2 days, 444 attendees scheduled until mid-2014)

• Training centre + room for pros “Paint shop”

(2 days, 454 attendees scheduled until mid-2014),

• Training centre + room for pros “Assembly / quality assurance”

(3 days, 668 attendees scheduled until mid-2014),

• Training centre “Logistics”

(3 to 5 days, 850 attendees scheduled until mid-2014),