WACKER offers advanced training to all employees. After all, we need skilled workers if WACKER is to remain innovative and competitive. Personnel development at WACKER both seeks to cultivate employees’ strengths and targets specific groups. We encourage our employees to never stop the learning process and to remain open to change – also with a view to the reality of adjusting to a longer work-life.

At least once a year, annual performance reviews afford employees and supervisors the chance to agree on development measures. This approach applies to all hierarchy levels. In 2011, more than 14,000 places at seminars, advanced training courses and conferences were filled; the 2012 figure rose to more than 15,500. Additionally, approximately 100,000 e-learning courses were held in 2011, and 95,000 courses in 2012.

Employees in Germany can select advanced training courses from the wide range on offer under the WACKER training program. The program categories are Technical Skills, Management Skills, Social Skills and Personal Skills. Individual jobs determine whether participation in certain seminars is obligatory. For example, laboratory heads must attend a seminar tailored to their specific tasks and responsibilities. Prospective engineering managers and production/operations managers attend a course preparing them for their new role. Employees also have access to a variety of (advanced) training courses at WACKER’s international sites. For example, some 1,200 participants completed 2,900 training days at WACKER Greater China in 2012 (2011: 1,100 participants and 2,070 training days).

WACKER assists strategically important employee groups with development programs tailored to their needs. For example, we started the Grow Sales Performance Program for sales managers in 2011. Participants are analyzed with respect to their sales skills and are assisted in developing them.

WACKER invested €7.4 million in personnel development and advanced training in 2011, and €7.0 million in 2012.