WACKER will remain innovative and competitive as long as it has highly-skilled employees, which is why we offer all our employees opportunities for additional training. Personnel development at WACKER seeks to cultivate employees’ strengths and to target specific groups. We encourage our employees to engage in lifelong learning and to remain open to change – especially since we have to adjust to longer working lives.

At least once a year, employees and supervisors discuss development measures during performance reviews. This approach applies to all hierarchy levels. In 2013, more than 17,500 places at seminars, advanced training courses and conferences were filled; the 2014 figure was over 16,400. Additionally, approximately 88,000 e-learning courses were held in 2013, and 74,000 courses in 2014.

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, about 1,530 participants completed 3,040 training days at WACKER Greater China in 2014 (2013: 1,460 participants and 3,090 training days). At the US Wacker Chemical Corporation, some 1,200 employees participated in around 6,600 training days in 2014 (2013: 1,100 employees and 4,600 training days).

WACKER invested €7.0 million in personnel development and advanced training in both 2013 and 2014.