Skills development
To ensure maximum safety and develop skills, Denise Böttger (Head of BU Transmission Lines, SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria) sends her transmission line teams on training courses at SPIE's Research and Technology Centre (Versuchs- und Technologiezentrum, VTZ), run by Patrick Jonas (Head of VTZ, SPIE Germany Switzerland Austria).
What kind of training do your teams need – and how do you provide it?
D.B. : As part of the energy transition, power grids are undergoing huge change – especially here in Germany, where there is considerable demand in the sector, but as yet no training course to qualify as a lineman.
So when training new employees to work on the grid, we have to start with the basics, and send them to VTZ centre of SPIE at Langen near Frankfurt for an induction week. We make it interactive: trainees introduce themselves – and we introduce them to SPIE. We talk them through the overriding importance of safety culture in our company and explain our high quality and environmental standards.
Then, things get technical!
Which teaching methods do you use at this centre?
P. J. : We don’t just explain, we show – and trainees get practice, learn hands-on how to work on power lines safely and effectively.
The centrepiece is an outdoor mock-up with pylons. Here, trainees learn about earthing, how to secure material so it can be lifted safely, how to apply the five key rules of working on electrical installations, and even how to rescue a colleague at high altitude. There’s no live current – and everything takes place at a safe height, rather than 100 meters like on a real pylon – so it’s a safe, but realistic learning environment.
The VTZ centre is also used to test and improve components, giving us access to a wide range of equipment and samples, so trainees get to handle real-world materials. We also use ‘exhibits’ of components to show how they look after time in the field or as examples of poor quality work.
Why is the training programme at the VTZ centre so valuable?
D.B. : This centre is unique in Europe – which is why we also initiated training here for other SPIE countries like Slovakia and Poland and entities such as SPIE Wind, dedicated to wind turbines.
There is nowhere else we can offer trainees this level of instruction. It’s also the perfect place for us to develop an integrated offering covering everything from design and construction to installation and maintenance.