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Education & Modern Work
New work concepts, digitalized workplaces, changing expectations of employees: The world of work is undergoing rapid change, placing high demands on politics, society and companies. But what does this mean in concrete terms? How can companies and educational institutions prepare for the change in order to take advantage of the transformation?

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Aus unseren Inhalten

Aus unseren Inhalten
Our offer for industry-relevant competence development

Our learning offers promote the individual technical professionalization as well as the development of new competences - with a view to the current and future requirements in the companies.

Still too few female engineers in mechanical and plant engineering

Change is needed in various areas of education and working life to attract more women to technical professions. The latest study by the VDMA's Impuls Foundation investigates exactly what is needed. For the first time, the study focuses on the link between studies, career entry and the first years of employment for female engineers.

Sick leave by telephone permissible again

On December 7, 2023, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) defined the details for determining incapacity for work by telephone.

Receipt of a roster change

Do employees have to be available to receive roster changes during their free time?

VDMA awards young talent prizes for "Digitalization in Mechanical Engineering"

Student theses demonstrate the importance and diversity of digitalization opportunities in mechanical engineering

Facts and figures: Research and innovation

In our theme publication you will find facts and figures on research and development, innovations and patents in machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Facts and figures: Education and workforce in machinery and equipment manufacturing

In our theme publications, you will find facts, figures and data related to vocational training, engineering courses, skilled workers, mechanical engineers and women in machinery and equipment manufacturing.

Fourth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance published

The Fourth Ordinance on the Adjustment of the Level of the Minimum Wage (Fourth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance - MiLoV4) was published in the Federal Law Gazette on November 29, 2023.

Parental allowance: Changes planned

The draft of the Budget Financing Act provides for a reduction in the income threshold for receiving parental allowance.

Digitalization and leadership in purchasing

When it comes to recruiting personnel, Purchasing is not only in competition with other companies, but also with other functional areas within the company.

Core competencies of successful leadership communication

For leadership communication to be successful, the core competencies of listening, questioning and feedback should be taken into account - these were central components of the virtual workshop.

NRW mechanical engineering under pressure

NRW's mechanical and plant engineering sector is not only suffering from the effects of global challenges, but also from the implementation of EU regulations, excessive bureaucracy and a lack of planning security.

Shaping the future of mechanical and plant engineering

In 2024, new VDMA services will be launched together with delphai to facilitate entry into business development and provide sustainable support in handling information and data for market analyses and better decision-making.

Young professionals around the world: Austria

Demographic change, a shortage of skilled workers, unfilled training positions - these are currently predominant issues in Germany when it comes to recruiting employees. But what is it like in other countries? We asked around locally.

A summit day full of highlights

From China to climate change and transformation through artificial intelligence: the first day of the Mechanical Engineering Summit featured one thematic highlight after another.

Bureaucratic frustration and a flood of regulations annoy companies

The ongoing flood of bureaucracy and new regulations is slowing down medium-sized industrial companies and hindering innovation and investment. The industry is skeptical about 2024 and is calling for serious political reforms.

Incapacity to work due to corona

Incapacity to work due to illness also possible in the case of asymptomatic corona infection

Right of initiative of the works council

The works council has a right of initiative for the organization of working time recording

An exemplary attitude

The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine also dominated the opening of the 14th German Mechanical Engineering Summit. VDMA President Karl Haeusgen and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck placed Germany's economic situation in the global political context.

Apprenticeship at a glance

How many apprenticeship positions are available in machinery and equipment manufacturing this year? How many applicants are there? How have supply and demand for the most important professions developed in recent years? Get all the information at a glance here.

Whistleblower Protection Act - important deadlines

Action is required for all companies with at least 50 employees

Salary Report China

Salary benchmarks for selected professional positions in Chinese mechanical engineering - exclusively for members

THINK BIG! - Live at bauma 2025

Employer branding made easy! - Present your company as part of THINK BIG! and get in touch with interested students. The format is aimed specifically for grades 7 to 11 of all school types.

"40-hour week must become the rule again"

The political measures to solve the labor shortage are insufficient. A quick course correction is needed: longer working lives, raising the retirement age, increasing weekly working hours.

Works council compensation: Proposed regulations published

A commission of experts on the regulation of works council compensation has published its initial findings. According to the commission's proposals, Section 37 (4) of the Works Council Constitution Act (BetrVG) is to be revised and Section 78 of the Works Council Constitution Act (BetrVG) is to be supplemented.

VDMA BarCamp Skilled Workforce Retention on November 23, 2023 in Frankfurt/M.

On November 23, 2023, the free VDMA event will take place at Kap Europa, Osloer Straße 5, 60327 Frankfurt am Main from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Latest developments on labor market policy and labor law

The event focused on the impact of the new law on the immigration of skilled workers and current labor law on business practice in the mechanical and plant engineering sector.

First Hamburg Engineering Summit

The HAW Hamburg invited to the first Hamburg Engineering Summit.

Involving parents in the recruitment of new recruits

Parents continue to have an influence on the career orientation of their own children. In order to recruit young people for the mechanical engineering sector, parents must therefore be involved at an early stage.

"Movers wanted": Elevator industry launches image campaign

With the campaign "Beweger gesucht" (movers wanted), the VDMA and its member companies are putting the spotlight on the attractiveness of the elevator and escalator industry and its job profiles.

The perfect price-performance ratio

Less does not necessarily mean worse. Frugal innovations aim to achieve the best possible price-performance ratio without compromising on quality. A new Fraunhofer study commissioned by the IMPULS Foundation sheds light on what is needed to achieve this.

Innovation management - the future factory at Trumpf

The day-to-day business and traditional processes of a mechanical engineering company are usually obstacles to innovation. The intrapreneurship program at TRUMPF counters this.

Machinery and equipment manufacturing plans to increase staff

Machinery and equipment manufacturing remains a highly attractive employer. Skilled workers are offered excellent job options.

Skilled workers for Africa - Botswana as a successful role model

A head of state is praising VDMA's "Skilled Workers for Africa" initiative: Botswana's President Masisi is counting on cooperation with the German mechanical and plant engineering industry to provide young people with better vocational training. 

Work of the future - with whom?

Occupational profiles and working environments are changing, in some cases enormously, but people remain of central importance. But who will do the work of the future? Everyone is looking to Generation Z. Is that enough?

University cooperations and other approaches to student retention

To meet the demand for highly qualified specialists at an early stage, some companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector are cooperating with universities - the possibilities are diverse.

We update the VDMA salary study!

The VDMA salary survey provides a detailed overview of the status quo regarding the salaries of a good 160 typical positions in our industry.

Statistical Handbook for Mechanical Engineering 2023

The Statistical Handbook 2023 is now available to our member companies free of charge. Non-members will soon be able to obtain the book, first published in 1927 and now established as a standard work, from the VDMA publishing house.

NRW initiative "Europe - Experience and Learn

The "Europe - Experience and Learn" initiative of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Youth Parliament in Germany e.V. is designed to help trainees gain EU experience abroad.

Skilled workers and robots: It takes both

Germany's skills shortage meets robotics and automation. But can robots solve all the problems? Find out why skilled workers remain indispensable at the 14th German Mechanical Engineering Summit in Berlin.

Africa offers great opportunities

Mechanical and plant engineering can make an essential contribution to Africa's industrialization and improved competitiveness.

Great satisfaction, little diversity

The mix of study and in-company training is popular. The dual study program is particularly popular in mechanical engineering and is proving to be a successful model, a survey of students shows.

Customized products for price-sensitive customers

A new study by the IMPULS Foundation highlights the opportunities of a new way of thinking and developing products – frugal innovations. The study will be published in Stuttgart on September 28th, 2023.

Too few young people apply for training

Mechanical engineering and dual training go hand in hand. But in the meantime, the search for suitable apprentices rarely runs smoothly. Before the start of the new apprenticeship year, positions remained unfilled in one in three eastern German companies.

Meet the Expert: The VDMA program at POWTECH

This year, Hall 2, booth 2-204 will not only host the VDMA Special Show, but also the associated Speakers Corner and other varied program items. Read here what you will find when and where.

"The pension at 63 should be abolished"

The severe shortage of skilled workers will be exacerbated by retirement at 63. The mechanical engineering sector is severely affected, as skilled workers account for 60 percent of the workforce in this sector.

VDMA focus RECHT brochure on whistleblower protection

We support the introduction of a whistleblower office.

"EU Bubble talks - 30 minutes insights from Brussels": Web seminar series launched

Attention Europe enthusiasts! With our new web seminar series "EU Bubble talks - 30 minutes insights from Brussels" we take a look behind the scenes of European politics and take you with us.

Attracting and retaining women for technical careers in mechanical engineering

Change is needed in various areas of education and working life to attract more women to technical professions. Learn what companies can do in concrete terms in our new event formats.

Is rail travel working time?

In the context of working time compliance, the correct handling of travel times is central. Do they count as working time or rest time?

Our expert and focus topics

Our expert and focus topics
Female engineers
Mechanical and plant engineering opens up individual career paths and a wide range of opportunities for female engineers. The occupational field is characterized by innovation, sustainability and an exciting working environment. Women engineers can shape the future.
Mechanical engineering specialists
Shortage of skilled workers in mechanical and plant engineering. Learn all about challenges, solutions, trends and best practices to overcome the shortage of skilled workers.
Youth recruitment & school
In order to attract those leaving school to work in the mechanical engineering sector, traditional measures no longer suffice in many places. In the future, those who want to combat the shortage of specialist staff will resort to a clever combination of cooperative school programs along with traditional offline and online measures. On this page you will find useful information, ideas, studies and downloads on this topic. You can also find out here how you as a member can benefit from VDMA offers.
Engineering education for the mechanical engineering sector
For many employees, working in a home office is a completely new situation that has caught them very unprepared due to the pandemic. This raises a host of practical and legal issues.
Made ING Germany
Digitization is the buzzword of today. Innovation has been a hot topic for a long time, and Industrie 4.0 is accepted as a standard. In order to breathe life into these concepts, clever minds and adequate training concepts are needed.
Securing skilled workers
Almost 60 percent of employees in the mechanical and plant engineering sector are skilled workers. Alongside engineers, they shape the role of mechanical and plant engineering as a decisive enabler for green technologies.
Skilled Workers for Africa
Africa is a continent of opportunities. In order to take advantage of them, qualified local specialists are particularly in demand. They are the engine for the development and diversification of the economy.
Organization and Culture
Both organisation and culture are what make up the company "inside". Both have far-reaching effects on the outside, on customers and their needs and on other external partners. Thus, both are a question of successful cooperation inside and outside.
Culture of innovation
Increasing the ability to innovate in times of digitalization and "VUCA" has been in the spotlight of companies in our industry for several years. Especially following a crisis, it is crucial to be ready and prepared with the right business models as well as suitable systems and structures, and to break away from old habits. The culture of innovation is an important basis and prerequisite for all efforts. If you want hard successes, you should start soft.
Home Office
For many employees, working in a home office is a completely new situation that has caught them very unprepared due to the pandemic. This raises a host of practical and legal issues.
Personnel Marketing & Recruitment
The shortage of skilled workers has arrived in the present. The labour market has turned and companies are receiving a decreasing number of applications. Demography, digitalisation, democratisation and decentralisation pose major challenges for the economy. Personnel recruitment must now take new paths.
Labor law
Whether it be short-time work, service contracts, working shifts or home office, the parameters for modern work and flexible crisis measures are changing continuously.
Labor Market
Competitiveness, growth and job security require adaptability, value creation based on the division of labour and a flexible labour market. Digitalisation requires modern framework conditions for Work 4.0.
Technological Sovereignty
Technological sovereignty as a goal is gaining importance regarding the changed geopolitical situation. International division of labor and global trade are our drivers of prosperity and are existential, especially for the mechanical engineering sector.

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To the point

To the point

Auf den Punkt Zitat Education & Modern Work

"The term 'agility' opens up a whole world that is worth discovering for teams and companies."

Judith Armbruster, Project Manager & Agile Coach

Auf den Punkt Zahl Education & Modern Work

8.7

billion euros

was spent on research and development in the mechanical engineering sector in 2022.

Source: survey Stifterverband

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Summary
What are agile methods and approaches useful for?
  • Agile methods are designed for complex tasks with changing conditions.
  • Agility should specifically target concrete problems and not be an end in itself.
  • Understanding of agile competencies: Perception, Decision, Implementation.
  • Agile methods require a new leadership understanding, more team self-responsibility.
  • Introduction of agile structures, such as Scrum, changes the leadership structure with product and process decision-makers alongside the existing hierarchy.

Unsere Leistungen

Unsere Leistungen
Working Group HR
The central working HR group takes up current topics in HR work and makes them transferable for the practice of our members.

exklusiv

VDMA salary study
How much do development engineers and IT specialists earn in a medium-sized company? The VDMA salary study clarifies the situation and provides indications for company-specific salary benchmarking.
Fit for the future - advanced training courses at the Institute for Mechanical Engineering
Being the VDMA's training academy, we support you in developing new competencies. Contact us - we will gladly advise you!
Personal consultation on all aspects of labor law
The VDMA Legal Department provides its members with a continually updated overview of the decisions and legal developments relevant to businesses and HR managers.
Guide to action for recruiting young talent
Companies today need to recruit young apprentices at an early stage. The new VDMA "Handlungsleitfaden Nachwuchswerbung" (Guide to action for recruiting young talent) demonstrates how this is possible.
Studies & Surveys
The VDMA regularly publishes studies and surveys on engineering studies and derives suitable positions and statements from them.
Talent machine - the young talent portal for the mechanical engineering industry
Portal with news, info, internship job exchange and Best Practices for educational and personnel managers
Our services for members, universities & the media
VDMA maintains a diverse range of services and advice for its member companies, but also for universities and media representatives in the field of science policy and engineering studies. Here is an overview of our services for these three groups.

exklusiv

Facts and figures: Education and workforce in mechanical engineering
In our theme publications, you will find facts, figures and data related to vocational training, engineering courses, skilled workers, mechanical engineers and women in mechanical engineering.
Fit for the future - advanced training courses at the Institute for Mechanical Engineering
Being the VDMA's training academy, we support you in developing new competencies. Contact us - we will gladly advise you!

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Benefits for you as a member

Largest industry network in Europe

3,600 primarily medium-sized member companies in the capital goods industry make the VDMA the largest industrial association in Europe and the most important network organization in the industry.

Strong representation of interests

The VDMA is the most important voice of the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry. It represents the common economic, technical and scientific interests of the industry in Germany and around the world.

A wide range of services

More than 500 VDMA employees worldwide support you with practical services to make the right decisions in your company - along the entire value chain.