2008 I 2009 Sustainability Report - Econsense

Incentives for graduate entrants
Our corporate trainee programme provides
internal and external graduates with wideranging
insights into the core business
operations of EnBW over a period of twelve
months as well as an opportunity to establish
contacts with colleagues so that they
can build up their own personal network.
Participants pass through several theory
and six hands-on phases in different business
areas and companies, also including a
period abroad and an "overalls" phase. The
programme starts in April each year and
can take up to a maximum of 16 participants.
EnBW generally provides a wide range of options
for students to gain insights into the
activities of a large energy company: either
as a placement student, in internships lasting
several months or during the course of
their final degree thesis over a period of
three to six months. In 2008, around 850
students took advantage of this opportunity
to spend time at EnBW core companies.
Students who show a high level of commitment
or record above-average achievements
can be accepted into the Energy Career Programme
(ECP). This student advancement
programme offers around 50 undergraduates
the opportunity to take part in events
and seminars and to benefit from internships
in Germany and abroad as well as continuous
mentoring and support for career
starters.
In 2008, we launched the programme
"KompetenzKompass – Finde Deinen Weg"
(competence compass – finding your way).
In this programme, organised in cooperation
with the Centre for Cultural and General
Studies (ZAK) at the University of Karlsruhe
and a further cooperation partner,
EnBW helps to prepare 20 graduates for
their career start. The programme comprises
26 training days focusing on personality
and team development as well as one-onone
coaching. During a paid internship
lasting at least eight weeks as well as trips
to different companies and facilities, the
participants have the opportunity to find
out about our day-to-day business and the
structures at EnBW first-hand. Another programme,
"Network²", was started up in 2007.
Launched in cooperation with ten German
university departments specialising in
high-voltage technology and energy supply,
"Network²" is geared towards two main
goals: cooperation with the world of science
and developing the skills of undergraduates.
This enables EnBW to pique the interest of
up-and-coming specialists in disciplines
that are related to the operations of the
Group and to create a "network for network
topics".
International personnel
development programmes
for young employees
EnBW promotes the attitudes and actions of
its employees on international level. Since
2005, for example, we have been organising
the "We offer a future" (WOAF) personnel development
programme for young employees
together with EDF. The bilingual training
programme comprises training and
foreign internship phases designed to familiarise
young engineers and natural
scientists with German and French nuclear
technology. 21 employees have completed
the two to three-year programme to date,
and the latest programme began in January
2009 with eleven participants.
EnBW and EDF have transferred this successful
co-recruitment model to other areas,
culminating, for example, in the launch of
two joint programmes in 2008: "Top Finance"
offers young economics students
specialising in finance the opportunity to
join EnBW direct from university. And within
the framework of the German-French
"connExion" development programme,
EnBW helps young engineers to acquire specialised
in-depth knowledge in the fields of
conventional energy generation and hydroelectric
power. This programme also promotes
intercultural skills: for example, the
high potentials learn about the differences
between work and communication processes
at EnBW and EDF.
Further training and development
The four departments at EnBW Akademie –
qualification, consulting, management
development and corporate programmes –
support both individual and organisational
development processes. In the year under
review, a total of 11,665 EnBW employees
and management executives took part –
sometimes more than once – in courses
staged by EnBW Akademie as well as in other
in-house further development seminars.
In addition, numerous employees participated
in workshops focusing on organisational
development processes and attended
events within the framework of corporate
programmes as well as seminars held by
external providers.
In 2008, we also introduced the "Knowledge
Relay" process throughout the Group. This
is an instrument to help make the knowledge
and wealth of experience of a person
leaving the company available to their successor
in a systematic way. This is a process
that will become increasingly important
against the backdrop of demographic
change.
Our "Communities of Practice" are Groupwide
networks each focusing on a specific
core topic. Employees with similar duties or
interests meet regularly in these forums in
order to share their expert knowledge. This
helps to mobilise the knowledge potential
within EnBW and ensures that the Group
can exploit this know-how over the long
term.
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