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Getting involved rather than just being present: BPW apprentices discussed the situation of the local playgrounds in the council hall at the Wiehl town hall.
Getting involved rather than just being present: BPW apprentices discussed the situation of the local playgrounds in the council hall at the Wiehl town hall.

Press release -

VerkehrsRundschau award for BPW’s Political Education training programme

  • Trade journal honours BPW in the ‘Apprenticeships and Further Training’ category
  • BPW offers its junior staff much additional knowledge and expertise
  • Apprentices learn the basics of democracy and experience politics at first hand

Wiehl, 7 February 2020 --- At BPW, apprentices learn far more than just a profession – for example, they also organise political discussion groups and hold their own meetings in Wiehl’s town hall. This is all thanks to the company’s own Political Education programme, through which the company gives these young people a basic understanding of democracy, explains politics to them and even allows them to experience it directly. In honour of this extraordinary commitment, BPW has now been awarded the VerkehrsRundschau award in the ‘Apprenticeships and Further Training’ category.

Michael Pfeiffer, personally liable managing partner of BPW, accepted the award: ‘I am delighted that our political programme has been recognised, since I am convinced that peace and economic prosperity are based on the pillars of democracy. It is therefore more important than ever to offer young people the opportunity to engage with democratic values and behaviours in a very practical way. For us, it is an integral part of our efforts to provide a wide range of apprenticeships and further training for young people, whom we support by offering many extracurricular activities as they embark on their careers.’

Training at BPW is designed to promote holistic learning: apprentices can gain their own experience, try things out for themselves and work in a team with other apprentices. The Wiehl training centre with its well-equipped workshops ensures they have access to the best possible conditions for this. They also receive a great deal of personal support. In addition to political education, there is a wide range of offers, including their own sports programme called ‘Azu-be-fit’, tips on healthy eating, finance seminars and courses on etiquette. Moreover, they have an opportunity to live and work abroad for a period during their training. BPW offers apprenticeships for over 20 different professions and gives around 30 young people the chance to launch their careers every year. 

The Political Education programme has been offered for around four years; so far, a total of 135 apprentices have taken part in 11 modules. The content is refreshed and adapted to current topics in the media every year. For example, apprentices have already looked at issues surrounding retirement, illegal car racing and the legalisation of cannabis. Time and again, the focus has also shifted to be more regional: ‘Being young in Wiehl – your, my, our perspective’ was the title of an evening event for which a political debate was organised in the style of the ARD’s political talk show Hart aber fair. At the event, BPW apprentices were able to discuss issues with the mayor of Wiehl, among others. Another project was designing a concept for a new childcare centre in Wiehl. Participants presented their ‘creative and visionary proposal for a childcare centre of the future’ to the city’s youth welfare committee. Marvin Henze, a technical product design apprentice at BPW, took part in the programme: ‘It was very exciting to experience how politics works so directly – I really learned a lot, and I now see the world through different eyes to a certain extent since I am now aware of connections that I was simply not aware of before. Politics has an effect on so many issues in day-to-day life – it’s important to get involved.’ 

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About BPW Bergische Achsen Kommanditgesellschaft
BPW Bergische Achsen Kommanditgesellschaft is the parent company of the BPW Group. With over 1,600 employees, including around 120 trainees, the family-owned company has been developing and producing complete running gear systems for truck trailers and semi-trailers at its headquarters in Wiehl since 1898. BPW’s technologies include axle systems, brake technology, suspension and bearings. BPW’s trailer axles and running gear systems are in use in millions of vehicles around the world. An extensive range of services also offers vehicle manufacturers and operators the ability to increase the efficiency of their production and transport processes. www.bpw.de/en

About the BPW Group
The BPW Group researches, develops and manufactures everything needed to ensure that transport keeps moving and is safe, illuminated, intelligent and digitally connected. With its brands BPW, Ermax, HBN, HESTAL and idem telematics, the company group is a preferred system partner of the commercial vehicle industry around the globe for running gear, brakes, lighting, fasteners and superstructure technology, telematics and other key components for trucks, trailers and buses. The BPW Group offers comprehensive mobility services for transport businesses, ranging from a global service network to spare parts supply and intelligent networking of vehicles, drivers and freight. The owner-operated company group currently employs 7,200 staff in more than 50 countries and achieved consolidated sales of 1.48 billion euros in 2017. www.bpw.de/en

Contacts

Nadine Simon

Nadine Simon

Press contact Press Officer/Public Relations focus on: special axles; agricultural running gears; telematics; human ressources/training +49 (0) 2262 78-1909 Nadine Simon on LinkedIn
Robin Becker

Robin Becker

Press contact Press Officer/Public Relations focus on: 9t running gears; trailer components; e-solutions; digital solutions +49 (0) 2262 78-1905 Robin Becker on LinkedIn

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About BPW Bergische Achsen Kommanditgesellschaft
BPW Bergische Achsen KG is the parent company of the BPW Group. With around 1,500 employees, including around 100 trainees, the family-run company has been developing and producing complete running gear systems for truck trailers and semi-trailers at its headquarters in Wiehl since 1898. BPW’s technologies include axle systems, brake technology, suspension and bearings. BPW’s trailer axles and running gear systems are in use in millions of vehicles around the world. An extensive range of services also provides vehicle manufacturers and vehicle operators with the opportunity to increase economic efficiency in their production and transport processes. www.bpw.de/en

About the BPW Group
The BPW Group researches, develops and manufactures everything needed to ensure that transport keeps moving and is safe, illuminated, intelligent and digitally connected. With its brands BPW, Ermax, HBN, HESTAL and idem telematics, the company group is a preferred system partner of the commercial vehicle industry around the globe for running gear, brakes, lighting, fasteners and superstructure technology, telematics and other key components for trucks, trailers and buses. The BPW Group offers comprehensive mobility services for transport businesses, ranging from a global service network to spare parts supply and intelligent networking of vehicles, drivers and freight. The owner-operated company group currently employs around 6,830 staff in 27 countries and achieved consolidated sales of 1.745 billion euros in 2023. www.bpw.de/en

BPW Bergische Achsen KG