There is a severe shortage of skilled workers on the labor market. To counteract this, LAPP has introduced a development program for the recruitment and training of its own skilled workers at its headquarters in Stuttgart, where the largest sales unit within the group is located and Lapp Holding SE has its registered office. The first two trainees from the Sales & Marketing and Technology & Innovation departments, Marla-Sophie Schmid and Magnus Richter, started in summer 2024 and give us an insight into their personal and professional experiences at LAPP so far, including the wide range of tasks, inspiring experiences abroad, and the different departments they have worked in.
Dear Marla, dear Magnus, thank you for taking the time to talk to us! To start with, can you tell us what motivated you to become a trainee at LAPP?
Marla: The trainee program at LAPP is the perfect opportunity for me to enter the industry after completing my studies and working as a research assistant at the University of Stuttgart. As this is my first job in an industrial company after graduating, it was particularly important to me that I could develop both professionally and personally, take on responsibility early on, and work with different departments. The trainee program here at LAPP offers exactly these opportunities and more. As a globally active family-owned company with a strong corporate culture and a clear focus on the future, LAPP creates the ideal environment for growth and development.
Magnus: After completing my master’s degree and starting my career, I was looking for an opportunity to get to know different areas of a company. LAPP’s specialist trainee program in the technical field at the Board of Technology & Innovation immediately convinced me. The diverse projects of the Innovation & Advanced Technology team and the detailed insights I was given during the application process reinforced my decision. It was also important to me to expand my international experience, which LAPP’s trainee program also enables.
The LAPP trainee program lasts 24 months and includes placements in various relevant departments as well as stays abroad.
After an intensive onboarding and warm-up phase, during which trainees get to know the company, important interfaces, and processes, they are prepared for the project tasks they will carry out in the following months. They are accompanied at all times by their mentor from the management team and receive training in social and methodological skills as well as function-specific training to prepare them as well as possible for their upcoming tasks. In the subsequent implementation phases, projects and the steps required to carry them out are defined.
In addition to projects in the specialist departments at the Stuttgart site, stays abroad with international projects are also an integral part of the trainee program with the aim of identifying current challenges in the respective area and finding solutions together with local contacts.
How did you spend your first six months at LAPP?
Marla: My first six months at LAPP were very exciting and I have already learned a lot. As a trainee in the Board of Sales & Marketing, I have worked in various positions in Market Management, Marketing Communications, Sales Excellence, and Market Intelligence. I also had my first assignment abroad very early on in the trainee program. Soon after settling in Stuttgart, I went to Shanghai, China, where I learned about completely new processes and projects. It was exciting and gave me incredibly valuable insights into LAPP as a global company.
What impressed me about LAPP right from the start, and what I have experienced in all teams, is the open and collegial corporate culture. I was warmly welcomed and immediately had the opportunity to actively contribute to shaping topics. I am very grateful for the many valuable experiences I have already been able to gain in this short time.
Magnus: During my first six months, I also had assignments in various departments, including Product Development Cables and Innovation & Advanced Technology at headquarters, as well as in the innovation department in Singapore and in product development in Korea. My onboarding in the Innovation & Advanced Technology team was excellent and gave me a good introduction to the company. Dr. Susanne Krichel, my functional manager, drew up a very structured schedule for the trainee program right at the start. I was welcomed very openly by all my colleagues and was able to gain valuable insights into the respective projects.
I particularly appreciate the regular mentoring with our Chief Innovation Officer, which gives me the opportunity to develop both professionally and personally.
Tell us more about your stays abroad.
Marla: My three-month stay abroad in Shanghai was an unforgettable experience for me – both professionally and personally. I was able to gain new perspectives and further develop my intercultural skills. The insights into the Chinese market that I gained, particularly in the strategy department while developing the strategy for LAPP China for international and Chinese key accounts, were especially exciting.
Marla: My three-month stay abroad in Shanghai was an unforgettable experience for me – both professionally and personally. I was able to gain new perspectives and further develop my intercultural skills. The insights into the Chinese market that I gained, particularly in the strategy department while developing the strategy for LAPP China for international and Chinese key accounts, were especially exciting.
Outside of work, I will especially remember the special moments with my colleagues – whether at the LAPP Family Day or the Chinese New Year’s Dinner. It was and continues to be particularly valuable to expand my network with colleagues from LAPP China. I am very grateful for this – a big thank you to everyone who made my stay so special!
Magnus: So far, I have gained a total of three months of experience abroad, from the beginning of January to the end of March. I spent the first two months in Singapore. My main contact, Suhyeong Ko, whom I mainly supported during my time there, gave me a comprehensive introduction to the field of robotics. Together, we prepared a workshop in Shanghai, which will take place at the beginning of May. The team in Singapore gave me an incredibly warm welcome and even made me a list of local specialties that I absolutely had to try. Our lunch breaks and team events, such as the department lunch for Chinese New Year and pedal boating in Marina Bay, were particular highlights. My colleagues also invited me to karaoke in my free time, which I really enjoyed. I was also impressed by Singapore as a city. It has a lot to offer and you can easily reach nearby vacation spots in Southeast Asia on the weekends.
Hubertus Breier
Board Innovation & Technology
“A trainee program in the field of innovation and technology is challenging – but offers enormous opportunities to shape the technological world of tomorrow with solutions from LAPP.”
After that, I spent a month in Korea, about 1.5 hours south of Seoul, in Kwangkook Kim’s product development team. Everyone on the team introduced me to their projects and identified possible interfaces with departments I had been or would be working in. I was particularly impressed by the intensive introduction to all steps of the production process, especially electron beam cross-linking. This is a major difference from the plants in Germany and France and is used in solar cables. I was also warmly welcomed in Korea and invited to a welcome and farewell dinner. On the weekends, I had the opportunity to explore the surrounding area and the capital city of Seoul, which was very exciting in addition to my professional tasks.
In summary, I can say that my assignments abroad have not only allowed me to gain valuable cultural experience, but also to establish several networks between employees from different regions.
What have been your personal highlights so far?
Magnus: My personal highlights definitely include my stays abroad, but also working on the stand at the SPS trade fair and the Hannover Messe, and the production tour at our French plant in Forbach. I also think it’s great that the trainee program allows me to delve deeply into technical topics. This includes working with simulation programs and taking measurements in the laboratory.
Marla: Every stage of the trainee program had its own highlights, so it’s difficult to pick out individual moments. However, my time abroad in China was definitely one of the most formative experiences – both professionally and personally. But the exciting projects at the other stations, the close teamwork, and the inspiring exchanges in the mentoring sessions have also given me valuable experience. Overall, I am enthusiastic about the diversity of the program and the opportunity to actively participate in important topics.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Magnus: I am particularly looking forward to working on the stand at further trade fairs and getting to know the departments at my next stations, especially the Business Process Management department. I am also excited about the other projects I will be working on. And I am looking forward to the extracurricular activities in Stuttgart, such as the LAPP after-work cycling, where I go on bike rides with my colleagues.
Marla: I am very much looking forward to continuing my current and future projects, deepening my knowledge, and gaining even more insight into different areas of the LAPP world. I see this as an opportunity not only to grow personally, but also to make a lasting contribution to the company’s success. I am also looking forward to making new contacts, expanding my network, and deepening the exchange with my colleagues. I am excited to see where the journey with LAPP will take me!
We look forward to experiencing it together with you! Have fun and continued success!
Interested in a trainee position at LAPP?
The programme will continue this year with new calls for applications, for example in the area of finance & controlling.
Jan Ciliax
Board Finance & Controlling
“A trainee position in Finance & Controlling offers ambitious, analytically strong talents comprehensive insight into all facets of financial management at LAPP. In an international, dynamic environment, you will continuously develop your professional and personal skills. We expect a lot – and in return offer a varied, challenging program with excellent development prospects.”
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