Story 17: A new approach to securing skilled labour
Qualified employees are indispensable for any business. But what happens when a company is continuously growing and needs more specially trained staff than are available? The answer’s clearly to train them yourself – like we do at asphericon. Read on to find out how this is done, and the requirements applicants need to meet in order to work for an optics manufacturer.
Precision optics: A traditional occupation with great prospects
The asphericon team currently consists of 170 employees, the majority of them working in a manufacturing environment. What qualifies someone to work in optics production? That’s right – traditional training in precision optics.
In Germany, precision optics is a recognized training occupation in industrial craftsmanship. Training takes 3½ years. Trainees learn how to manufacture components and handle glass and other materials for optical devices in individual or batch production as well as how to assemble them into larger components.
That might sound rather dry and monotonous, but fortunately it isn’t. What this brief description of the profession fails to mention is the many different areas in which qualified precision opticians can work. Making an optic involves several different steps such as:
- Cementing doublets
- Producing high-quality surfaces (grinding and polishing)
- Measuring
- Coating
- Refining
- Cleaning
- Inspecting
- Packing
What all these activities have in common is that they require a delicate touch, patience and care. When has the cement reached the right temperature? When is a lens mounted at the right angle? When has the right amount of material been ground away? What sort of measuring gauge should be used – and how? What coating materials are used? How should a lens be cleaned and packaged so that it reaches the customer safely and in working order? These are the sorts of challenges facing precision opticians at work every day.
How can a blank be turned into a precision optic? The various steps for this are learned during training as a precision optician.
At asphericon, although we look for staff for certain areas and departments, it’s not uncommon for employees to move to a different department later on depending on their suitability and internal requirements. After all, they’re fully qualified thanks to their precision optics training. Trainees start working on materials and learning about the processes of grinding and polishing early on. asphericon’s own training workshop provides practical support to trainees to supplement the theory they learn. Mind you, it doesn’t only benefit the junior staff …
Further training and applicants seeking a change of career
All theoretical content can be directly applied and practiced in asphericon's training workshop.
In recent years, asphericon has specialized in recruiting employees who haven’t trained as precision opticians. The company’s own software for monitoring all production processes makes it much easier to train people from a different background. The main thing is for applicants to have a keen interest in technical matters coupled with the necessary diligence, patience and willingness to get to grips with a new professional environment.
To enable initial training to proceed smoothly, new colleagues are supervised by a team of experts in the in-house training workshop. They undergo theoretical and practical training, during which all operations are discussed and carried out jointly. In the next phase, induction takes place in the department they’ve been assigned to. They learn the specific tasks they’ll need to carry out on a daily basis. asphericon’s employees can also learn about other areas by taking additional further training.
Ultimately, this is a win-win situation for both sides. Job seekers can start a new career with good prospects, and it’s also a great way for asphericon to secure the skilled labour force it needs.