Diversity strengthens our company

At DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung we are a mirror of our society. We have people from more than 50 different cultures working hand in hand under one roof. This diversity is set to increase, due to social and economic trends. Demographic change, competition for talent, diversification of lifestyles and forms of work in particular are developments that promote diversity and enrich our company. 

We are confident that the diversity in thinking and in the background experiences of our employees is a crucial advantage for us. Diversity makes it possible to tap into all the potential on the labour market to address the shortage of skilled workers. 

The Deutsche Bahn Trainees against Hatred and Violence initiative was launched jointly by the DB Group and the German Railway and Transport Union (EVG) in 2000. Committed teams of trainees from our maintenance depots have been involved in it since the very beginning. Every autumn, first-year DB trainees are called upon to take part in the competition in the categories of cultural diversity, collegial teamwork and community involvement. With a great deal of commitment, creativity and a clear stance in favour of tolerance, non-discrimination, social diversity and democracy, our trainees have already carried out many remarkable projects. Our trainees have assisted in particular with supporting and integrating refugees, addressing poverty in Germany and countering bullying and marginalisation, taking part in many projects in these areas. 

At our company, we work together across generations, thus combining tradition with innovation. This preserves technical knowledge across generations and expands it with new ideas, approaches, and skills. We create synergies through systematic generation management that sets up the framework needed to integrate and appreciate all employees and win their loyalty. Generation management means recognising and valuing the fact that employees have different needs and values depending on their age and length of service, and that those needs and values impact their actions operationally, individually and in teams. 

Promoting young talent is a high priority at our company. At DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung, we offer a wide range of opportunities to promote young talent, such as vocational training programmes, internships, cooperative education programmes and graduate trainee programmes. We also have various partnerships with schools and universities. In line with the motto "knowledge grows when you share it", we have also piloted a project that gives trainees and cooperative education students the opportunity to engage with experts from another generation. In the program, the junior employees approach a contact person of their choice, independently ensuring intergenerational networking. 

For us, increasing the percentage of female employees is very important, especially in production. This applies both to junior staff and to our female employees in academic and technical professions. On Girls'Day, a career guidance project effective throughout Germany, many of our maintenance depots open their doors to female schoolchildren to teach them about our vocational training programmes. At the event Girls Go Technik!, female school students can experience industrial and technical vocational training programmes "live". As part of efforts to promote women across the Group, DB networks such as the DB Women's Network facilitate inter-company dialogue. DB Training also offers seminars tailored to women, as well as coaching and mentoring programmes. 

As DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung, we have jobs for employees with disabilities in our integration workshops (IWS). Whether it is the reconditioning and new production of railway-specific components and parts, services in the area of metal construction and screen printing, the testing and repair of fire extinguishers or the individual production of gift articles and stamps: the employees of the IWS make their independent contribution and add value to the value creation of our company. The various services are in demand from both our internal and numerous external customers. Among them are many who have relied on the competence, reliability and quality of IWS services for years.