TRAINING TAILORED
FOR OPERATORS WIRTGEN’S SPECIALISED TRAINING PACKAGE FOR THE OPERATORS PROVIDES CUSTOMISED TRAINING ON ALL ASPECTS OF OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE FOR EXISTING AND NEW WIRTGEN CUSTOMERS.
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n the famous quote from international sales expert Trish Bertuzz, the CFO asks the CEO, “What happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave us?” to which the CEO responds, “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?” Within the road paving industry, where careful and considered selection and purchase of equipment sometimes marks the difference between winning or losing a contract, much attention is diverted towards acquiring the latest equipment. And while that’s an important part of the process, it could steal some of the attention away from ensuring the people that operate the equipment are suitably skilled and trained. But, as Stuart Torpy, Managing Director at Wirtgen, points out, undue attention given to training and upskilling the operators can cost civil and construction companies as they suffer the consequences of poor-quality jobs. “There is no doubt that training comes with a price tag, and hence finding cost effective ways to raise the skill levels of those trained is of utmost importance. Of course, the cost of re-work or injury arising from preventable but flawed work practices or actions may be less obvious but would easily outweigh the direct, indirect, and reputational costs of onthe-job issues,” he says. Recognising the challenges and drivers facing businesses when it comes to training of field crews, Wirtgen has developed an extended training offering to users of its products. “Customers who purchase any new Wirtgen Group equipment, whether that be Wirtgen stabilisers and cold milling machines, Vögele pavers and transfer vehicles, Hamm rollers and compactors, Kleemann crushers and screens or Ciber and Benninghoven asphalt plants, automatically qualify for a tailored training package beyond the initial
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ROADS OCTOBER 2021
The Wirtgen training program is ideal for anyone that directly works with Wirtgen Group machinery.
commissioning,” says Torpy. “Moreover, existing Wirtgen Group equipment owners can also request customised training to keep their staff up to date with the latest features and upgrades. Whilst the majority of our training courses are tailored around Wirtgen Group machinery, we do offer application related programs that can benefit the individual in increasing their knowledge and/or employability throughout the roads and minerals sector,” he adds. A 100 PER CENT TAILORED TRAINING Wirtgen offers both general and detailed content-specific training for the activities undertaken by the crews operating Wirtgen Group equipment using combinations of inclassroom, hands-on practices, and on-thejob learning modes. Chris Adams, Wirtgen Australia’s Service Manager for Australia and New Zealand, says
the Wirtgen training program has become more and more customised over time. As such, the courses can be tailored to each business based on their machine models, operator experience levels and whether training is required for the operational or the maintenance staff. “We have found that the majority of our customers prefer a customised training program. That’s because their crew have different experience levels and also, as is the case with some companies, they require their operators to have some level of maintenance and repair knowledge. So, while we still have a general training package, this is often combined with different contentspecific training to deliver the most optimum package for each customer,” he explains. Traditionally, Wirtgen product managers and technicians have provided training either on the business’ site, a Wirtgen facility throughout Australia and New Zealand or at
