At the start of the new training year, three young men began their three-year qualification as service clerks in air transport at Dortmund Airport.
Nikita Plechov, Jona Schulz, and Leon Seidinger were welcomed by airport managing director Ludger van Bebber, the responsible training coordinators, and the works council at the site. Two of the new trainees already have practical experience at Dortmund Airport through previous work in ramp handling and passenger processing.
The three-year apprenticeship covers both operational and commercial aspects of airport operations. Trainees rotate through departments such as check-in, boarding, aircraft handling, apron control, passenger information, and the lost and found. The curriculum also includes business administration subjects, which are further enhanced by insights into the group accounting of the parent company, DSW21. According to the airport operator, it has trained more than 80 apprentices since 2003.
The promotion of young talent takes place against the backdrop of a continuing need for qualified specialists in ground handling and passenger services. Over 400 employees work directly at Dortmund Airport, while the entire site encompasses around 1400 jobs. Ongoing in-house training helps the company counteract the industry-wide risk of staff turnover and personnel shortages, which can lead to operational bottlenecks at many regional transport hubs during peak times.
Despite ongoing training efforts, the regional airport, like many comparable locations, faces the challenge of retaining its newly trained specialists long-term after they complete their qualifications. The attractiveness of jobs in the aviation industry is often impacted by shift work, high workloads during peak summer periods, and competition from other logistics and service companies in the Ruhr metropolitan region.