Cooperation between Klett EDU and the Galeb Group was initiated in 2019, with professional training in multidisciplinary mechatronics. It was concluded during the course of this cooperation that the situation is very poor in Serbia when it comes to welders and that there are very few of them. Today, two years on, that situation is improving
We together concluded that, with the knowhow of the staff of Klett EDU and Galeb’s decades of practical experience in welding and high-quality instructors, we could do something that has never previously been seen in this area. And it was a complete success, stress Olivera Gvozdenov and Radoslav Veselinović in this interview for CorD Magazine.
The Klett EDU training programme for welding is the only programme of its kind in this region. How did everything begin?
OG: One of the basic principles of our operations is based on getting acquainted with and developing an understanding of the business of our clients. Cooperation with the Galeb Group is always inspiring and creates new opportunities, thanks among other things to the knowhow, wealth of experience and incredible energy of Mr Veselinović, which motivate you to constantly look ahead and open new chapters. One of the topics we opened was the welding programme, which was set up from the outset through partnership relations.
Galeb’s many decades of experience in the field of welding and our mutual readiness to engage people with top practical and educational experience resulted in the new REL and MIG/MAG welding programme. The programme is conceived in such a way that it enables participants to acquire comprehensive knowhow and skills, thanks to the expertise and dedication of the entire team.
The REL and MIG/MAG welding programme encompasses a theoretical part of the training, lasting 80 hours, and a practical part of 200 hours
The REL, MIG/MAG welding programme represents an opportunity, at the training centre in Ub, to combine theoretical and practical work with the use of state-of-theart equipment and professional guidance through the learning process. Serving as a starting point for development was the way welding is taught in Germany and the Netherlands, through an applicable and active process, and we were helped significantly in this thanks to the experience of our company, which has its head office in Stuttgart and is a leader in education across Europe. The programme encompasses a theoretical part of the training, lasting 80 hours, and a practical part of 200 hours. Our lecturers and instructors are experts and are highly motivated, because they have the opportunity to work with students who want to gain new knowledge in the highest quality and most applicable way.
How is the programme conceived? Are theoretical and practical training organised at the Galeb Klett EDU Training Centre for Welding in Ub? Is the programme accredited?
OG: The welding programme, which was devised by the expert team of both companies, focuses on the applicability of knowhow and skills. After completing the 280-hour “Galeb-Klett EDU” welding programme, trainees fully master the REL and MIG/MAG welding procedures and are ready to engage in the work of companies immediately. It is precisely this fact that distinguishes us and sets us apart on the market. The training centre in Ub, with 16 units for each individual trainee, is a genuine example of what an ideal training space in the area of welding should look like. The protection of trainees is always a priority, which is why we use equipment from renowned brands like Lorch, Stayer, Plymovent and Esab.
A comparative advantage of the “Galeb-Klett EDU” welding programme is in the period of six hours that each trainee spends practising procedures on a daily basis. Welders trained in such a way won’t only be ready to work, but will also represent a valuable asset for the employer who has invested in their practical education. The Klett EDU welding programme is accredited by the Accreditation Agency, because it is important for both trainees and companies to receive a certificate upon the completion of training.
Who are your trainees and who are your clients? Are they domestic or foreign companies?
OG: The “Galeb-Klett EDU” welding programme aims to educate trainees and create value in Serbia. The very fact that the welding profession has a shortfall of personnel – not only in our country, but also across Europe – testifies to how much companies in Serbia are confronted by insufficiently trained and available staff. Our clients are both domestic and foreign companies whose current and future workers are trained by us to become welders, while they also apply for other “Klett EDU” professional training programmes. We adjust models of cooperation with companies depending on whether trainees are already employed by them or not. At this moment, trust has been placed in us by the companies Wacker Neuson, Via Ocel and WKG, but we are certain that there will be ever more of them in the future, so we will use this opportunity to invite all interested parties to contact us.
How did you bring the decision to open the training centre for welding in Ub together with the Klett EDU school? How was it conceived?
RV: The cooperation with the Klett EDU school began in 2019, when we sent fifteen employees to complete a high-quality programme for mechatronics, and everything subsequently had its own flown. We recognised the possibilities and potential to deepen our cooperation and here are the results…
The demo centre is not only equipped with the most modern teaching resources for theoretical training, but also with the most modern welding equipment for the practical part of schooling. The entire school is equipped with Lorch devices and a welding robot, and trainees use protective equipment of the highest level during their schooling.
The training centre in Ub, with 16 units for each individual trainee, is a genuine example of how an ideal space for training welders should look
Do the staff you train for the occupation that is in the shortest supply in Europe satisfy the EU’s strict standards?
RV: When you combine the knowhow and experience of the partners in this programme, you get staff who are trained excellently according to the latest standards. Galeb, as a company that has existed for half a century, always strives for the highest standards, so the Welding School is also conceived in such a way that it satisfies the EU’s criteria, which are very strict. Galeb’s welders have been working for the European market for almost two decades. That is why I note that it is always important to strive for the highest and that is the only way we can achieve success. I also told that to the school’s trainees.
Together with our partners, we have provided all the conditions for them to acquire the kind of knowhow that few others in Serbia would provide them with. And everything else is up to them. They have taken this message seriously for now, and are working hard to improve themselves.
Are your participants fully trained for different types of welding upon the conclusion of the programme?
RV: Welders will have detailed knowhow of welding processes, safety procedures, materials and, most importantly, welding skills. The programme encompasses training for REL, MIG and MAG types of welding. Thanks to the practical part of the programme, they are trained for production. They take a test with us at the end of their schooling, after which they are ready to start working. From the first generation, which served as a kind of test of the school itself, all those who completed the course successfully gained employment at Galeb. I expect from other employers to do the same when personnel educated at the Klett EDU and Galeb welding school appear. More and more companies from Serbia are working for foreign markets and these need high-quality welding staff. This is also proved to us by great interest that exists in this school.