Qualifications securing the future of Salzgitter Flachstahl: The PEQO program

At the core of the program are annual qualifications talks with all members of staff employed on standard wages revolving around their qualification requirements, vocational aims, wishes and perspectives. Concrete training measures are then developed on the foundation of these talks.

The PEQO program that is jointly supported by the human resources and executive development departments as well as the works council of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH was launched in June 2005 at the Salzgitter steel works. In an initial step, information events were held for all eligible employees. In the second implementation phase, superiors, mostly shift supervisors, technicians and plant managers heading shifts were prepared by way of training interviews for their subsequent roles in their PEQO talks with employees, and were also familiarized with the PEQO process in greater detail.

Following the evaluation of a pilot phase that comprised some 900 employees, PEQO will be rolled out for all 4,800 employees at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH in the course of the year. At present, the program is being introduced or is already underway in Salzgitter in the following areas: steel works, energy operations, blast furnace area (sintering plant, coking plant), hot-rolled wide strip plant (rolling and finishing areas, roll grinding shop) and surface finishing operations. The program is now already actively involving more than 1,800 employees.

The consistent and active vocational promotion of all members of staff over the upcoming years has been successfully launched thanks to the ongoing PEQG activities. By ensuring the systematic and equally intensive advancement of the high qualification standards of our employees we are making decisive contributions to effectively guaranteeing the excellent quality of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH in all areas.