Taking the dual route to a Bachelor's and Master's degree
As early as 2013, one year before graduating from high school, Jan made the decision to study business informatics with business engineering at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University. It was only the partner company that was still up in the air for him. After some research and a convincing job interview, he finally decided on ebm‑papst St. Georgen - and to this day has no regrets about his choice. “I felt welcome from the very first day of my pre-study internship,” Jan looks back happily. This sense of community was reinforced during the trainee excursion to Nussbach on Lake Constance and in every practical phase during his studies.
As well as the IT department, he got to know other specialist areas and employees in practice at ebm‑papst and experienced how the IT processes in his department were implemented and lived. All of this was very structured, which Jan liked just as much as the varied tasks. So for him, there was no question of joining ebm‑papst full-time after successfully completing his Bachelor's degree.
For six years, he enjoyed the benefits of a 35-hour week and the IG Metall collective agreement. He then decided to further expand his knowledge of programming and other IT topics, such as artificial intelligence (AI), through a correspondence course on an extra-occupational Master's degree in computer science. An ambitious plan that received the full support of his employer.
„I work part-time at ebm‑papst for 20 hours in the mornings and can then concentrate on the online courses at the International University (IU) or prepare for exams.“
Jan, SAP Module Support Product Lifecycle Management
Jan will be in his third semester from October 2024. Starting in the fourth, he wants to increase his hours to 35 again. “My Master's thesis is due then, and I will be working on a current topic from the IT department,” explains Jan. If he finishes with a good grade, ebm‑papst has promised to pay up to 30 percent of his tuition fees - and is also looking forward to winning Jan back as a full team member with a lot of new expertise in the field of IT.
A successful lateral entry
At the end of her school days, Ines did not have computer science in mind. What she did have in mind, however, was ebm‑papst as an attractive employer due to some relatives in the team. After a successful application, she completed her training as an office communications clerk in Mulfingen while also taking a technical college entrance qualification to keep her options open. She then joined the IT department as a secretary. “That was good, and I had a lot of fun. Nevertheless, I quickly asked myself whether I wanted to stay in this job forever,” says Ines looking back.
She worked in an assistant position for four years, gaining an insight into the various tasks of IT specialists and increasingly developing a liking for the subject. Finally, she decided to take the plunge and study Business Informatics at the Wilhelm Büchner University of Applied Sciences. “Although my boss was sad to lose me as an assistant, he gave me his full support.” Together with the HR team, the next steps were arranged quickly and easily.
„I was allowed to choose whether I wanted more time for my studies or financial support.“
Ines, SAP MM/WM Module Support, Procurement & Supply Chain Services
Ines decided on having her tuition fees covered and continued to work full-time during the semesters. Although this meant that she ended up exceeding the standard period of study, she was able to switch to SAP module support before graduating. It was a smooth transition, as the department remained the same. This meant that she was still available to her successor for questions and was able to gradually take on more and more IT tasks, through learning by doing.
In the meantime, she has had her Bachelor of Science in her pocket since 2018, has become a mother and returned to her department after parental leave in mid-May 2024. There in line with her wishes, she works four hours in the morning from Wednesday to Friday including one day in the office. She greatly appreciates this flexibility on the part of ebm‑papst and the great team spirit - and would do things the same way again at any time.
Part-time father
Tobias completed his cooperative study program in electrical engineering with a specialization in automation in 2012 as a Bachelor of Engineering. He then gained his first experience as a software engineer at a testing technology company before he joined ebm‑papst as a software developer in 2015.
When he and his wife Lena announced that they were expecting a child in 2022, they promised themselves that they would organize their family and professional life according to their wishes and strengths. First and foremost, this meant that Lena wanted to return to full-time work as a Business Development Manager at ebm‑papst as soon as possible and Tobias wanted to switch to part-time work in the long term.
“After Henrik was born, Lena and I stayed at home together for a month. She then took another 5 months of parental leave and I took 10 months. We had an overlap of one month so that the change wasn't too abrupt for Henrik,” explains Tobias.
In the meantime, Lena has moved up the ladder. She usually takes her son to nursery before work. Tobias works four and a half hours a day and picks Henrik up at lunchtime after lunch.
„For ebm‑papst, our model is not a problem at all. In our environment, Lena's decision was often received rather cautiously at first.“
Tobias, Software developer, Measurement Engineering Services
Both Tobias and Lena are very happy with their arrangement. Lena is pleased that she can well balance family and career. Tobias appreciates that he has not been sidelined professionally, but that his tasks have only changed slightly: “I no longer work in quite the same depth as before, but have specialized in fewer topics.” Giving up some work and finishing on time was not easy for him at first. But the support of his colleagues has helped.
Tobias really enjoys working in a team - especially together with his colleagues in the local office. He only works from home when his wife has an out-of-town appointment, and he takes Henrik to nursery. He also greatly appreciates this flexibility and considers it a valuable, unique attribute for employers of this size.