At WOGE Saar’s initiative, VdW Saar (the Saarland Housing and Real Estate Industry Association) organised their first ever trainee camp at Saarbrücken Airport on 15 October. This focused on promoting young talent, the future of the housing industry, and the question of how to combine climate protection, affordable housing and economic efficiency.
Affordable living space, energy modernisation and rising construction costs are an everyday part of our industry. To continue tackling these issues successfully in the future, we will need well-trained specialists who can develop new ideas and step up to take responsibility.
Given this, WOGE Saar came up with the idea of taking trainees from various different Saarland housing companies and bringing them together for a trainee camp. VdW Saar picked up the initiative and organised the event. The aim was to provide young people with new prospects beyond their day-to-day training, promote discussion and interaction between member companies, and increase awareness at an early stage of the future challenges that the industry faces.
The technical programme was put together by Julia Kremer of VdW Südwest and Rosalie Shrestha, sustainability officer at Immobiliengruppe Saarbrücken. WOGE CEO Mirco Bertucci welcomed the trainees as the host and oversaw the event.
‘Good training is the foundation of our housing industry’s future. This means that as well as providing young people with specialist knowledge, we also need to offer them opportunities to contribute their own ideas and take responsibility. That is exactly what we were hoping to achieve with the first trainee camp. I was particularly delighted to see how actively the trainees got involved’, Bertucci noted.
Varied learning through real projects
The technical programme focused on the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, social issues and economics. This made it clear that a sustainable housing sector is not just about climate protection – the affordability of living space and the economic viability of investments must also be considered.
After specialist presentations by the speakers, the trainees broke off into groups to work on real projects from WOGE Saar and the SIB. They analysed specific challenges, discussed different possible solutions, and evaluated them from an environmental, social and economic perspective.
The areas examined included modernisation, repurposing existing buildings, energy supply, and the long-term affordability of living space. The groups then presented their results and shared their thoughts.
Working on real projects highlighted how important it is to take different interests into account and examine decisions from multiple perspectives. Trainees were also able to apply their specialist knowledge, develop their own ideas and present their arguments.
As well as the technical programme, there was also plenty of time for personal interactions. During the lunch break, trainees had an opportunity to explore Saarbrücken Airport on a group tour.
Empowering the specialists of the future
Training young people is hugely important to WOGE Saar. Given the increasing demand for specialists, it is important to attract qualified young talent, offer them targeted support and encourage a long-term interest in the housing industry.
As a result, good training offers much more than specialist expertise. Independent thought, team skills and a sense of responsibility are vital, as is the ability to identify complex relationships. The trainee camp offered participants an opportunity to further develop these skills whilst also comparing notes with trainees from other member companies.
The successful first camp demonstrated how much potential is available in our sector’s young talent. The trainees addressed the challenges facing the housing industry with huge commitment, new ideas and a variety of perspectives. The event also showcased the incredible value of mutual exchange and promoting young talent within VdW Saar and its member companies.
Particular thanks are due to the two speakers Julia Kremer and Rosalie Shrestha, as well as to everyone who helped to make this event a success.
