Home › About us › Gerhard Winklhofer Educational Institution “Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk” Educational Industitution founded by Gerhard Winklhofer iwis recognised at an early stage the increasingly important role of educational training institutions in securing the long-term future of Germany as a location for innovation. With this in mind, the Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk e.V. (GWB) was founded in 2004 in order to pursue this important goal in cooperation with other companies in the metalworking industry. iwis can draw on almost one hundred years of experience and expertise as a supplier to the automotive, mechanical engineering and plant construction industries, and is therefore aware of the great significance of education, training and innovative technology. The GWB offers various levels of basic, advanced and supplementary vocational and professional training, thus uniting all training and education activities at iwis. Our conviction The Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk was founded because we are convinced that training, research and innovation are essential to the future-oriented development of our society. The initiators of the GWB recognise that all state activities in this field must be supported by private projects and institutions. Our goals The Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk now unites all training and education activities at iwis. In addition, the Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk also provides education and training services to our network of suppliers and customers, competitors in Germany, and the general public in our region. The GWB ensures that know-how in the industry is constantly updated and implemented, thereby assuming responsibility for the next generation of our supplier industry’s employees with the following aims: Ensuring a high standard of professional and vocational qualification for the next generation of employees in the industry Support for the philosophy of life-long learning Strengthening the status of the family as an institution using various approaches designed to facilitate the integration of family and career Our message The promotion of vocational and professional training has been a core aspect of economic policy for decades. Training is the key to scientific progress, technological innovation and economic growth – and therefore a vital factor in securing the long-term competitiveness of a modern industrial company. Highly skilled, qualified employees and managers shape a country’s economic prosperity and constantly create innovative products and solutions. The lack of skilled labour and declining interest in careers in engineering – together with demographic change – have challenged the industry sector to assume a more pro-active role. Globalisation has created economic momentum which, in turn, has put the domestic economy under extreme pressure to innovate. In an international comparison, there are large variations in the strength of training and education as a strategic economic factor. If Germany does not react appropriately to this development, its international status will gradually decline. Despite broad political consensus on the direct correlation between education, economic strength and social prosperity, not all potential capacities for the promotion of the necessary appropriate education in the short and medium term are being fully exploited. Education, technological and application-oriented knowledge are in global demand and have always guaranteed us a lively export trade and an abundance of well-paid jobs. The problem is obviously not identifying what needs to be done, but rather putting it into practice. Policymakers and state institutions will not be able to find a satisfactory solution on their own, so private education institutions must step in with a firm commitment to vigorous, unbureaucratic measures to safeguard intensive, modern, practice-oriented education and training. In other words: innovative entrepreneurship. Constant exchange In accordance with its set goals, the Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk e.V. guarantees a constant exchange of valuable technical and commercial information within the industry. This knowledge transfer takes place via various offers within the service levels below: Bridge between school and carreer Helping pupils to make an informed career choice by advising them about the requirements of potential careers and vocational/professional training Allowing teachers to gain an insight into the industry and current skills and qualification requirements University Internship programme “Antrieb” (“Drive”): students from various faculties complete an internship as part of a structured programme under the active supervision of iwis staff. Allocation of final papers: students can write their final papers (bachelor/master’s thesis, diploma thesis) with reference to iwis-specific departments and product fields. GWB Award: the GWB Award is a prize for outstanding theses distinguished by their exceptional knowledge transfer and applicability for iwis. University GWB Grant: under certain conditions, students may receive financial support in form of a grant from the GWB talent programme fund for the promotion of qualified trainees and junior managers. University cooperation agreements: the GWB arranges innovative projects in cooperation with universities to allow direct contact between science and industry. Ideas factory With its GWB Ideas Factory, the Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk e.V. provides a platform for knowledge transfer and communication between experts. It stages workshops, presentations and round-table events for scientists, politicians and practitioners from all areas of public life to discuss current issues. Social change: globalisation, patchworking Family and career: development of integration models Work-life balance: maintaining high performance Learning in the workplace: supporting learning processes Training and counselling Since 2004 The Gerhard Winklhofer Bildungswerk e.V. has successfully staged a large number of open training courses, seminars and workshops under the umbrella of iwis Training & Counselling. This department of the GWB focuses on providing vocational and personal qualifications for skilled workers and managers. We guarantee the achievement of these goals by adhering to the following principles: Professional trainers Focus on practical benefits Knowledge transfer to outside the company Lecture Series The GWB’s lectures are given by selected presenters who put their message across with conviction, enthusiasm and authenticity. We guarantee that our lectures will achieve at least three things: Participants will be inspired. Participants will be motivated. Participants will reflect and consider. Contact Find out more and get in touch with us. Claudia Hahn, human resources development Phone. +49 89 76909-1419 claudia.hahn@iwis.com MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GWB SERVICE & CONTACT Downloads Calculation program Contact Products & services Supplier portal CAREERS Careers Our vacancies Getting started at iwis Our benefits iwis as an employer ABOUT US About us News & Events History Compliance iwis worldwide DATA PROTECTION IMPRINT TERMS OF USE IWIS-WORKPLACE © 2021 iwis