Personnel Development

HHLA invested a total of € 4.2 million in educating and training staff from its locations in Hamburg in 2017 (previous year: € 4.5 million).

As of 31 December 2017, 67 apprentices and 12 students were receiving training in Germany in eight different professions and eight dual study courses. 29 % of the 79 apprentices and students were female. The share of female students in 2017 was 58 % (previous year: 50 %).

Further details on the personnel structure can be found in the Management Report. see also Management Report/Employees/Personnel Structure

The three-year average of the annual trend in expenditure for initial training, in-company training and continuing professional development in relation to headcount is one of the targets agreed with the Executive Board and taken into account when determining Executive Board remuneration. Achieving the agreed target range triggers the payment of a corresponding bonus. see also Corporate Governance/Remuneration Report

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

All CPD activities at HHLA are designed to develop the professional, methodical and social skills of staff and managers in line with demand. There is a particular focus on management training which, in turn, concentrates on providing the skills to manage increasingly complex systems. Most trainings focus on agile methods and equipping staff to work on complex projects.

All internal seminars are open to staff from various departments and companies. These seminars also help foster an understanding of the diverse tasks, roles and functions in the Group’s various business fields.

The need for container handling operators is met via in-house training. Much of this training is delivered on a one-to-one basis using the handling equipment or live IT systems within operations. As the operational handling processes are constantly evolving, there is also an ongoing need for hands-on continuing professional development with practical relevance. The training opportunities for operative managers are geared towards development within the organisation via a change in the leadership culture and teaching professional and methodical skills.

As in the previous year, a total of over 700 events lasting one or more days were held in the reporting period. These included more than 650 internal vocational courses conducted by HHLA’s own trainers over 3,089 raining days. In addition, more than 70 one- to several-day events with over 870 participant days were organised as part of the company’s cross-segment seminar programme. 31 % of the participants were women.

Vocational Training and Studying

HHLA offers a range of apprenticeships and dual study courses based on human resource planning at the companies in Hamburg. The focus is on technical and commercial occupations.

Cooperation agreements with technical colleges and specialised grammar schools were further intensified to maintain a steady flow of suitable candidates for professions with a focus on mathematics, IT, science and technology. To further increase the proportion of female apprentices within these fields, technical internships were offered in particular to schoolgirls. The careers in which the company offers apprenticeships are presented at training fairs and schools by the respective departments with the aid of current apprentices. In 2017, the company participated in twelve fairs in the greater Hamburg area.

Training is enhanced by supplementary offerings to prepare for future demands within HHLA’s operating environment. In addition to subject-based instruction, apprentices and dual study course students learn about interdisciplinary collaboration right from the start of their training. In these supplementary courses, the apprentices and students take on responsibility and learn about solution-based work approaches. Digital expertise is fostered by the use of new technologies, such as 3D printing.

As part of the AVM Dual pilot project initiated by Hamburger Ausbildungszentrum e. V. (HAZ), HHLA co-developed a concept with other Hamburg-based companies in 2016 to prepare immigrants for vocational training. In addition to school-based preparation until August 2018, the project involves various internship phases during which the young immigrants are supported by apprentices of the participating companies, who receive special training for this purpose.

In cooperation with the Maritime Competence Centre (ma-co), HHLA also developed a seminar on “Intercultural skills in day-to-day work” as part of the EU-funded project “Wege zum Berufsabschluss – Personalentwicklung und Weiterbildung in Unternehmen der Hafenwirtschaft der Hansestadt Hamburg” which focuses on training and development at companies in Hamburg. This seminar is to become a fixed part of vocational training at HHLA in future with a view to strengthening the social skills of apprentices and dual study course students, as well as promoting their personal development and their understanding of other cultures.