Talent development by design

For several decades, DS Stålprofil has recognised and embraced its responsibility to develop and train young talent for the future labour market. EKKO asked Sales Manager Tonny Køhler Simonsen about his views on and experience of training trainees.

DS Stålprofil has a tradition of employing trainees and continuously has trainees working in its sales departments in Denmark and Germany. The production and IT departments also train apprentices.

“Overall, I believe that a group of DS Gruppen’s calibre has an obligation to train skilled workers who will be available to the future labour market. This is not only a general responsibility to society, but also a way of nurturing our own ‘pipeline’ of talented employees. Employees do sometimes move on, so it is reassuring that we are continuously training our own people. We take that responsibility seriously at DS Stålprofil,” Tonny Køhler Simonsen explains.

Our task is to provide them with knowledge

“At DS Stålprofil, we find working with this young age group both interesting and valuable. They are receptive, they are eager and, in the vast majority of cases, they also have the ability and willingness to learn. It is extremely interesting – they are like dry sponges, hungry for new knowledge, and it is our task to provide it.”

Tonny is also very aware that the young trainees provide direct access to insights into the social trends, attitudes and areas of interest that will engage the consumers of the future.

“Naturally, we try to benefit from that knowledge. For example, it might relate to how social media is used, which communication platforms are popular and which topics they find interesting. We must not disregard this direct access to valuable knowledge. It is what our livelihood will depend on in five to ten years’ time.”

“The company is there for the trainee, not the other way round.”

– Tonny Køhler Simonsen.

The company is there for the trainee

DS Stålprofil currently has three trainees – Stine Nørgaard, who works in the Danish sales department, and Lena Wallesch, who works in the German sales department in Sittensen. They are both training to become sales assistants. In production, Alex Abildgaard is an apprentice industrial technician.

“The company is there for the apprentice, not the other way around,” says Tonny Köhler Simonsen.

“It is important to make the training worthwhile, especially for this age group – otherwise they lose interest. They need to know and feel that what they do matters. At the same time, they need to learn that it has real consequences if they do not make an effort. The trainee must be comfortable with that responsibility and capable of shouldering it. And it is the company’s duty to regularly assess how well the apprentice is coping.”

‘Apprentice tasks’ are banned

At DS Stålprofil, there is no such thing as ‘apprentice tasks’. They take great pride in having apprentices perform real work. DS Stålprofil therefore puts together a programme that equips young employees to work independently – both during their training and once they have obtained their qualification.  

“The days when young talent was presented exclusively with uninteresting, repetitive tasks day in, day out are over. Today’s young people will undoubtedly flee a monotonous working day as soon as they qualify, and then you will have wasted your efforts and misunderstood your role.”

“DS Stålprofil benefits in various ways from running trainee programmes. However, I am certain that even if the benefits were limited, we would still do so. A company of our kind should consider it a matter of course to commit to providing these training programmes.”

– Tonny Köhler Simonsen

“We tailor a training programme – often in collaboration with the trainee concerned – that trains the young employee in various areas. We draw up a plan that allows them to spend time in several departments across the company. We set objectives and requirements for the level they must reach at specific points during their training. We continually assess their progress and, of course, hope that ultimately we will have a happy, competent and fully trained employee”. 

“I can confidently say that we entrust our trainees with a great deal of responsibility, considerably more than you see in many other places. We do not have menial trainee tasks – we genuinely do not. For example, our current trainee, Stine Nørgaard, handles the financial calculations on which many of our sales prices are based. She naturally receives ongoing guidance, but I believe that, for most people, work needs to be meaningful, add value and make a difference if they are to remain productive and motivated”.

“We always conclude the traineeship by issuing a training certificate that details the activities completed by the trainee, together with a personal statement describing the skills the young employee has acquired over the previous 24 months. It is an important acknowledgement and a natural conclusion to the programme”.

Recruitment from local schools

“In the sales department on Andrupvej, we recruit from, among others, the business colleges in Hobro and Randers. The specifications and requirements we list as eligibility criteria allow candidates from different educational backgrounds to apply. We generally receive a large number of applications, partly because the DS Group is a well-known name – particularly in the local area. DS is synonymous with stability and integrity. I believe that is important when young talent is looking for a traineeship. Historically, we have been successful in recruiting highly qualified trainees. I do not think we have ever had a trainee whom we did not offer a permanent position once the programme was completed.”

We would do it anyway

“DS Stålprofil benefits in various ways from running trainee programmes. However, I am certain that even if the benefits were limited, we would do it anyway. It should be a given for a company like ours to commit to providing these training programmes.”

“Fortunately, we are delighted that our current talented trainee – Stine Nørgaard – will continue her career at DS Stålprofil once she completes her traineeship in August,” concludes Tonny Køhler Simonsen. 

About the Author

Annemarie (Fie) Baumann

With her solid experience as both a graphic designer and art director, Fie sets the visual direction for communication across the companies in DS Gruppen. With a sharp eye for design, she ensures that the visuals support the message and capture attention. Fie also brings many years of experience as both a writer and photographer, including from her time working in publishing and running her own advertising agency. Her background also includes extensive experience with visual communication for both B2B and B2C audiences.