Training and continuing education

As an intra-Group partner for learning, development and change processes, DB Training, Learning&Consulting conducts the vast majority of training, professional development and continuing education with some 31,000 events for about 290,000 participants per year. More than 3,000 qualification programs are available to DB employees. Qualifications are offered for in-person, digital or blended learning schemes. A modern infrastructure provides space for creativity, new solutions and new digital learning formats, such as virtual reality (VR) training. Once again in 2022, existing training formats were further developed and adapted to a more digital everyday working environment. Practical training plays a crucial role in ensuring that employees can act with confidence, particularly in safety-related areas. Against this backdrop, we are investing in the expansion of practical facilities: a new apprenticeship interlocking facility was put into operation in Maschen in summer 2022. Since the beginning of September 2022, a new practice site in Delitzsch has been able to give apprentices an overall understanding of the rail system and all its complexities.

DB Academy is responsible for the qualification of around 10,700 executives and (high-level) experts. The portfolio offers them training according to their individual career and development stages, enabling them to apply leadership standards and implement strategic areas of action at DB Group.

DB employees have the opportunity to study alongside their work. There are two different programs (DB University and DB Master’s Program) that finance and support Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees through flexible working hours. DB University is aimed at skilled employees who can have their professional experience recognized when obtaining a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, DB University offers support for the employees’ studies and internal further education courses throughout the entire period. The DB Master’s Program is open to at least 30 employees per year.

Vocational training is an important lever for meeting the challenges of a shortage of skilled employees. The number of training positions at DB Group has been continuously increased in recent years. Accordingly, the training workshops in the industrial and technical sector have been and will be expanded. Since 2022, it has been possible to train more than 200 additional vocational trainees due to the relocation to the new premises.

In addition, the cooperation agreement concluded between the DB Group and LEAG in August 2022 provides for the DB Group to train some of its vocational trainees under LEAG’s leadership until 2025.

DB Academy and DB Training have also developed additional online services to support employees and executives during the Covid-19 pandemic. With “Gemeinsam in die neue Arbeitswelt” (Together in the new working environment, GinA), we have created virtual learning opportunities for current challenges. The offer attracted a high level of demand and was taken up by 46,387 users in 2022.

DB employees made a valuable contribution to coping with the flows of refugees from Ukraine. In order to support them, DB Training offers help for volunteers helping as part of Group-wide psychological support for affected employees. Four “check-ins” for refugees from Ukraine in various German cities offered rapid orientation and integration opportunities within the DB Group. Prospects were created with individual advisory services, German courses and employment contracts at DB Temporary Work.

Germany, including vocational trainees and dual-degree students.

Germany (companies with about 77% of domestic employees).
Includes only training and development days in customer-oriented job families for permanent employees, excluding vocational trainees and dual-degree students.

Training and continuing education costs for our employees rose to a new record high in 2022.

Securing young talent

Germany (companies with about 98% of domestic employees).
Hired after completion of vocational training or dual-degree studies.

DB Group’s own vocational training and the combined work-study degree are the foundation of our efforts to secure the recruitment of skilled employees. This is supplemented by the job preparation program “Chance plus” for young people who need support in accessing the labor market.

• The Social and Cultural Integration project (Soziale und kulturelle Integration; SUKI) run by Stiftungsfamilie BSW&EWH (foundation partnership), in collaboration with the Railway and Transport Workers Union (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft; EVG), and the social security fund, offers integration-related services to supplement professional qualification programs for people with a refugee and migration background.
• We established the DB Youngster Community in 2022 together with the BSW & EWH Foundation Family. The community helps young talents in DB Group to network. In addition, interdisciplinary community offers help people get started at work in DB Group (for example dealing with finances, time management or optimizing the learning strategy).
• Use of the Lifehacks4U support service, which is implemented in cooperation with ZukunftPlus e. V., was significantly expanded in 2022. It is an offer to provide individual support for young talents in matters that go beyond the training.
• As many young talents have deficits due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in mathematical and technical fields, support services have been expanded significantly. In addition, the Lifehacks4U social education support program was used to a much greater extent. The goal is to avoid drop-outs.
• We recognize outstanding performance and great commitment in our entry-level programs through the Excellence Program for particularly high-performing young talents.
• The social responsibility and participation of young talents is being promoted from the very beginning through participation in the “Rail trainees against hate and violence” tolerance competition. Since 2000, more than 13,000 vocational trainees have completed around 1,500 projects and set an example for respectful and tolerant teamwork.

Performance management

The “My Performance Management” tool aims to support employees’ professional and personal development to boost their personal performance. Regular feedback based on key questions from different perspectives helps employees to compare how they see themselves versus how others see them, and encourages them to reflect on their working habits in a targeted manner. Regularly reviewing key performance indicators and how each employee contributes to achieving objectives also shows individuals and teams their strengths and areas for improvement. Supervisors give employees clear guidance on performance development once a year. In 2022, as in the previous year, more than 96% of employees received a performance assessment from their immediate executive. In a one-to-one discussion, development prospects and measures, and succession planning, are discussed and agreed upon together. If the annual overall evaluation gives cause for a more detailed assessment of competence, this can be carried out, if necessary, with reference to the skills profile of the function in question.

In addition, a spontaneous feedback tool makes it possible to request and send feedback across all hierarchies at any time and, if the user so wishes, give visible recognition of their rating.

Developing employees and filling vacancies

The DB role model combines specifications for different career paths (such as management, expert and project careers), duties and responsibilities and the necessary experience, expertise and attitude from an internal standpoint. It forms the basis for staffing and diagnostic processes, among other things. Our internal career options were expanded to include a third career path: DB’s “specialist” career path, offering internal, high-caliber employees with specialist expertise development opportunities.

Key elements of our talent management are easy access for employees and executives, attractive offers for orientation, networking and visibility for all career paths based on initiative and individuality. The “Frau Dich!” (Woman up!) initiative also plays a role in inspiring and motivating women to aim for executive positions with individual career advice for women.

Getting (back) to work

In 2022, we further developed the product portfolio of reentry management to support colleagues returning to work after temporary absences. Key elements include primarily the provision of pooled information to improve orientation, opportunities for communication and discussion to strengthen self-reflection, and personal development opportunities. With the renegotiation of the Group employer/works council agreement on work, family and career path, we were able to further optimize the operational framework for work/life balance in 2022. Digital learning units primarily support executives, but also employees putting the lessons they have learned into practice. As an additional source of information to help plan family time and careers, the new brochure “Dein starker Wiedereinstieg” (Your successful reentry) offers pregnant employees an overview of the tasks and deadlines they will come to face, helpful checklists and DB services. With JobSharing@DB, we have created an opportunity to be able to fill executive positions even on a part-time basis, with two executives sharing responsibility for one role.

Knowledge transfer

In 2022, we took on the topic of knowledge transfer from the 15 employee building blocks for expansion. New working methods and worlds require a different approach to knowledge, staff turnover can lead to the loss of important knowledge, new colleagues need critical knowledge to carry out their tasks, and the increase in digitalization requires more knowledge for more employees. For this reason, we strengthen those involved in the process in the application of knowledge transfer formats by anchoring them in processes. On the other hand, we also promote continuous knowledge transfer and support executives and employees in identifying, securing and sharing knowledge in their area of responsibility.

Securing employment

To avoid dismissals, for example, in the context of restructuring or order losses and/or changes in tasks performed by individual employees for an indefinite period, there is an employment guarantee at DB Group, which is anchored in the collective bargaining agreement. Under the employment guarantee, most of the affected employees are once again directly employed within DB Group. If this is not successful, the employees in question will move to DB JobService GmbH for an indefinite period of time, where they will be further developed as part of a professional reorientation process in order to be placed in a role in their chosen field if possible at a later date.