Temporary transfer to the assembly line: The car manufacturer Volkswagen wants to employ several hundred dual students in production after they have completed their bachelor’s degree. The company confirmed this upon request after several media outlets had reported on the plans.
The company reported last week that “the dual students of the classes of 2025 and 2026 will be permanently employed after their training, despite the current challenging times.” In the course of this, the colleagues were also informed that they would initially be working in the direct area, i.e. in production, for one to a maximum of two years.
They will then be guaranteed a job in the indirect area, i.e. administration. “This approach has been agreed with the works council and supports the overarching goal of sustainably reducing personnel costs in the indirect area by 20 percent by 2026,” VW explained.
There are alternatives for students who do not want to work on the assembly line: for example, they could complete a master’s degree and receive a promise of re-employment afterward, the company said. Anyone who quits does not have to pay back any money they have already paid to VW during the dual study program. And anyone who has worked in production for a year can apply for a job in administration.
However, the works council reacted with outrage to the way in which VW communicated the matter internally to the 430 people affected. The email reached the students in the middle of an exam period, they say. The company also took credit for the works council’s negotiating successes.
“This email should never have been sent like this. We are appalled that it could happen,” said a spokesperson for the works council. The incident is now being investigated.
According to a report by the magazine “Spiegel”, employees in production start with a gross monthly salary of just under 4,000 euros under the VW company tariff. Bachelor graduates in administration, on the other hand, receive around 5,300 euros.
