Shaping the Mobility Transition: Attracting Skilled Labour at Stadtwerke Bonn

Resilient public transport is essential for a sustainable mobility transition. In order to provide passengers with an attractive service, qualified and sufficient staff are needed. On the other hand, there is a shortage of skilled labour. What measures are you taking at Stadtwerke Bonn to overcome this disagreement?

The mobility transition will only succeed with committed and qualified employees. We are aware that the shortage of skilled labour is a key challenge. That is why we at Stadtwerke Bonn are focussing on a comprehensive package of measures. We continuously invest in our training programmes, supported by the VDV Academy, in which I am a member of the Executive Board. We offer systematic training for career changes. In addition to traditional recruiting channels, we are also building partnerships with international employment agencies and offer language courses and integration support. 

We position ourselves as a strong and positive employer brand with fair remuneration and a high level of job security. We also continuously invest in improving working conditions, for example through ergonomic workstations, air-conditioned vehicles and technical assistance systems.

How do you manage to promote employee satisfaction on the one hand and reduce organisational complexity on the other?

Flexible working time models are an important key to increasing the attractiveness of jobs, especially in shift work. The scheduling software supports us in scheduling our employees. We plan shifts in a needs-oriented, fair and transparent manner, take into account the individual wishes of our employees and optimise staff deployment at the same time. We are also testing new working time models in close consultation with the works council and place a strong focus on regular feedback meetings with our employees.

The transport industry is undergoing a digital transformation. What role does digitalisation play at Stadtwerke Bonn and where will the journey take us in the coming years?

For us, digitalisation is not an end in itself, but a key tool for improving our service, streamlining processes and creating a new mobility offering. Our passengers benefit from digital real-time information, mobility apps and the option of contactless payment. On the operational side, we are looking into the use of driver assistance systems and even autonomous driving in the long term. By analysing our traffic flows, we are able to adapt timetables and routes in line with demand – with the aim of making our vehicles more efficient and climate-friendly. For us, digitalisation also includes predictive maintenance in order to adjust maintenance intervals and reduce downtimes based on real-time data. For example, the buses' tyre profiles are automatically checked as soon as they enter the hall via a sensor threshold. When communicating with drivers, we are increasingly focussing on digital options to make processes simpler and more flexible – always as a supplement to personal communication.