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The trainee programs at KUKA and Swisslog offer young talents the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of automation. While KUKA focuses on flexibility and cross-departmental work (18 months, four to five departments), Swisslog's program emphasizes specialized training over twelve months – with trainee camps around the globe. What unites both programs? The goal of offering young talents new perspectives after their first degree. About similarities, differences and an entrepreneurial future that puts employees first.
KUKA's trainee program offers a high degree of variety and flexibility. Paul Maluck, who started in the sales department in October 2023, describes the program as “an opportunity to gain diverse insights into different areas and build up a comprehensive level of knowledge.”
During his 18-month career, he will rotate through five different stations, including Global Sales Operations, Marketing Robotics and Product Management. He was recently in Italy, working in sales and business development. “I particularly enjoyed working directly with customers and system partners and improving my Italian along the way,” Paul reports with enthusiasm.
Timur Landmann was also a trainee, from October 2022 to March 2024. Driven by his interest in topics related to Industry 4.0 and human-robot collaboration, he decided to join KUKA. He says, “The trainee program offers the opportunity to work in several related departments and to understand a core process in the company.” He also completed an international assignment – in Fuezesgyarmat, Hungary, where KUKA produces, among other things, control cabinets. “It was a professional challenge to come to a country without speaking the local language and try to deliver the same performance as in Germany. But it was precisely these challenges that made me grow,” recalls Timur. Today, Timur still works at KUKA – as a project manager for digitalization and visualization, supporting the digitalization of production.
International experience is a cornerstone of KUKA’s trainee program. Both trainees highlight the significance and impact of these experiences on their personal and professional growth. “Italy is an important market for KUKA. Working on-site here will provide me with valuable sales experience, both professionally and culturally,” says Paul.
Similarly, the Swisslog Global Trainee Program focuses on investing in our colleagues as we believe their skills will continue to make the difference. By investing in our colleagues, we ensure that our expertise remains a key differentiator. In just five years, the program has evolved from a software-focused trainee program in Malaysia to a comprehensive global initiative. It now encompasses key areas such as Software, Controls, Design & System Engineering, SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), Robotics, and Simulation. The training begins with a five-week trainee camp in Dortmund, Germany, followed by a phase in which trainees apply their knowledge to real-world projects.
Diego Taglialatela and Maria Sanchez Garbayo are international trainees at Swisslog, united by a passion for automation and robotics.
Diego, from Maranello, Italy, has a master's degree in automation engineering and a background within the automotive industry. His love for science and math, inspired by his father, a civil engineer guided him to this field. “I'm really passionate about automation and technology,” he shares. His work with KUKA robots during his studies deepened his passion, making the trainee camp experience – including a visit to KUKA Headquarters – a dream come true. “It exceeded my expectations,” he says.
Maria from Spain completed her master's in advanced robotics across Poland and Japan; and she found Swisslog's Global Trainee Program ideal for transitioning from academia to the corporate world. “Getting into the corporate environment seemed a very big and important step to me and this trainee program felt like the perfect fit” she explains. Maria's mentor, a former trainee, provided professional and personal support, helping her adjust to a new country and role.
Mentorship has been crucial for both. Diego benefited from four mentors with diverse expertise, which greatly enhanced his learning experience. “Each one brought something new for us to learn,” Diego recalls. Maria's mentor guided her through a significant project, providing insights from its inception. “I was fortunate that my mentor had just initiated a project in our department, providing the perfect opportunity to observe its inception firsthand,” she says.
During the second trainee camp, both trainees overcame challenges that required practical application of their skills by embodying one of our KUKA Group values. “We are overcoming them with team spirit and support from more experienced colleagues,” Diego emphasizes. Maria also highlights the importance of team dynamics, noting how trainee camps foster strong bonds. “I've made good friends, and I think that's one of the most valuable things,” she adds.
Promoting individual strengths, growing as a team: the journey of the four trainees shows how important such programs are in closing the gap between academic and business life. After all, they prepare young talents to master real challenges with confidence and expertise.
Joined KUKA in October 2023 as a sales trainee, having previously studied business administration in Muenster. During his time abroad, he supports the Italian team in Grugliasco, a suburb of Turin.
My passion is: “Gaining new perspectives, understanding correlations, achieving optimal results together with my colleagues and having a lot of fun in the process.”
International Experience: “The assignment in Italy is a great opportunity to get to know and internalize the local business culture.”
Project Work: “The cross-station implementation of my.KUKA Customer Stories gives me the opportunity to look at and work on the same project from different perspectives: first internal communication and organization, then through marketing activities, and now in direct exchange with our system partners.”
About the KUKA Trainee Program: “The willingness to help and the openness to share knowledge is extremely high at KUKA. If you ask a lot of questions, you gain valuable insights into the organization, you can connect knowledge, and you get to know and understand the individual perspectives of the employees.”
Bachelor’s and master’s degree in industrial engineering. Thanks to the trainee program, he has a deep understanding of operations and how the entire value creation process influences both the quality and the price of a product.
My passion is: “Industry 4.0 and data analysis”
International Experience: “My assignment in Hungary was professionally challenging. But I received a warm welcome and learned to find new ways of dealing with issues without speaking the local language.”
Project Work: “In Operations, you go through all the departments that affect the price – from purchasing to logistics. I helped create a product that was as inexpensive as possible, but of the highest quality.”
About the KUKA Trainee Program: “I was able to build up a broad network and expand my skills. Above all, I learned that I don't have to do everything on my own. By approaching colleagues and using their expertise, you not only get information faster, but also more easily.”
Holds a master's degree in automation engineering from Federico II of Naples and joined Swisslog in September 2023.
My passion is: “… to learn about software and technology in the automation and robotics field.”
International Experience: “Growing up in Italy and working in various international settings has given me a unique perspective and adaptability.”
Project Work: “The training program exceeded my expectations, offering real-life project experiences and deepening my understanding of the field.”
About the Global Swisslog Trainee Program: “Swisslog's program has been a transformative experience, allowing me to combine my love for science and math with practical skills, and I look forward to advancing my career in automation and robotics.”
Originally from Spain, pursued a master's in advanced robotics. She initially studied biomedicine engineering but switched to electronic industrial engineering during her bachelor's.
My passion is: “… to try and learn new things and visit new places.”
International Experience: “With my international background in Japan and Poland, I've learned to respect different cultures and understand diverse perspectives, which was further enriched by the international communication training during our boot camps.”
Project Work: “I've been deeply involved in a warehouse automation project for a supermarket chain, focusing on PLC coding and subsystem integration.”
About the Global Swisslog Trainee Program: “Moving from Spain to Germany was made smoother with the support of my mentor and the well-structured onboarding process. The program has equipped me with the skills and confidence to thrive in a corporate environment.”
