It all started with a radio advertisement. René, 21 years old, heard it one afternoon - and it changed his life. Today, he stands at the machine, controls processes, monitors workflows and dreams of new challenges. René is proof that an apprenticeship at AGRU lays the foundation for a career that opens up new horizons.
“I always wanted to do something that not everyone does,” says René and his eyes light up. Plastic - for him, that means the future, progress, change. “Everyone knows metal. But plastic - that's something special.”
AGRU has not only given René an education, it has opened up a world. “At the beginning, I had no idea what opportunities I would have here,” he says. But it soon became clear: this apprenticeship is different. One day you have to weld large pipes for a Chinese infrastructure project, the next you have to operate the modern injection molding machines - every day brings new challenges. “You learn an incredible amount here. Not just about technology, but also about precision, responsibility and how everything is connected.”
René completed all his vocational school classes with distinction. How? “I wanted to be the best,” he says simply. “If you set yourself a goal, you can achieve it.” This ambition not only got him onto the best list at vocational school, but also to the USA - as one of AGRU's first apprentices.
A foreign country, a new working environment, new people. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” says René. “I learned to manage on my own, got to know new ways of working and made friends that have lasted to this day.”
Back in Austria, it was clear that AGRU is not just a training company, but a community. “At AGRU, you can play tennis with managers after work or take part in a photo shoot. Team spirit is a way of life here.”
In his final year of training, René can already carry out many of the tasks of a skilled injection molding worker. Setting up machines, programming robots, monitoring quality - that's his daily routine. “But I want more. I want to develop further, take on new challenges and maybe go back to the USA.”
The variety, the opportunities, the community - that's what AGRU is all about. “You learn everything here: injection molding, extrusion, welding. And then you can specialize afterwards.” His advice to young people? “Set yourself goals, stay curious and give it your all. AGRU is the perfect place for that.” AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH offers exciting apprenticeships in Bad Hall (Upper Austria), while the vocational school is located in Steyr. As a plastics technologist, you will develop innovative products and constantly explore new applications for plastics, while as a plastics process engineer you will learn how to make precise machine adjustments and implement technical documents in production.
