They are also expected to do additional independent work at home given the fact that the training is accelerated and lasts half as long as the regular one.

Benedikt Hanne, a 24-year-old who sat behind the controls of a tram, skillfully drove the red and white cars for hours before heading to the University of Nuremberg, where he studies social work.

Since he is still learning, Hanne was closely supervised by an instructor, and the tram he was operating had no passengers.

But if everything goes well, Hanne will soon become a fully qualified tram driver transporting people around the German city of Nuernberg in the evenings or on weekends, when he does not have to attend classes.

Pressed by a serious labor shortage, public transport companies such as Nuremberg's municipal service VAG have had to find new sources in order to increase the number of their employees.

VAG needs to hire 160 new drivers annually to operate its trams, buses, and subway trains.

For Harald Ruben, who heads the company's recruitment and training team, it was clear that “we will not achieve that goal unless we explore all possibilities”.

The transport company placed an advertisement aimed at students, offering them part-time tram driving outside class hours.

They need to have a driver's license, be older than 21, and be “reliable and suitable for driving and shift work”.

Many sectors in Germany, as in other European countries, are facing a serious labor shortage, which is expected to worsen if urgent measures are not taken.

Public transport companies have warned that they may have to reduce the number of buses, trams, or subway trains given that they expect tens of thousands of jobs to remain unfilled in the coming years.

Due to the labor shortage, employees in the transport sector across the country have gone on strike in recent weeks to draw attention to their situation, and the Verdi union has warned of increasingly worsening working conditions.

Many companies report up to 20 or 30 percent of positions unfilled, and the shortage contributes to a vicious circle in which overworked employees fall ill, further worsening the situation.

Other German cities such as Mannheim and Muenchen have also started looking for students as potential employees to make up for the shortage.

‘Really cool’

Hanne had never thought he would drive a tram until a few weeks ago when he noticed VAG's advertisement.

He applied immediately, he said, and became one of the five accepted. Altogether, VAG received 36 applications.

Dressed in the company's red and blue uniforms, the new drivers undergo accelerated four-week training held during school holidays.

After several hours of theoretical instruction, the trainees practice on a tram simulator before they begin operating a real vehicle.

They are also expected to do additional independent work at home given the fact that the training is accelerated and lasts half as long as the regular one.

After he passes the driving test and after being accompanied by an instructor for several days, Hanne will drive the tram independently for 20 hours a week.

Hanne, whose previous jobs included working at a gas station, said he is not worried about balancing university classes and work.

“If I could choose, I would rather drive the tram before going to university so that my day ends with lectures,” he said, adding that he also wants “to work at other times of day in order to see different people and situations”.

“My colleagues think it's really cool, my family too. Someday they will get on my tram, that's for sure”.

Source: poslovni.hr