With the AMAG Academy and a clear transformation strategy, the AMAG Group is not only shaping the future of its employees but also setting standards in terms of sustainability. Manuela Rüegg, Head of AMAG Academy, and Caroline Vetter, Transformation & Change Manager, explain how education and change go hand in hand at AMAG.
«What I like most about my job is that we’re doing something with people for people», says Manuela Rüegg, Head of AMAG Academy. As one of the leading educational institutions in the automotive industry, the AMAG Academy offers employees and partners of the AMAG Group a wide range of training courses, seminars and certificate programmes. Forty-six employees bring together expertise from a wide range of areas, including technical training and customer experience.
What I like most about my job is that we’re doing something with people for people.
AMAG Import AG opened a new training building in Lupfig AG at the end of August 2024 to ensure that the company can offer students the best possible learning environment – both today and tomorrow.
The «Academy by AMAG Import» will now provide training and further education for over 3,300 people across more than 10,000 participant days every year. And for good reason: «The automotive industry will only get more complex in the future. New technology and the ongoing shift towards electromobility require new skills», says the head of the Academy. «Our aim is to play a pioneering role and give our participants the best opportunities for their professional development».
Anyone interested in a new car now gets their information online before they go to see anything, so personal advice has to convince customers in less time and provide real value.
Diverse development opportunities
While the Academy focuses on promoting individual skills, Caroline Vetter supports the AMAG Group with structural changes. She has been a transformation and change manager at the company for just over two years and is responsible for supporting AMAG on its journey from just a vehicle provider to a comprehensive mobility partner.
One of her main aims is to offer employees attractive career paths while also providing them with a wide range of opportunities to develop and acquire new skills. This includes the opportunity to work in different areas of the business and develop their skills across divisions. «This ultimately generates the most added value for the company as well», says Caroline Vetter. Manuela Rüegg, Head of AMAG Academy, is the perfect example of this. When she joined AMAG around eleven years ago, she started out working in IT and later in the Import department, before taking over as the head of the Academy two years ago.
Bridge between strategy and practice
«It’s important that we all remain open to change», emphasises Caroline Vetter. Because one thing is clear: rather than getting simpler in the future, the AMAG Group’s business will only get more complex. Caroline Vetter acts as a bridge between strategy and practice in this challenging process. «My job is to work closely with managers to enable innovative solutions through new behaviours and to actively support the various business units on their path to change». She cites digitalisation in the retail sector as an example of ongoing change. «Anyone interested in a new car now gets their information online before they go to see anything, so personal advice has to convince customers in less time and provide real value».
Or to put it another way: «Personal contact with customers is becoming less frequent but more important». Digital transformation therefore not only requires new technologies but, above all, new skills in the teams. Managers play a key role in this. «They have to embody willingness to change», says Caroline Vetter.
Small measures, big impact
Sustainability is also an important aspect of change at AMAG, and the Academy intends to play a pioneering role. The solar panel system on the roof of the new building in Lupfig not only covers a significant proportion of the Academy’s energy requirements but also serves as a practical example for lessons. In addition, the Academy actively promotes the use of electric cars and offers course participants free charging for their vehicles. «This helps to reduce carbon emissions and supports the AMAG Group’s efforts to reach net zero by 2040», explains Manuela Rüegg.
The Academy is also a model when it comes to catering as it has taken measures to prevent food waste with a new bistro concept. Employees, internal guests and course participants can choose their lunch two days in advance from various suggestions. «Our catering partner also measures all food thrown away to help minimise food waste,» says Manuela Rüegg. «Thanks to these and other initiatives, the Academy is a shining example of how educational institutions can play their part in improving sustainability.
The automotive industry will only get more complex in the future. New technology and the ongoing shift towards electromobility require new skills.
Future-ready training programmes
The AMAG Group is continuously expanding its range of training options to meet the needs of the energy transition. For example, the AMAG Academy in Lupfig now offers comprehensive training and further education on both high-voltage and diagnostic technology. In addition, the AMAG Group introduced a new apprenticeship programme for solar installers (Swiss Federal VET diploma, EFZ) and solar technicians at Helion in 2024. And for good reason: since the acquisition of solar pioneer Helion on 1 November 2022, the AMAG Group has been offering its customers holistic solutions in the photovoltaic sector. This has created new job profiles, particularly in the areas of installing and maintaining solar systems and charging stations. On the following pages, you can read about 17-year-old Rebeca Barcenas’ experience of training as an EFZ solar installer at Helion Energy AG. Please continue reading here.
