Austria’s Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Bauer, visited Trench Austria together with Upper Austrian State Parliament member Helena Kirchmayr. Initiated by Zukunft.Lehre.Österreich, the visit aimed to learn more about Austria’s successful apprenticeship companies.
After a company tour, Trench Austria’s apprentices had a direct conversation with the politicians. The company plans to increase the number of apprenticeship positions to around 20 percent of its productive workforce in the coming years. Investing in young talent is a key investment in the future of Trench Austria’s rapidly growing site.
Ministerial Visit Highlights Trench Austria’s Commitment to Apprenticeships
Trench Austria GmbH, part of the internationally active Trench Group and a leading supplier of high-voltage components, welcomed the Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Bauer, on April 9th 2026. Other guests at the Trench location in Leonding included Upper Austrian State Parliament member Helena Kirchmayr, as well as Monika Sandberger and Niklas Hager from Zukunft.Lehre.Österreich.
The purpose of the visit was to get to know successful apprenticeship companies and to strengthen direct exchange between business and politics.
As part of a tour of the company, Minister Bauer gained an impression of the practical training of apprentices at Trench Austria. In a discussion round afterwards, the apprentices were given the opportunity to ask their questions directly to the Minister. Claudia Bauer encouraged the apprentices to take the initiative in their fields of work and to engage actively in problem solving.
Trench Austria trains young talents in several technical and commercial apprenticeships and relies on a close integration of theory and practice. Currently, around 250 employees work in the production area at Trench Austria in Leonding.
The company plans to increase the number of apprenticeship positions in the coming years to around 20 percent of the production workforce. In doing so, it makes an active contribution to securing skilled labour in the region.
“Training young people is a key investment in the future of our rapidly growing site,” emphasizes Ronald Schmid, Managing Director of Trench Austria. “It is particularly important to us not only to focus on professional qualifications, but also on the social skills of our future employees and the principle of equal opportunities.”
Federal Minister Claudia Bauer praised the company’s commitment and sees apprenticeships as an important factor for the economy and society.
About Trench Group
Trench Group is a global technology leader for high-voltage grid components and systems, present in nearly every power transmission grid worldwide.
Headquartered in Berlin, with more than 100 years of engineering expertise, Trench Group designs and manufactures high-voltage components that address the core challenges of modern power infrastructure – connecting grids, measuring their performance and ensuring reliability.
As electricity demand rises and power grids transform worldwide, Trench Group is a key enabler of the infrastructure the world needs, with a portfolio that includes bushings, cable terminations, instrument transformers, coils and reactors.
Since its independence in April 2024, Trench Group has doubled its annual revenue to more than $1.1 billion.
The company operates 11 factories across 8 countries on 4 continents, employs more than 3,000 people – with plans to grow to 4,000 by 2030.
About Trench Austria
Trench Austria GmbH is part of the internationally active Trench Group and a leading manufacturer of high-voltage components for power transmission networks. The Leonding site stands for innovation, quality and a strong commitment to regional training and employment.
