Zwickau worsted spinning mill closes: trainees are looking for new opportunities!

Zwickau worsted spinning mill closes: trainees are looking for new opportunities!

In Wilkau-Haßlau, a small town in Saxony, it was recently time to say goodbye to a traditional textile industry site: the closure of the Zwickau worsted spinning mill was announced. With the sudden decision of the Berlin owners, a factory that not only employs 170 people but is also the last producing worsted spinning mill in Germany is on the brink of closure. The main reason for the closure is the sharp increase in production costs, especially in the areas of energy and personnel, which cannot be passed on to customers. This is reported by [MDR](https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/chemnitz/zwickau/ende-kammgarnspinnerei-wilkau-hasslau-aus trainees-100.html).

It is all the more pleasing that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) is doing everything it can to offer the 17 trainees who are currently working in the worsted spinning mill a new perspective. The first interested parties have already come forward to place the prospective skilled workers in other companies. The goal is clear: every trainee should find a suitable training position, and the fully trained apprentices should also get a job in the region.

A job with a future

Training to become a skilled worker in textile technology, especially in worsted spinning, usually lasts three years and takes place on a dual basis in the company and vocational school. Talented young employees monitor the most modern machines for worsted yarn production, carry out quality controls and take care of maintenance and documentation of the production processes. The demands on the trainees are high: technical understanding and manual skills are essential. In addition, a high level of responsibility is expected, and the willingness to work shifts also plays an important role, as outlined on berufsbild.com.

With a starting salary of around 2,000 to 2,500 euros gross per month, young specialists have good earning potential after completing their training. With experience, the salary can even increase to over 3,000 euros. The career opportunities are also promising: promotions to shift managers or foremen as well as specializations in related areas are certainly possible.

The textile industry is changing

The textile and clothing industry in Germany has changed significantly in the last few decades. It generates annual sales of around 32 billion euros and employs around 135,000 people in around 1,400 companies. What is particularly noteworthy is that Germany is a world leader in the field of technical textiles. The “Go Textile!” campaign is also eye-catching because it aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in the textile industry. At www.go-textile.de you can find over 150 training companies and relevant training centers, as explained on azubi-nrw.de.

The future for textile technology professions looks good. Despite challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers, trainees in this industry have excellent chances of being taken on. This means that young talents have numerous opportunities open to them after their training and their skills will continue to be in demand in the future due to technological developments and automation. Textile production, which is very important in some regions such as Mönchengladbach and Krefeld, will continue to be an attractive field of activity for young people.