Wild tire disposal in Pirna: Road guards urgently wanted!

Wild tire disposal in Pirna: Road guards urgently wanted!

There is currently a big problem in the idyllic region of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains: road guards are urgently needed. Steffen Estel, the experienced head of the Dohma road maintenance department, points out that there are currently five unfilled positions for road guards - even though the district, with its around 1,200 kilometers of roads, has to invest a considerable amount of effort in maintaining them. In a region where 550 kilometers of roads are in municipal hands, the shortage of personnel poses immense challenges.

But what does a road guard actually do? This task is anything but monotonous. It is characterized by seasonal activities: In summer it involves checking and maintaining the roads, removing damaged areas and maintaining green spaces. In winter, however, the focus is on clearing and gritting the streets. This diversity makes the job exciting, but the applicant situation is made more difficult by retirements and tragic accidents. Of the four vacant positions, four have no suitable applicants, which further complicates the situation. Sächsische.de reports that the road maintenance department is actively pursuing looking for female applicants, because so far there are only men in the team.

The perspective for newcomers

For all those who are interested in this varied profession, the Pirna District Office offers training that begins annually on September 1st and lasts three years. The training takes place in the various road maintenance depots in the region, while the theoretical content is taught at the vocational school center for construction and surface technology in Zwickau. The trainees are not only taught practical skills, but also important knowledge in areas such as environmental and nature conservation as well as traffic safety. After successfully completing their training, road guards earn a starting salary of between 2,200 and 2,800 euros gross per month, depending on the region and employer. Pirna District Office provides concrete information on training remuneration and the structure of the training.

Good grades in subjects such as mathematics, physics and technology are essential for entry, and teamwork and technical understanding are also required. The special aspects of the profession include not only the impressive earnings, but also long-term job stability and the opportunity to continue training in the profession, be it specialists in road and traffic technology or master craftsman certificates in road construction. Ausbildungsstellen.de emphasizes that good use of modern technologies is also one of the training goals.

A challenge for the future

Steffen Estel has been working in road construction for more than 30 years and regularly carries out important maintenance work. Most recently, around 670 tonnes of hot mix were used per season to repair potholes. However, Estel is concerned about road safety as the condition of county roads is mostly good or satisfactory, while around 15 percent are classified as poor. There are also always problems with uncontrolled growth, which can impair the view of guide posts.

The district's road construction department has therefore decided to train apprentices again, like in the good old days, in order to counteract the acute shortage of skilled workers. A total of three apprenticeships were advertised, which will hopefully soon bring a new impetus to the road maintenance department. So it remains exciting to see how the personnel situation will develop and which new faces will enrich the road maintenance staff in the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains in the coming years.