Innovation

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems innovation is their Vocational Training Program in Acuña Mexico. Acuña Mexico is home to many Maquiladora's and as a result many citizens move to these areas for work. One of the side effects of this is a low level of skill and a high level of turnover as many of the jobs require very little training and in some cases is not applicable from one employer to the next.

Bendix recognized the need for a more skilled workforce and in conjunction with Instituto de Capacitación para el Trabajo del Estado de Coahuila (ICATEC) opened the Vocational Training Program at their campus. The program is designed to provide unemployed men and women aged 18-25 manufacturing skills in 12 areas. The training is a mix of classroom training and hands on instruction.

The Bendix Corporate Responsibility team worked with Bendix's parent company, Knorr-Bremse in Munich Germany, to raise the funds for the program. “Our program focus became the young people who aren’t working or in school. These young adults are at high risk of disengagement from both education and the labor market. Since they struggle in finding long-term employment, they can become more highly susceptible to influences and activities that may have a negative impact on the community,” Maria Gutierrez said.

Inspiration

With a large turnover issue, Bendix had to determine how they could retain employees for longer than it takes to train them on a process. The challenge was finding a way to achieve this without making it cost prohibitive. Additionally, with the Acuña campus located on the northern border of Mexico, naturally, it was a hot spot for criminal activity which made it unsafe for its employees.

The goal was to help the young men and women of the area gain valuable skills that would help them achieve more in life and make the community safer for everyone. As Maria said "They (the students) realized they could have a better life and really put forth effort and that was truly amazing to facilitate and witness."

Overall impact

The first impact this program is having is a very high graduation and employment record. To date over 95% of the graduates were employed upon graduation. "Simply amazing results, more than we could have hoped for," said Maria. Although not all of the graduates are employed with Bendix they are staying in the community at several of the other employers.

This high rate of graduate success has had an impact on the overall community because these graduates now have a purpose that provides them with benefits they would otherwise not be able to achieve. Not only are these graduates earning an income but they are also no longer in danger of becoming discouraged and turning to a life they wouldn't be as proud of.

Business benefit

The business benefit has proved to be much more than the original team had hoped for. The graduates are now entering the workforce with the skills they need to contribute to the business right away. Additionally, because Bendix has taken the time and effort to help them better their lives, the graduates are staying longer than those who have not received the training thus reducing turnover costs.

Social and environmental benefit

Providing these at risk men and women with formal training and helping them to find their purpose will pay dividends for years to come for the Acuña community. The economic impact of a stable workforce is key to any community’s survival and ability to thrive.

Interview

Ms. Maria Gutierrez, Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability