Press ReleasePhilippine ambassador visits international specialists at EFW
Buddy program supports integration of aviation experts
Dresden, May 29, 2024. Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) today welcomed the Philippine ambassador, Her Excellency Irene S. B. Natividad, and other representatives of the embassy. They were impressed by how Filipino specialists have gained a foothold in the company and in Dresden.
EFW has over 30 different nations in its Dresden team. Due to market demand for cargo aircraft, 300 specialists were hired last year alone, including 35 highly qualified aircraft mechanics from the Philippines. This is not a given, because in the global aviation business, companies around the world are in tough competition for talent and specialists.
Most of EFW's Filipino specialists have now lived in Dresden for an average of one year. Some have brought their partners or families with them, others are considering this step, which speaks for successful integration on site.
"The integration of foreign skilled workers is an important step towards the further development of Dresden and Saxony as a business location," says Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW. "Only if we open up to this topic and actively promote it can we be successful and deliver products that are in demand around the world."
The EFW team has made a major contribution to integration with its openness, as has the buddy program, in which team members act as mentors on a voluntary basis. For around half a year, they are the first point of contact for all questions about company procedures, processes and work tasks for their respective foreign colleagues, in order to make it easier for their buddies to get started. Shared rituals, such as meeting up after work, training for sporting events, attending concerts or excursions together, help the Filipinos feel welcome and stay there - and friendships develop beyond the program.
"EFW is a role model for how employers can realize integration not only for employees and companies, but also in the local community," said Philippine Ambassador Irene S. B. Natividad.
About
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a subsidiary of ST Engineering and Airbus, is one of the largest industrial companies in Saxony with headquarters in Dresden. EFW employs around 2,200 people, achieved sales of around 600 million euros in 2023 and is on a sustainable growth path. EFW is the world market leader in the conversion of Airbus passenger-to-cargo aircraft (P2F) and oversees the production of the new generation of freighters at nine locations on three continents. Customers are international airlines and leasing companies, including the largest express air freight companies in North America and Europe such as DHL or airlines such as Lufthansa Cargo. The company is an expert in maintenance on commercial and military aircraft, such as the NH90 helicopters for the German Armed Forces. As the world's largest manufacturer of floor panels for aircraft and many other lightweight products, EFW ensures that over 13,500 Airbus aircraft are in the air equipped with solutions 'Made in Saxony'. More at www.efw.aero.
