VERBUND submits expansion plans in Ybbs

The new apprentice lodgings make the Ybbs-Persenbeug site an even more attractive training centre. First pictures of the project confirm VERBUND’s intention to invest sustainably in apprentice training here with modern equipment. The new plans were handed over today to mayor Ulrike Schachner at the municipality of Ybbs. 

“A modern apprenticeship needs the right learning environment. With these attractive apprentice lodgings, we are expanding the apprentice workshop into an all-round training centre. The energy transition needs the best minds with first-class training,” says Michael Amerer, managing director of VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH and apprenticeship officer at VERBUND.   

Since the beginning, VERBUND has opted to train its own power plant operators itself. The dual vocational training is unique in Austria and covers both electrical and mechanical engineering.
“The expansion of the apprentice workshop into an all-round training centre is for us a commitment to the value of in-house training and an investment in the future,” says Michael Amerer.

Apprentice lodgings and training centre

With a direct view of the Danube, the apprentice lodgings will be built in an attractive location on VERBUND’s own land near the power plant. The ground floor will be built in solid concrete. The two floors above that will be built in a sustainable wood construction. A park-like area between the workshop and lodgings is intended to bring the two buildings of the apprentice training centre together by creating the feeling of being on a campus. Both in the outdoor areas with terrace and inside the building, zones of communication and retreat alternate. An in-house fitness room is available for leisure pursuits. There are 42 single rooms, including three wheelchair-accessible rooms, as well as seminar rooms to also allow seminars to be held for further education measures throughout the company. If necessary, the works kitchen can be opened up into a large event hall for 200 participants.

The architecture office Viereck is responsible for the planning. The planning focused on functionality and energy efficiency: the location of the rooms, the accessibility of the workshops and short distances during training. Importance will be placed on excellent energy efficiency during construction. Following approval of the documents, construction is expected to take about 18 months. The precise building costs cannot yet be determined due to the constantly changing situation in the construction industry.