In this series, we shine the spotlight on the different apprenticeship programs we run across the globe – one country at a time. This installment of our series takes us to Mexico.
It wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven, or love at first sight. Diana Alejandra Núñez Alamilla never imagined herself working with elevators.
Her fear of heights made joining Schindler an unlikely career choice. However, Diana didn’t let vertigo get the upper hand. She took a leap of faith and became one of the first candidates to join our Mexico apprenticeship program.
I liked what I heard during my interview with Schindler. It was a different career opportunity to what I had imagined, which convinced me to take it up.
Fast forward to today, and Diana is thriving as an apprentice in our Fulfilment and Large Projects department.
She's faced her fear of heights head-on (her personal record: working in an elevator stationed on the 32nd floor) and has embraced her role with enthusiasm. "The continuous learning and constant encouragement to take on new challenges has really helped me," Diana explains. "I had no idea how complex it was to build and install an elevator. I’m passionate about learning more and am even more determined to prove myself in the industry. It’s really opened my eyes to new opportunities."
Diana is one of many apprentices who have joined our program in Mexico, launched in mid-2023. The program aims to address a significant gap: the lack of professional paths or technical training programs leading young people into the elevator industry. Today, the Schindler Mexico apprenticeship program is helping build a strong talent pipeline for our industry, while offering a range of long-term career opportunities in a country where poverty is still rampant.
Apprentices are recruited from CONALEP, Instituto Tecnológico de Tlalnepantla, and UNITEC. Based at the Head Office in Naucalpan, northwest of Mexico City, the apprenticeships rotate departments every three months to explore different aspects of the elevator industry.
Denisse Lopez Ramirez, our Recruitment and Development Manager, operates in a highly competitive environment. Attracting talent to Schindler means competing with tech giants, who are all vying for top talent. Despite these challenges, Denisse regularly speaks to groups of potential candidates, showcasing the unique and rewarding career opportunities at Schindler.
"We try to show what a career in Schindler could look like, always conscious that we’re competing with the likes of Google and Microsoft for the brightest technical minds of the next generation," she explains.
Diego Ángel Cervantes joined Schindler last year as an apprentice in Field Quality Excellence. He understands the opportunity a Schindler career offers – it's evident in his steely determination and drive to expand his knowledge and build a better future for himself and his family. "Schindler has been so supportive. I’d love to see more people in my position have the same great opportunity and experience that I've had," he says.
For Diego Peralta Saucedo, currently working in Fulfilment and Large Projects, it was Schindler's reputation that initially appealed to him. "It isn’t easy to find an opening such as this with Schindler, but if you can, it offers continued growth opportunities," he explains.
Diego has certainly seized these growth opportunities, testing his skills and taking on additional leadership responsibilities.
The importance of safety at work goes without saying, but I’ve learned that it’s very different when I’m under pressure to solve problems, with the team relying on me. I’ve also had to overcome my fear of speaking in front of others and learned how to manage people.
In Mexico, family profoundly impacts both personal and professional lives. For lower income families, it’s common, and often economically necessary, for three or more generations to live under the same roof.
It's therefore no surprise that when Schindler Mexico recruits new apprentices, the process involves a discussion with the family, too.
Our apprenticeship program in Mexico is just one of many similar programs we run in different parts of the world. Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the UK, China, New Zealand, Australia and the UK – all offer apprenticeship programs covering a variety of professions. While programs differ from one country to the next, all offer our youth an opportunity to enter the workforce and develop the skills they need to thrive in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace.
"Part of the recruitment approach is talking with a potential apprentice’s parents, as well as the individuals and their schools," says Denisse. "We explain how the Schindler culture feels like a family, where we closely mentor and support them."
While this may sound like a bold claim for a 150-year-old global organization with more than 70,000 employees in over 100 countries, it’s a promise that we deliver on, and something that comes back loud and clear in feedback from many of the apprentices Denisse has helped to recruit.
Ricardo Maldonado, another Field Quality Excellence apprentice, describes his apprenticeship as a unique experience, one that has set him up perfectly to work in any of the eight Schindler branches in Mexico. "The willingness of our instructors to involve us has really helped make us feel like part of the company. I’m a much better team player and communicator now and the experience has really helped me to clarify the next steps I want to take in my career," he says.
A fellow apprentice, Alan Eduardo Flores, echoes Ricardo’s praise for the instructors, who, he says, have struck the right balance between theory and practice. "I joined Schindler because I was interested in the whole topic of elevators and wanted to see how they work in both a theoretical and practical way. It’s been a significant experience that’s helped me grow personally and professionally and has shaped my future plans."