Prepared for the Challenges of Today and Tomorrow – Continental Presents the 2019 Training Program
- New seminars on air conditioning and data management in the workshop
- morecontinental.com: Number of e-learning offers on the training courses platform is growing
- Cooperation: The German Federal Association of the Tire Trade (BRV) relies on Continental brake training courses
Frankfurt, January 2019. Practical and future-oriented: Workshops in the independent automotive aftermarket can secure an edge in knowledge with Continental’s training program. The technology company recently presented its training program for 2019. New features include training courses on data management in the workshop, retrofitting air conditioning systems and exhaust emission testing. “We accompany workshops on their individual journeys into the future – and for us, it’s important that we provide constant orientation for them. As a broadly diversified company that helps to develop tomorrow’s trends in the automotive industry, we know exactly what the challenges of the future will be – and we pass on this knowledge first-hand,” explains Peter Wagner, Head of the Independent Aftermarket (IAM) Business Unit at Continental. “At the same time, our partner workshops ensure that we always keep a close eye on the market, enabling us to respond quickly and specifically to the individual needs of the companies.” The complete training program for 2019 is available online at morecontinental.com. Trade and workshop partners can book the courses on the training courses portal – or receive further training at any time through the e-learning programs.
Broadly diversified: What the Training Center offers you
Continental recently presented its training program for 2019. New features include training courses on data management in the workshop, retrofitting air conditioning systems and exhaust emission testing.
As one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, Continental co-developed important technologies like ESP driving dynamics control and is significantly involved in future technologies in close cooperation with the manufacturers. The experts at the Training Center pass on this OE knowledge to the aftermarket. The courses cover the challenges of the present, with topics such as brake maintenance & diagnosis, TPMS and connected systems. At the same time, they offer companies the opportunity to prepare for future market developments at an early stage.
Example – electrification: Continental has been offering high-voltage training courses since 2011, and information on 48 volt systems has also been on the curriculum of various seminars for a long time now. Workshops are seeing more and more hybrid vehicles nowadays, so those who have taken advantage of the offer now have a competitive edge. The same applies to driver assistance systems and connectivity. Thanks to the close contact that Continental maintains with its partner workshops – at events, for example – their current requirements regularly come to light. The seminars on direct acceptance and business administration are directly attributed to the results obtained by expert groups. Continental regularly invites ATE Brake Centers to these events in order to share experience and knowledge.
So what about 2019? One new training course tackles air conditioning systems. “Changes are in the pipeline in this well-known segment, because the cost-effectiveness of the coolants used today is being put to the test,” explains Tobias Stephan, Head of the Training Center at Continental. One of the aims of the training course is to teach participants how to convert to alternative refrigerants in everyday workshop life. A seminar on data management in the workshop will also be on the agenda for the first time, a sign that Continental is once again focusing on the megatrend of digitalization. During the course, participants will learn how to obtain the necessary manufacturer data for a repair, how to find service and recall campaigns, and how to keep digital service books correctly. There is also a new offer for exhaust emission testing.
Equipment: Make the right investments and get the most out of them
The necessary equipment and its correct handling are on the agendas of all the seminars – and of course an important but often neglected topic in the workshop: “Nowadays, a lot is being invested in the aftermarket, in headlamp adjustment systems, for example, and diagnostic devices for driver assistance systems,” explains Tobias Stephan. However… “If no one knows how to handle them properly, or if there’s no demand for the work in the company, these expensive devices will end up lying unused in a corner.” The training courses provide orientation for this topic – and employees learn everything they will need to use the devices as profitably as possible. “Today, the knowledge in the company and that of the employees is becoming an increasingly important success factor – and workshop owners should always keep that in mind.”
E-learning courses complement the comprehensive training concept
Classroom training is not the only way to increase knowledge in the workshop. Continental also offers a comprehensive training concept that includes web-based learning programs and a wealth of online information. You’ll find regularly updated information and service offers on the online training course portal morecontinental.com, which has now been available for more than three years. The Knowledge Center provides video tutorials and object-based training courses, including rotatable, 3D components with instructions on their functions and maintenance. This innovative e-learning concept, which Continental developed together with IMS AG, received the “Best of 2018” prize at the 2018 Industry Awards ceremony. E-learning is not only informative, it’s also fun: At the end of the “Brake Basics” module, users can test their knowledge with a Formula 1 racing game.
However, morecontinental.com offers much more. Anyone who is interested can download the training program, find out where the training courses take place and book them. An online orientation check will help you to select your best possible course before you book one. Autumn 2019 will also see morecontinental.com launch its new Digital Loyalty program as an additional benefit. Workshops will collect bonus credits for each Continental product purchased – and they can also use these credits to book training courses.
German Association of the Tire Trade (BRV) offers trainings in cooperation with Continental
Continental’s product range and experience have also convinced the German Federal Association of the Tire Trade and Vulcanization Crafts (BRV). In cooperation with Continental, it will train its members for the first time in specialist segments beyond the world of tires. Instructions for certification as a person instructed in electrotechnical work on high-voltage systems and “practical brake maintenance training” are initially planned. “We are very pleased that the representative of the tire and wheel specialists in Germany has decided to cooperate with us in order to expand its range of courses for the affiliated motor vehicle companies,” says Tobias Stephan.
Valerie Libercka
Media Spokesperson Smart Mobility
Continental Automotive