Mercedes-Benz is launching a cross-site initiative that promotes the successful cooperation between young and experienced employees in the production organisation. A variety of generations also means a variety of experiences, perspectives and new ideas. The demographics initiative entitled ‘Y.E.S. – Young, Experienced, together Successful’ aims to promote collaboration between young and experienced employees in the passenger car production organisation of Mercedes-Benz and, for the first time, to create consistent standards for all plants throughout Germany. A cross-site project team has been set up to assume responsibility for its implementation. The initiative arranges new ideas which are based on the fundamental agreements on generation management signed by both Daimler AG and the general works council in September 2015.
The official starting point for the Y.E.S. initiative was the opening of the ‘EY ALTER’ demographics exhibition, which took place yesterday, on October 22, in Bremen with guests from politics, business and science. This public exhibition presents the opportunities of demographic change in a creative way. Designed by the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen in collaboration with organiser Universum®Bremen and scientific partner Jacobs University, it is also supported by the IG Metall and Nordmetall unions. Consisting of four themed areas, the visitor learns what determines the way we think about old and young, how multifaceted our own age is, where people’s individual potential lies and how this can be fulfilled in teams that include a number of different generations.
In line with the demographic trend in Germany, the average age at the German production sites of Mercedes-Benz Cars is set to increase considerably over the coming years. These sites are part of our global production network and substantial investments will go into modernising and extending them in the medium term. At the same time, automation levels will be cut back to achieve greater flexibility in production. As a consequence of an ageing workforce, the focus will be on creating a completely new type of work organisation with cross-generation collaboration in a modern production environment.
