Jonny (47) from Arnstadt has been working in the future cell production of our battery plant since fall 2022. Here he will work in the so-called clean room. This is the production section where the first filling of the cell takes place. "I'm a person who needs challenges," says Jonny. That's why he is very excited to soon tackle this technical challenge in the clean room.
Your path to CATL
Jonny became aware of CATL through the press. He then attended an information event about CATL and eventually registered for the application day. Jonny actually comes from the metal industry (was a welder and plant technician), battery technology was completely new to him. But his great interest in CATL and the proximity to his home led him to decide to take a qualification course through the Erfurt Education Center. Jonny thus found his way to CATL as a career changer.
Everyday work and interfaces
In day-to-day work, all future cell production employees currently form a large team. Here, the constant exchange of information among each other is very important, Jonny emphasizes. "Later, there will be smaller teams, i.e. shift- and area-based," he continues. Nevertheless, the team leader meetings will remain to ensure the flow of communication. In the future, the individual operator (that's what our production employees are called) will work in a line-oriented manner, i.e. have a fixed workstation where, in perspective, there will also be a lot of individual work.
Most of the interfaces in Jonny's day-to-day work are currently with the Testing department. Here, we have to work hand in hand to ensure that the battery cells function properly. Once all cell production lines have been commissioned, however, there will also be points of contact with other departments, such as Maintenance and Quality.
What is special about production at CATL
Jonny is motivated above all by his personal interest in technology and the will to "make the product happen". He is particularly impressed by the fact that CATL is technologically up to date. Fire protection and premises, such as showers and canteen, will also be up to date once series production is up and running.
For the work on the individual systems, a preliminary electrical training is basically not wrong to get a better understanding of the battery cell, says Jonny. But prior technical training is not essential. "All the stuff we do there is semi-skilled work. If you put in the effort, you can get into it quickly. Everything is trained in detail. It doesn't overwhelm you because you're trained piece by piece on the machine."
Have you already been able to develop professionally at CATL?
Already, after only 2 months, Jonny is already a candidate for a team leader position in the clean room of cell production. "When I was being trained at the plant, I stood out positively. Then I was offered the opportunity to develop into a team leader. So it was very quick and unexpected. I was pleasantly surprised myself that so much trust was placed in me," Jonny recounts.
In addition, Jonny was approached about being part of CATL's operational fire protection team. "I then went on to do my Truppmann I here. That's real firefighter training that I could also use privately. It's a very diverse subject where you get to know a lot of people across departments." With his training as a squad member, Jonny also received his first responder training at the same time and is proud: "I think it's very good that you can intervene directly and protect people."
What do you appreciate about CATL?
The opportunities for advancement and further development: "It doesn't matter what industry I come from, you have the same opportunities as everyone else. It just depends on how I work and what I perform. This is rewarded accordingly with opportunities for advancement or bonuses. I don't know that at all from other companies."
Where do you see your future at CATL?
Initially, Jonny would like to solidify himself in the team leader role, and then later possibly aim for the shift supervisor position. In any case, he would like to stay in production and continue to work with his existing and also new colleagues. "I think it's nice to meet new people all the time."
Your future team colleague should...
"Above all, be a team player. That's actually the basic requirement here, since we work together in small groups in a very informal way."
