Knorr-Bremse welcomes the best “beachmanagers” from Bavaria’s secondary schools
July 05, 2012
July 6, 2012 is crunch day for the ten best teams of school students in the “beachmanager” business game being staged across Bavaria. This year the final of the competition is being held at the headquarters of Knorr-Bremse AG. For several hundred eighth grade students from Bavarian secondary schools, the business game involved assuming the fictitious role of managers, charged with guiding the fortunes of an aquatic sports center.
After winning through six rounds of the competition, on July 6, Bavaria’s best “beachmanagers” get to compete live with one another at Knorr-Bremse to determine which of the ten finalists ultimately proves the most successful management team. This year’s “beachmanager” competition is the fourth in the series so far. Under the aegis of Bavarian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Ludwig Spaenle, over 700 students in some 220 teams entered this year’s edition. Since November 2011 they have been simulating the business management of an aquatic sports center. Rather than just swimming or sunbathing, among other things the game is about the efficient and profitable organization of a pedalo and surfboard hire business. The skills required ranged from hard work, entrepreneurial thinking and cost calculation, to cooperation, responsible behavior and teamwork – because the student managers also have to agree all the tasks and decisions with their colleagues on the “board”.
The competition is based on a business-game software package co-developed in 2007 by the non-profit Bavarian Industry Training Institute (bbw) and Bavarian Industry Association (vbw), in conjunction with the Employers’ Associations of the Bavarian Metalworking and Electrical Industries (bayme vbm). The idea is to teach the students how business works in a lively, realistic way, with a taste of summer rather than as dry theory, by engaging them in the role of managers of an aquatic sports center. Just how successful this has proved will be clear for all to see at Knorr-Bremse in Moosacher Strasse in Munich on July 6. Knorr-Bremse is looking forward to welcoming Bavaria’s best “beachmanagers” – and who knows, maybe there’s even a future Knorr-Bremse manager among them!
The Knorr-Bremse Group is the world's leading manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles. For more than 100 years now the company has pioneered the development, production, marketing and servicing of state-of-the-art braking systems. In the rail vehicle systems sector, the product portfolio also includes intelligent door systems, control components, air conditioning systems and windscreen wiper systems, as well as platform screen doors. Knorr-Bremse also offers driving simulators and e-learning systems for optimum train crew training. In the commercial vehicle systems sector, the product range includes complete braking systems with driver assistance systems, as well as torsional vibration dampers, powertrain-related solutions and transmission control systems for enhanced energy efficiency and fuel economy.
