Latest news with #CAESAR
Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Europe's defence firms struggle to find workers as business booms
Agencies Pavel Cechal believes that the Czech company he works for could easily generate more business for its missile and drone engines to double its workforce, if only he could find the staff. His dilemma is shared by many defense companies in Europe, where governments are ramping up spending on ammunition, tanks and other arms in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings that they should not rely so much on Washington. Cechal is vice president of operations at PBS Group, whose production facility in Velka Bites, a two-hour drive from Prague, employs 800 people. He is looking for more. 'If they were available on the labor market, we would hire most of them immediately. We have the business for it,' he told Reuters, adding the firm had raised wages by 8% last year and plans another 10% hike in 2025 to attract talent. 'We are now hiring at all levels of the company.' While the bloc's 800 billion euro ($896 billion) defence spending push is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next decade, the specially trained AI engineers, data scientists, welders and mechanics required are in short supply. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen companies, recruiters, and workers who said that, along with hiking wages and benefits, arms makers are poaching from other sectors and seeking potential recruits among local pupils and students. PBS Group has taken a step beyond cooperation with schools and universities. Milan Macholan, chief executive of the Velka Bites production facility, said: 'We also started our own training school where we generate our own employees.' Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, 78% of EU military procurement spending has gone outside the bloc, with the U.S. alone securing 63%, European Commission data show, partly because Europe's defense sector is fragmented between states. The EU plans to move a big chunk of that procurement to Europe and hopes its new Union of Skills training and hiring strategy will help fill the defence recruitment gap. In Russia, meanwhile, hiring by the well-funded arms sector is causing labour shortages elsewhere. Franco-German company KNDS, which manufactures the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer used in Ukraine, has expanded shifts at the company's main production site in Bourges in central France and is boosting hiring by 50% annually. Recruitment remains a key issue, said Nicolas Chamussy, managing director of KNDS France, adding that there was a limit to how much they could hike salaries. 'Don't forget that we're in a war economy, but we're also in an economic war. If our wages increase in an uncontrolled way, we'll be less competitive,' he said. AI experts who can develop autonomous weapons systems as well as people with expertise in products made in small volumes are in particular demand, industry participants said. 'We're not going to manufacture a CAESAR in the same way as a Peugeot 308. We have to master very, very specific know-how, which requires very particular skills. And those are rare on the job market,' said KNDS spokesperson Gabriel Massoni. A boost in defense spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) from the current NATO target of 2% would require as many as 760,000 new skilled workers in Europe, management consultant firm Kearney said in a recent report. 'Defense policy independence in Europe would only be possible if the local share of defense spending were to increase dramatically, which in turn could further exacerbate personnel shortages,' Kearney partner Guido Hertel wrote in the report. Rheinmetall – Europe's largest ammunition maker – plans to increase its workforce by around 29%, or up to 9,000, by 2028, primarily with product developers, engineers, welders and electronics technicians, it told Reuters. Submarine and frigate builder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is seeking up to 1,500 workers for its shipyard in Wismar, northern Germany. It is scouring trade fairs but says shortages of STEM experts trained in mathematics, IT, or sciences are a challenge, a view shared by Leonardo in Italy. 'In the past, the fact that we offered secure, quality contracts was enough to guarantee our leadership, but today young people favor other sectors over industry,' said the aerospace and defense firm, which is looking to universities and technical schools. Godefroy Jordan, general manager at Headhunting Factory, a Paris-based recruiter, specializes in finding mechanics, systems engineers and technicians for some of France's 4,000 small and medium-sized defense industry suppliers. 'The people we're targeting are in jobs where they've never been headhunted, they don't even have a CV,' Jordan told Reuters. 'When we call them, they think it's a scam.' 'This isn't a problem of finances; it's a human resources problem because the skills aren't there,' he added. Emrullah Karaca, who has worked at the soon-to-be-closed Gifhorn plant of auto supplier Continental for 25 years, is pondering a switch to Rheinmetall, which operates a factory around 50 kilometers (30 miles) north. But the father of three, who has trained to become a machine operator specialized in plastics technology, was also considering other options without the three-hour commute. 'For 25 years I've had the luxury of ... getting to work within five minutes,' he said. Auto industry struggles have helped Czech ammunition and shell producer STV Group recruit some of the more than 200 people it aims to add to its Vysoke Myto facility, 155 kilometers (96 miles) from Prague, by the middle of next year, its chairperson, David Hac, said. 'With the situation in the automotive industry worsening, we are now, for the first time in a long time, in a situation where we can choose a little among the people.' Oliver Doerre, CEO of German sensor and radar maker Hensoldt, told Reuters the company welcomed former auto workers because they are used to just-in-time manufacturing. 'That's where we hope to gain expertise to support us on this path towards serial production, towards scaling up production,' he said.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Europe's defence companies scramble for workers as business booms
VELKA BITES: P avel Cechal reckons the Czech company he works for could easily generate more business for its missile and drone engines to double its workforce, if only he could find the staff. His dilemma is shared by many defence companies in Europe , where governments are ramping up spending on ammunition, tanks and other arms in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings that they should not rely so much on Washington. Cechal is vice president of operations at PBS Group, whose production facility in Velka Bites, a two-hour drive from Prague, employs 800 people. He is looking for more. "If they were available on the labour market we would hire most of them immediately. We have the business for it," he told Reuters, adding the firm had raised wages by 8% last year and plans another 10% hike in 2025 to attract talent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo "We are now hiring at all levels of the company." While the bloc's 800 billion euro ($896 billion) defence spending push is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next decade, the specially trained AI engineers, data scientists, welders and mechanics required are in short supply. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen companies, recruiters and workers who said that along with hiking wages and benefits, arms makers are poaching from other sectors and seeking potential recruits among local pupils and students. Live Events PBS Group has taken a step beyond cooperation with schools and universities, Milan Macholan, chief executive of the Velka Bites production facility said: "We also started our own training school where we generate our own employees." Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, 78% of EU military procurement spending has gone outside the bloc, with the U.S. alone securing 63%, European Commission data show, partly because Europe's defence sector is fragmented between states. The EU plans to move a big chunk of that procurement to Europe and hopes its new Union of Skills training and hiring strategy will help fill the defence recruitment gap. In Russia, meanwhile, hiring by the well-funded arms sector is causing labour shortages elsewhere. COMPETITIVENESS CONCERNS Franco-German company KNDS , which manufactures the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer used in Ukraine, has expanded shifts at the company's main production site in Bourges in central France and is boosting hiring by 50% annually. Recruitment remains a key issue, said Nicolas Chamussy, managing director of KNDS France, adding that there was a limit to how much they could hike salaries. "Don't forget that we're in a war economy, but we're also in an economic war. If our wages increase in an uncontrolled way, we'll be less competitive," he said. AI experts who can develop autonomous weapons systems as well as people with expertise in products made in small volumes are in particular demand, industry participants said. "We're not going to manufacture a CAESAR in the same way as a Peugeot 308. We have to master very, very specific know-how which requires very particular skills. And those are rare on the job market," said KNDS spokesperson Gabriel Massoni. A boost in defence spending to 3% of GDP from the current NATO target of 2% would require as many as 760,000 new skilled workers in Europe, management consultant firm Kearney said in a recent report. "Defence policy independence in Europe would only be possible if the local share of defence spending were to increase dramatically, which in turn could further exacerbate personnel shortages," Kearney partner Guido Hertel wrote in the report. Rheinmetall -- Europe's largest ammunition maker -- plans to increase its workforce by around 29%, or up to 9,000, by 2028, primarily with product developers, engineers, welders and electronics technicians, it told Reuters. Submarine and frigate-builder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is seeking up to 1,500 workers for its shipyard in Wismar, northern Germany. It is scouring trade fairs but says shortages of STEM experts trained in mathematics, IT or sciences are a challenge, a view shared by Leonardo in Italy. "In the past, the fact that we offered secure, quality contracts was enough to guarantee our leadership, but today young people favour other sectors over industry," said the aerospace and defence firm, which is looking to universities and technical schools. Godefroy Jordan, general manager at Headhunting Factory, a Paris-based recruiter, specialises in finding mechanics, systems engineers and technicians for some of France's 4,000 small and medium-sized defence industry suppliers. "The people we're targeting are in jobs where they've never been headhunted, they don't even have a CV," Jordan told Reuters. "When we call them, they think it's a scam." "This isn't a problem of finances; it's a human resources problem because the skills aren't there," he added. AUTO WORKERS IN DEMAND Emrullah Karaca, who has worked at the soon-to-be-closed Gifhorn plant of auto supplier Continental for 25 years, is pondering a switch to Rheinmetall, which operates a factory around 50 km (30 miles) north. But the father of three, who has trained to become a machine operator specialised in plastics technology, was also considering other options without the three-hour commute. "For 25 years I've had the luxury of ... getting to work within five minutes," he said. Auto industry struggles have helped Czech ammunition and shell producer STV Group recruit some of the more than 200 people it aims to add to its Vysoke Myto facility 155 km (96 miles) from Prague by the middle of next year, its chairman, David Hac, said. "With the situation in the automotive industry worsening, we are now, for the first time in a long time, in a situation where we can choose a little among the people." Oliver Doerre, CEO of German sensor and radar maker Hensoldt , told Reuters the company welcomed former auto workers because they are used to just-in-time manufacturing. "That's where we hope to gain expertise to support us on this path towards serial production, towards scaling up production," he said.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Europe's defence companies scramble for workers as business booms
* Skills shortage is major hurdle to Europe's defence plans * Companies hike wages, poach workers, lobby for training * Fragmentation in arms manufacturing makes hiring harder * Defence industry sees silver lining in auto industry woes VELKA BITES, Czech Republic/FRANKFURT/PARIS, - P avel Cechal reckons the Czech company he works for could easily generate more business for its missile and drone engines to double its workforce, if only he could find the staff. His dilemma is shared by many defence companies in Europe, where governments are ramping up spending on ammunition, tanks and other arms in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings that they should not rely so much on Washington. Cechal is vice president of operations at PBS Group, whose production facility in Velka Bites, a two-hour drive from Prague, employs 800 people. He is looking for more. "If they were available on the labour market we would hire most of them immediately. We have the business for it," he told Reuters, adding the firm had raised wages by 8% last year and plans another 10% hike in 2025 to attract talent. "We are now hiring at all levels of the company." While the bloc's 800 billion euro defence spending push is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next decade, the specially trained AI engineers, data scientists, welders and mechanics required are in short supply. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen companies, recruiters and workers who said that along with hiking wages and benefits, arms makers are poaching from other sectors and seeking potential recruits among local pupils and students. PBS Group has taken a step beyond cooperation with schools and universities, Milan Macholan, chief executive of the Velka Bites production facility said: "We also started our own training school where we generate our own employees." Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, 78% of EU military procurement spending has gone outside the bloc, with the U.S. alone securing 63%, European Commission data show, partly because Europe's defence sector is fragmented between states. The EU plans to move a big chunk of that procurement to Europe and hopes its new Union of Skills training and hiring strategy will help fill the defence recruitment gap. In Russia, meanwhile, hiring by the well-funded arms sector is causing labour shortages elsewhere. COMPETITIVENESS CONCERNS Franco-German company KNDS, which manufactures the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer used in Ukraine, has expanded shifts at the company's main production site in Bourges in central France and is boosting hiring by 50% annually. Recruitment remains a key issue, said Nicolas Chamussy, managing director of KNDS France, adding that there was a limit to how much they could hike salaries. "Don't forget that we're in a war economy, but we're also in an economic war. If our wages increase in an uncontrolled way, we'll be less competitive," he said. AI experts who can develop autonomous weapons systems as well as people with expertise in products made in small volumes are in particular demand, industry participants said. "We're not going to manufacture a CAESAR in the same way as a Peugeot 308. We have to master very, very specific know-how which requires very particular skills. And those are rare on the job market," said KNDS spokesperson Gabriel Massoni. A boost in defence spending to 3% of GDP from the current NATO target of 2% would require as many as 760,000 new skilled workers in Europe, management consultant firm Kearney said in a recent report. "Defence policy independence in Europe would only be possible if the local share of defence spending were to increase dramatically, which in turn could further exacerbate personnel shortages," Kearney partner Guido Hertel wrote in the report. Rheinmetall Europe's largest ammunition maker plans to increase its workforce by around 29%, or up to 9,000, by 2028, primarily with product developers, engineers, welders and electronics technicians, it told Reuters. Submarine and frigate-builder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is seeking up to 1,500 workers for its shipyard in Wismar, northern Germany. It is scouring trade fairs but says shortages of STEM experts trained in mathematics, IT or sciences are a challenge, a view shared by Leonardo in Italy. "In the past, the fact that we offered secure, quality contracts was enough to guarantee our leadership, but today young people favour other sectors over industry," said the aerospace and defence firm, which is looking to universities and technical schools. Godefroy Jordan, general manager at Headhunting Factory, a Paris-based recruiter, specialises in finding mechanics, systems engineers and technicians for some of France's 4,000 small and medium-sized defence industry suppliers. "The people we're targeting are in jobs where they've never been headhunted, they don't even have a CV," Jordan told Reuters. "When we call them, they think it's a scam." "This isn't a problem of finances; it's a human resources problem because the skills aren't there," he added. AUTO WORKERS IN DEMAND Emrullah Karaca, who has worked at the soon-to-be-closed Gifhorn plant of auto supplier Continental for 25 years, is pondering a switch to Rheinmetall, which operates a factory around 50 km north. But the father of three, who has trained to become a machine operator specialised in plastics technology, was also considering other options without the three-hour commute. "For 25 years I've had the luxury of ... getting to work within five minutes," he said. Auto industry struggles have helped Czech ammunition and shell producer STV Group recruit some of the more than 200 people it aims to add to its Vysoke Myto facility 155 km from Prague by the middle of next year, its chairman, David Hac, said. "With the situation in the automotive industry worsening, we are now, for the first time in a long time, in a situation where we can choose a little among the people." Oliver Doerre, CEO of German sensor and radar maker Hensoldt , told Reuters the company welcomed former auto workers because they are used to just-in-time manufacturing. "That's where we hope to gain expertise to support us on this path towards serial production, towards scaling up production," he said.
National Geographic
06-03-2025
- General
- National Geographic
The hidden meaning behind Rome's famous arch monuments
An imperial monument With the advent of the empire, Augustus retained imperium maius, or 'greater power,' and became the leader of all generals, which meant generals could no longer erect triumphal arches. This became a privilege reserved exclusively for the imperial family. Anatomy of the artworks Anatomy of the artworks Sculptures, reliefs, and inscriptions allude to the success and parade that the triumphal arch was built to honor. Some elements focus on the spoils of war, while others depict the victor's chariot or scenes of battle. The original decoration on the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum is shown in this 1829 illustration by Franz Heinrich Köler. Quintlox/Album Below the four main panels are reliefs depicting the transfer of spoils of war in chariots. Columns with Corinthian capitals form part of the decorations. Spandrels on the side have images representing the rivers of the conquered Parthians, including the Tigris and Euphrates. The top of the central arch is flanked on either side by a winged victory carrying a trophy. Panels portraying the unfortunate prisoners of war adorn the lower section. Many are pictured with mournful expressions and hands tied behind their backs. Coins featuring the arch that were minted during the reign of Septimius Severus show that it was topped by a gilded bronze sculpture of a chariot drawn by six horses and driven by the emperor and his son Caracalla. The upper part of the arch is covered in a marble panel bearing a Latin inscription in gold lettering that reads: TO THE EMPEROR CAESAR LUCIUS SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS SON OF MARCUS, ... FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY, CONQUEROR OF THE PARTHIANS IN ARABIA AND SYRIA, PONTIFF MAXIMUS, IN THE 11TH YEAR OF HIS RULE, CONSUL 3 TIMES, AND PROCONSUL, AND TO THE EMPEROR CAESAR MARCUS AURELIUS ANTONINUS AUGUSTUS PIUS FELIX [CARACALLA], IN THE SIXTH YEAR OF HIS RULE, CONSUL, AND PROCONSUL ... BEST AND BRAVEST OF PRINCES, DISTINGUISHED FOR HAVING RESTORED THE REPUBLIC AND EXPANDED THE POWER OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE, ... FOR THEIR NOTABLE VIRTUES AT HOME AND ABROAD THE SENATE AND THE ROMAN PEOPLE (DEDICATE THIS MONUMENT). Four main panels decorating the arch depict wars waged by Septimius Severus against the Parthians and the Arabs. The panel below presents the A.D. 195 siege of the Parthian fortress of Nisibis (Nusaybin today), in present-day southeastern Turkey. The original panel is now badly deteriorated. Given that some colonies were many hundreds of miles away from the capital in Rome, it was a shrewd political move to keep the ambitions of far-flung generals in check by focusing all reference to victories on the emperor himself. Over time, triumphal arches shifted away from being related to the triumphal parades of generals and instead became commemorative monuments glorifying the emperor alone. Having been transformed into a vehicle of imperial propaganda, triumphal arches proliferated not only in Rome but also across the empire. (8 things people get wrong about ancient Rome.) While the triumphal arches of the republican era were short-lived wooden structures, the commemorative arches of the empire, made from stone and Roman cement (opus caementicium), were designed to last. The arch itself became deeper, sometimes extending from 15 to nearly 37 feet from front to back. Two smaller side arches flanking the main arch reinforced the structure and increased the surface area available for reliefs and inscriptions. This decoration was concentrated in the attic section at the top of the arch, which often displayed panels with war scenes depicting weapons taken from the defeated as well as a sculpture of the victor driving a chariot. The Arch of Titus Built by Emperor Domitian in A.D. 81 to honor his brother, the late emperor Titus, this arch is located on the Via Sacra, the route followed by the triumphal processions. Luigi Vaccarella/Fototeca 9x12 The architecture of the arches evolved as the imperial era went on. The few arches that remain from the reign of Augustus, the first emperor (27 B.C.–A.D. 14), have an austere design and appear somewhat out of proportion. Later, the influence of Hellenistic, Syrian, and Mesopotamian art would lead to a mingling of forms as architects experimented with decoration from various architectural schools; the Arch of Titus achieves a particularly attractive balance. Erected in A.D. 81. on the Via Sacra, it is the oldest surviving arch in Rome.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
18th century historical speaker event planned
The Colonel Alexander Erwin Sons of the American Revolution Chapter, CAESAR, supporting Burke, Caldwell and McDowell counties will host an 18th Century Historical Speaker event on March 20. The event includes an optional dinner and will begin at 6 p.m. at the Morganton Community House in downtown Morganton. Dr. John M. Lafferty will be the guest speaker. Lafferty is a recently retired physician with a lifelong love of the country, its history and government. Lafferty's presentation will be 'How (and why) the Scot's Irish helped secure American Independence.' Lafferty has deep roots in the Piedmont of North Carolina and hopes to convey the importance of this unique group of Scot's Irish people on the nation's founding and guiding principles that led America to be an independent free nation from the British crown. Lafferty attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill both for undergraduate and medical school and completed his residency at Michigan State University. He retired from medicine in 2022 after practicing obstetrics and gynecology in Burke County for 40 years. He also precepted residents and students from the Via College of Medicine in Virginia, retiring as associate professor. He was chair of both surgery and OB during his practice years. Despite the time demands of a medical career, his love of history never diminished. He serves on the board of Historic Burke Foundation, as docent for the Exploring Joara Foundation, and is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. He has been married to his wife, Laura, for almost 50 years and has two adult children. He is a long-time member of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church and currently serves as elder and clerk of session. Monthly historical presentations are held at the Morganton Community House, at 120 N. King St., in Morganton. Events are open to the public at no cost. There is an optional dinner, which costs $20 cash per person, which can be presented at the door. Anyone interested in attending will need to notify CAESAR President Kevin Hancock by email at or text at 262-581-6223, no later than the Friday prior to the event. The Sons of the American Revolution, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan congressionally chartered organization founded in 1889 that honors the members Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by promoting patriotism, preserving history, serving communities and educating and inspiring future generations about the founding principles of the United States.
