Reinforcements for the PRO ACADEMY team

The PRO ACADEMY is growing and will kick off the winter season with additional trainers, ensuring that even more customers can benefit from know-how regarding efficient and resource-conserving slope management. George Sarimpalidis, Head of PRO ACADEMY, and Roland Winkler, Head of Operator Trainers, present the advantages of these training courses in an interview.

What benefits does PRO ACADEMY offer to ski areas?
George Sarimpalidis: "Good preparation with PRO ACADEMY always pays off, because more efficient and sustainable processes in the areas of slopes and slope grooming are an investment in the future. When someone lacks the requisite know-how, even the best machine and the most state-of-the-art software only offers them a fraction of what's possible. And tips on ideal machine maintenance save time and money."

George, not only are you Head of PRO ACADEMY, you also conduct technology training courses yourself. What are the key features of these courses, and what do customers take away from them?
"In the courses on the technology of the machines, mechanics and service managers learn how to perform maintenance tasks and repairs faster and more cost-efficiently. We conduct technology courses in small groups of 6 participants to ensure we can provide direct feedback. These courses have a modular structure and include topics such as engines, electrics/electronics, hydraulics and winches. We also offer participants the option of taking the technology training courses on site at ski areas. The curriculum is tailored to the needs of our customers, and we also offer hybrid formats."

 

And what do you teach in the operator training courses?
Roland Winkler: "In the beginner training courses, new slope groomer operators learn basic knowledge and skills. The training courses are a thorough basis for daily work in snow and the focus is on learning a driving style that is efficient, puts minimal wear and tear on the machine and protects the environment. When slope groomer operators create ideal slopes, this goes a long way in ensuring the success of the end product – a great day of skiing for the guests."

Why has Kässbohrer recently added two new operator trainers to PRO ACADEMY, Roland?
Roland Winkler: "Two additional trainers have been added by PRO ACADEMY due to the high level of interest in our courses. PRO ACADEMY can now substantially expand our course offerings to include practical operator training courses. We're delighted to welcome Markus Deutinger and Anthony Bowman to our team of trainers. We can now offer operator training courses throughout the whole season, from November through April. 
Anthony will conduct the training courses in Germany and is also available for training courses around the world. The native-born Australian is the ideal man to lead the English-language training courses. 
Markus will lend me support in Austria. He's a jack-of-all-trades and our park design pro. He's also responsible for the SNOWsat courses, where our customers learn how to better leverage the potential of various SNOWsat solutions."

Are there new courses offered in the current winter season?
George Sarimpalidis: Yes, PRO ACADEMY now offers SNOWsat online training courses for SNOWsat. This allows people from anywhere in the world to access knowledge about efficient processes and resource-conserving work related to slope & snow management. Various uses, applications, evaluations etc. are interactively illustrated, explained in an easy-to-understand manner and topped off with a quiz.
Webinars for operators on the topic of optimum tiller settings have also been added to our offerings."