Neckarsulm, 7 September 2017 – This year, over 170 young trainees have joined Bechtle to embark on their professional livescareers—that’s more than in any other year to date. In total, the IT company Group is currently qualifies training some 540 young people in 15 different commercial and technical fields, showingreflecting a steady growth in trainee numbers over the past years.
“Bechtle is an extraordinarily dynamic player in a future-oriented industry, with a growing need for highly skilled professionals. In-house vocational training has been a staple in our quest to meet this demand. We hope to offer long-term prospects to all vocational trainees and students working for Bechtle,” explains Bechtle AG’s head of HR, Insa Zeller. The majority of vocational trainees are seeking to become IT specialists or management assistants specialising in wholesale & foreign trade or IT systems, while students in dual-study programmes favour either business informatics or business administration with a focus on trade. Of the current vocational trainees, roughly 250 are pursuing a technical profession, and around 200 are following a commercial career path. By contrast, dual-study students are divided equally between the two areas.
Assuming responsibility from the beginning
Bechtle makes it a priority to provide trainees with genuine on-the-job experience, which is why these novices are expected to assume responsibility for their work early on. Each trainee is assigned a dedicated onboarding mentor who offers guidance and support. “Flat hierarchies and fast decision-making are innate to Bechtle. Our trainees start working independently at a very early stage. They appreciate the trust we place in them, and it motivates them to do a great job, too,” explains Ms Zeller. The Bechtle Academy, which was founded back in 1999, supplements personalised training plans through its broad range of seminars for professional newcomers, covering such subjects as giving effective presentations, using the phone in a business setting, IT basics and certifications.
Taking their first steps as a team
Bechtle’s orientation programme, known as Mikado, helps new trainees ease into the company and day-to-day operations. The two-day event at Bechtle’s headquarters in Neckarsulm introduces them to the Bechtle Group’s structure and business model, and also includes team-building events such as a ropes-course challenge. According to Ms Zeller, “Mikado is very popular among our trainees as it bridges the geographical distance separating our various sites. They connect in ways that often extend beyond their training period.” The Bechtle Academy has been hosting the kick-off event for trainees for over ten years.
Applications for 2018 already incoming
Bechtle’s training ratio in Germany is currently at 7.6 percent. “We recommend that students wanting to do their vocational training or dual-study programme at Bechtle apply online a year-and-a-half in advance,” says Ms Zeller. In 2018, Bechtle will again be offering more than 160 slots for vocational trainees and students. A host of information on vocational training and dual-study opportunities, as well as current vacancies, are available to consult on bechtle-azubit.de. Bechtle is a three-time Gold-award recipient for Best Recruiter, beating all of its industry competitors. Bechtle also placed second in the most recent ranking of Germany’s top 500 companies in terms of revenue and workforce.