Bechtle achieves unprecedented trainee numbers

• 299 new vocational trainees and dual-study students
• Another milestone year in Bechtle’s 40-year history
• 869 young people in training across the group

Neckarsulm, 12 September 2023 – Bechtle once again entered an academic year with record numbers and more young people in training than at any point in its 40-year history. An all-time high of 299 vocational trainees and university students in dual-study programmes chose the European IT company to embark on their professional lives. Group-wide, 869 young people are learning the ropes across 13 technical and commercial professions, as well as 10 different university courses—an addition of 107 people, or an increase of 14 per cent compared to the previous year. Bechtle’s offering was also extended with the addition of a bachelor’s degree programme for sustainable management, and vocational training in marketing communication. In Germany, Bechtle has a 7 per cent training ratio, up from 6.6 per cent in the previous year. By 2030, the IT company aims to raise this number to 10 per cent. Bechtle has been providing training within Germany’s regulated vocational training and education system for 38 years, and in the past ten years has more than doubled the number of trainees.

“Given the shortage of skilled workers and various demographic factors, vocational and ongoing professional training remain high on our agenda. We want to give young people a real perspective in a dynamic and exciting industry, with a breadth of development opportunities ahead of them. At the same time, our vocational trainees and students bring a fresh perspective and energising influence, which is a real asset for Bechtle. We encourage our budding professionals to play an active role in our organisation early on to shape the future with IT together,” says Dr Thomas Olemotz, CEO, Bechtle AG. “We’re hence very pleased that the training opportunities we offer are met with great interest, and we are grateful for the trust that these young people and their families place in us.

Rising numbers across the board
While vocational trainees are more drawn to technical professions, university students favour economics. 429 trainees (previous year: 402) are currently pursuing technical training, while 316 (previous year: 248) have chosen a commercial track. Among university students, 81 (previous year: 74) are participating in an economic dual-study programme, and 43 (previous year: 38) have opted for a technical course. With 741 (previous year: 687) vocational trainees and dual-study students, the vast majority are distributed across Bechtle’s German locations.

New: sustainable management and marketing communication
This year, Bechtle has further expanded its broad vocational training offering to now include marketing communication. Other commercial and technical paths cover fields such as e-commerce, IT systems management and digitalisation management, IT systems technicians and other technical specialisations, as well as warehouse logistics. In partnership with cooperative universities, Bechtle offers students a total of ten different economic and technical courses, including digital commerce management, international business, business informatics, online media, and cybersecurity. The newest dual-study programme added to the list this year is sustainable management, bolstering a highly relevant and future-oriented business area.

Extensive onboarding programme
All new trainees and students begin their Bechtle journey with the company’s traditional Mikado onboarding programme at its headquarters in Neckarsulm. The programme aims to encourage a sense of community right from the start and invites newcomers to network across locations. Participants get to know Bechtle’s centralised service units and gain insights into the company’s history and corporate culture. Mikado kicks off a series of diverse seminars that accompanies trainees and concludes with tailored courses to prepare them for their exams. A dedicated mentoring programme partners trainees and students with experienced colleagues, helping them to quickly navigate and feel at home in the organisation.

Accepting applications for the 2024 academic year
Bechtle has published vocational training and dual-study opportunities available for Autumn 2024, and applications are already incoming. Students looking for a placement can find available positions and more information on Bechtle’s vocational training and dual-study offering, as well as ways to apply on bechtle.com/career.