Kion brings in 150 for training program

This summer and fall 125 young people are getting their first taste of working life with German companies within the Kion Group.

The majority (110) are embarking on training programs across 19 different professions, while 15 people will complete dual studies in one of the 13 study programs on offer.

The Kion Group – including its brands Linde Material Handling, STILL, and Dematic as well as Kion Group IT – currently employs a total of around 500 trainees and students.

“Training these youngsters is one of our top priorities,” says Bernhard Just, executive vice-president human resources at Kion Group AG.

“Both sides reap the rewards long term: Apprentices and students receive high-level training, while the company secures talent for the future. This is particularly important for our competitiveness.”

Team-building

From industrial mechanics and technical model makers to production engineers, all training programs related to system solutions, forklift trucks, and warehouse handling equipment are run by Linde Material Handling.

“In cooperation with Linde Hydraulics, we have 58 junior employees starting here: 29 apprentices in industrial-technical professions (a further eight at Linde Hydraulics), nine aspiring managers, and three people at KION Group IT. There are also nine students on a dual study program,” said Christopher Klix, training manager at Linde MH in Aschaffenburg. “All trainees will be taken on for at least a year after the end of their training program.”

On September 1, 2022, trainees and students congregated in Aschaffenburg, where they were welcomed by both company representatives and the works council. Afterwards trainees they met their trainers.

Plant tours helped newcomers get better acquainted with the Linde MH headquarters and familiarize themselves with their working environment. After this settling-in period, trainees and students headed off to Kleinwalsertal in Austria for a week of experiential education.

Forklift construction workshop

Still has won multiple accolades in recent years for its excellent training program. Trainees are closely supervised from the very beginning to ensure they get off to a flying start.

In 2022, a total 64 trainees and students are embarking on careers at Still: In Hamburg, there are 35 junior employees (29 trainees and six students on dual study programs), including 23 in technical professions, four warehouse logistics specialists, and two industrial clerks. In the branch offices, there are 29 new starters, including 24 mechatronics engineers and five industrial clerks.

“People are especially looking forward to the forklift construction workshop,” said Jan Wehlen, training manager at STILL’s site in Hamburg. In early October, all the trainees will spend a week working together in mixed groups, focusing on the forklift truck as a product and on interacting as a team. To round off the training, they are tasked with leading a presentation on everything they have learned.

Still  boasts an impressive retention rate: “Out of 36 trainees and students, 35 were offered employment and one was enrolled on a dual study program – so our quota for 2022 is almost 100 percent,” Wehlen said.

Applications for 2023

The application and selection process for the 2023 training year is already underway. More information on training, dual study programs, and career opportunities at a leading intralogistics provider can be found on the KION Group website or on the career portals at Linde Material Handling, STILL, and Dematic.