For the fourth time in a row, Kuraray has been rated one of Germany’s top companies for vocational training by the IMWF institute for management and economic research, the news magazine Focus Money and the market research company Deutschland Test. With a score of 93.7 out of 100, Kuraray achieved excellent marks for its committed trainers and its sustainable vocational training concept, which reaches out to talented apprentices, according to the company.
Kuraray offers all-round training for the next generation of employees at its locations in Hattersheim am Main, Höchst Industrial Park and Troisdorf in Germany.
“Another convincing performance by Kuraray in the Focus Money vocational training survey in 2020 testifies to the outstanding work of the colleagues who train our apprentices,” says Dominique Buono, who is in charge of training at Kuraray Europe.
IMWF conducts an annual survey of the training performance of Germany’s 20,000 biggest employers in 90 sectors, including the chemical industry, on behalf of Focus Money and Deutschland Test. The ranking is based on factors such as how successful apprentices are in their training courses and the remuneration and additional benefits they receive. Positive online and social media reviews of companies that provide vocational training also play a part, with around 438 million online sources being analyzed for the study. In this year’s ranking, Kuraray is included in the approximately 160 companies highlighted by Focus Money as three-year winners.
“Our continuously good position in this training ranking shows that we offer our apprentices excellent and sustainable perspectives at the beginning of their working lives,” says Karl-Heinz Michel, head of human resources at Kuraray Europe GmbH. “With 93.7 out of 100 points, we even improved considerably on last year’s good score. That’s an incentive for us to go on offering young people training in the future that goes beyond simply acquiring work-related skills.”
At its three locations in Germany, Kuraray trains young people as industrial administrators, industrial mechanics, chemical laboratory technicians, electronics technicians, chemical production technicians and process mechanics.
“Theoretical lessons and practical experience are only part of how we prepare our apprentices for the world of work. We also believe it is important to support every individual in their personal development,” says Buono.
Alongside instructors and partners for inter-regional training, Kuraray’s future employees are supported by buddies who they can turn to if they have any questions, concerns or suggestions. Every shift has two or three of these volunteers. Many of Kuraray’s apprentices are able to complete their training courses faster than average and obtain very good grades, according to the company.