2026 Training Year Kicks Off at the Koehler Group: 36 Talented Individuals Bring Youthful Drive to the Company
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- 36 apprentices and dual-study program students start professional development at the Koehler Group
- Warehouse logistics specialist apprenticeship and HR management dual-study program offered for the first time
- Training rate already higher than 4% target defined for 2030
36 new faces, lots of ideas, and a shared goal: shaping the future. The Koehler Group just had the honor of welcoming 36 young individuals at the beginning of the training year on September 1st as they embark on the start of their careers. The family business’ mills in Oberkirch, Kehl, Weisenbach, and Greiz, as well as its site in Willstätt, will provide the newcomers with training for their apprenticeship or dual-study program in Germany and make them an integral part of the company’s activities from the very start.
From Classroom to Task
Whether it be production, engineering, technology, IT, or administration, this new young talent will be getting started in a total of ten different apprenticeship and dual-study program specializations that include paper technologist, electronics technician, industrial mechanic, mechatronics technician, systems integration specialist, and industrial administrator. These apprenticeship paths are rounded out by dual-study programs in business information systems and, for the first time ever, HR management. In addition, there is also a new vocational training option in the form of a warehouse logistics specialist apprenticeship.
The incoming young talent will be able to make use of state-of-the-art learning and working facilities for their professional development. While training for general technical apprenticeships will be provided at the Koehler Group Tech Campus in Willstätt, prospective paper technologists will instead be attending the Koehler Group Paper Campus in Oberkirch. Both of these campuses combine realistic training with modern teaching approaches, providing an optimal basis for getting started with a successful career.
The group is also welcoming new apprentices outside of the Ortenau region, with four paper technologists starting their training at the Koehler Paper mill in Greiz. Moreover, two paper technologists and a mechatronics technician are starting their careers in the German municipality of Weisenbach at KATZ, one of the company’s subsidiaries.
All these paths came together for an official kick-off event in the form of an orientation week in Willstätt. There, all 36 newcomers got the opportunity to get a deeper initial look at what the company is like, get to know each other, and have a chat with management. They were given an official welcome by a number of people, including CEO Kai Furler, Corporate Director of HR & Legal Elke Renz, and Head of HR Development and Training Simone Wölfle. The agenda was rounded out by various icebreakers and information options, guided tours of the facilities, and joint activities designed to make it easier for the young individuals to get started at the company.
Recruitment and Training for Young Talent with a Long-Term Vision
“The young people who are starting their training at Koehler today will be the ones shaping the work of the future. That’s why we’re deliberately investing in state-of-the-art training centers, top-grade vocational training, and close and personal coaching and mentoring. At the end of the day, our goal is not just to provide young talent with skills, but also to get them excited about their careers in the long term,” explains Elke Renz, the Corporate Director of HR & Legal at the Koehler Group.
The Koehler Group has been systematically investing in training its own skilled workforce for many years as part of a long-term strategy. In fact, its current total of 116 apprentices and dual-study program students across all training years means that the company’s training rate is over 4% as of this writing, surpassing the target that had originally been set for 2030. However, this is not an entirely unexpected outcome, as contributing to and supporting the development of young talent is an integral part of the company’s sustainability strategy.
Further proof of the high quality of training provided by the Koehler Group is the fact that the latter has been awarded the BEST PLACE TO LEARN® seal of approval, which corroborates the fact that the Koehler Group is a highly attractive center of training that is continuously developing and improving its offerings.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards
Alexander M. Stöckle Corporate Director Marketing & Communications Press Spokesperson
Koehler Holding SE & Co. KG
Tel: +49 7802 81-4749 Fax: +49 7802 81-5749 mailto:alexander.stoeckle@koehler.com