Initial vocational and professional training has a high priority for United Internet. We train future staff and give young people a successful start to their careers. At present, we offer apprenticeships for the following commercial and technical career profiles: computer science specialists (application development/systems integration), IT systems management specialists, dialog marketing specialists, marketing communications specialists, and office management specialists. In addition, United Internet and Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) offer degrees in computer science; business information systems; law, tax, and business/accounting & financial control; business administration/marketing management; and business administration/digital business management at the university’s locations in Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Mannheim.
All program participants work in a wide range of different departments within the organization during their three-year apprenticeship or DHBW degree. They are fully integrated with the teams and day-to-day workflows during their time there. United Internet’s unique vocational training model allows apprentices and dual degree students to actively design how they spend their time in the Company, i.e., they can choose their departments to match their interests from their second year onwards. Our apprentice workshops at our Karlsruhe, Montabaur, and Munich locations are another major success. These are mainly used by technical apprentices, who spend an early part of their vocational training here to learn the basic skills that they will need later on when they are seconded to different departments within the organization. In addition to teaching specialist skills and methodologies, United Internet focuses during training on behavior that is in line with its system of values. This mix of technical know-how, methodological expertise, and conduct that adheres to the Company’s values forms the basis for a successful transition to the world of work once apprentices are qualified. The vocational training time spent in the Company is supplemented by (cross-location) apprentice projects. One example here is apprentices’ active contribution to, and design of, career orientation formats – something that also strengthens their interpersonal skills. As a result, our apprentices are excellently positioned to take up permanent positions later on. Since June 2020, United Internet has also officially been a “Best Place to Learn“ and this year it came top of the class in the “1,000 employees plus” category.
✓ As of December 31, 2022, there were 193 young people in apprenticeships or studying throughout the Group (2021: 215; 2020: 225) . In fiscal year 2022, 40 (2021: 47; 2020: 45) freshly-qualified vocational trainees and students who had completed dual studies degrees or apprenticeships with us were offered permanent positions. ✓
We work together with schools, universities, and colleges to attract fresh talent at an early stage. We have developed a variety of trainee programs offering an apprenticeship or a dual degree course (in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW)) or helping fresh graduates find their feet in our corporate environment.
In 2021, we got involved in Offenburg University’s Mentoring Future Program with the aim of supporting young female students and offering them networking opportunities with young female employees and junior managers. The program provides for female staff from different United Internet departments to act as mentors for young women students. The feedback from the students confirms that the networking scheme has helped bridge the gap between studying and work by providing insights into the process of starting one’s career and of professional environments.
In addition, United Internet launched a talent retention program in 2021 that allows interested applicants and prospective candidates – from school students to managers – to remain in contact with the Company.
We also have a special responsibility to our interns. We have signed up to the Fair Company Initiative, whose members commit to providing fair conditions such as appropriate compensation and personal support.
We offer school students short internships that give them a chance to get to know our organization and the world of work in general. United Internet also cooperates and holds events with schools, as well as offering careers advice and career discovery opportunities during Germany’s Girls’Day and Boys’Day and our own in-house apprenticeship counseling.
Apprentices also offer extremely popular one-week programming courses for children and young people aged 13 and over during vacations.
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