Setting Positive Accents: Bertelsmann Increases Number Of New Trainees To 163

This year Bertelsmann again offers a large number of young women and men a challenging and interesting passage to the working world: 163 new trainees were hired in Gütersloh on Aug 1 – 28 more than last year. In June 2005, the Bertelsmann AG Executive Board had decided to further increase the number of trainee slots throughout the group. Thus Bertelsmann, which is still the district and city of Gütersloh’s largest "vocational trainer" by far, again sets positive accents in a job and trainee market that has become increasingly difficult for young people, and shoulders social responsibility in the region.

Following a comprehensive introductory phase, Bertelsmann’s 163 new trainees will go through a commercial or industrial course of training in 19 different occupational fields. 81 young women and men had their first day at Bertelsmann’s Corporate Center yesterday; 46 of them are aspiring industrial managers, 17 are future IT specialists, and 18 are enrolled in the part-time "Bachelor of International Management" course of studies. Heribert Sangs, Head of Corporate Education, and Tobias Mayr, HR Chief at the Corporate Center, welcomed our new colleagues and wished them the best of success for the years ahead: "This day marks a significant change in your life. Bertelsmann offers top-notch training in a compelling field of work. You can use this time to create a solid foundation for your own future," declared Sangs.

Mayr added: "I wish you all the best as you enter this new chapter of your life. Your training will be most successful if you tackle it with utmost dedication and commitment." He added that Bertelsmann’s great appeal as an employer is evident in the approximately 1,700 applications received. The internationally accredited "Bachelor of International Management," which Bertelsmann offers as a part-time degree, has proven especially popular. After the first 20 bachelors graduated with excellent scores this year, another 18 young women and men have just entered the fifth round of Bertelsmann’s two-track degree program that integrates vocational training in commercial professions. "Our first class of Bachelor graduates have shown that they have outstanding chances in the employment market," Sangs emphasized.