Continental opens 13th German training centre in Gifhorn

Continental has opened its 13^th training centre in Germany for employees in Gifhorn, between Hanover and Wolfsburg. The opening ceremony on 25 September, 2023, was attended by labour minister Hubertus Heil and the second chairperson of IG Metall, Christiane Benner. The company launched CITT (Continental Institute for Technology and Transformation) in 2019. The institute focuses on retraining and refocusing employees in a transitional economy – or in Conti’s words, “to strengthen the employability of individual employees.” CITT had trained 8,500 participants by the end of 2022, and Conti expects this number to reach 9,500 by the end of 2023.

Hubertus Heil (SPD), Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, said CITT was an exemplar of initiatives designed to prepare employees for future employment opportunities: “The world of work is changing rapidly as a result of technological and social developments. This requires bold and responsible action from everyone involved. Continental’s ‘from work to work’ initiative is a prime example of how a socially fair transformation can be shaped with courage and drive. Here in Gifhorn, the employees of today are being equipped for the work of tomorrow. This will safeguard local jobs and industry, which I’m happy about not only as Minister of Labor, but as a member of the Bundestag with a close connection to the region.”

Continental employees at the Gifhorn location will be trained to meet the needs of Stiebel Eltron as well as those of the regional labour market. Stiebel Eltron is planning to set up a stainless steel cylinder production facility for heat pump heating systems at Continental’s location in Gifhorn. With this in mind, Continental and Stiebel Eltron have signed a letter of intent to take over production and functional areas. In July 2023, Continental announced that it would be phasing out its business activities at the location by the end of 2027.

“It remains our firm intention to move as many of our employees as possible from work to work,” said Dr Ariane Reinhart, Continental Executive Board member for human relations and sustainability. “The training offered through the CITT is an important part of creating opportunities for employees in Gifhorn.”

The agreement with Stiebel Eltron is the first major result of Continental’s “from work to work” initiative, which, through appropriate training, aims to ensure a seamless transition to a new job within Continental or on the external job market for employees. To achieve this, Continental is currently in talks with several companies.

Christiane Benner, second chairperson of IG Metall and vice chairperson of Continental’s Supervisory Board: “Training, qualification and future prospects in local regions are a key issue for us as a labour union. That’s why we’ve worked hard to show employees in Gifhorn that transformation through training is a real opportunity. We are laying the foundation for this with the CITT.”

Through the CITT, employees have the opportunity to retrain for the internal and external job market at full pay. Unskilled and semi-skilled employees can, for example, complete a further training course certified by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce with the option of obtaining a full professional qualification.